What to Do in Genoa During the Weekend of September 11-13, 2026

September in Genoa has its own way of making peace with the ending summer. The days grow only slightly shorter, the afternoon light falls more obliquely on the palaces of the caruggi, and the city — which slows down in August to almost a standstill — resumes its usual pace, a bit hurried and a bit curious. This weekend of September 11-13 demonstrates this well: jazz echoes through the porticoes of Palazzo Ducale, people dance at brunch at Porto Antico, and inland the generosity of the earth is still being celebrated with mushrooms and potatoes.

It’s a weekend that doesn’t need to choose a single direction. You can stay in the heart of the city, among photographic exhibitions and concerts in historic halls, or venture toward the Apennines, where the air becomes fresher and the flavors more rustic. We’ll tell you how to get around, without rushing and without missing the best pieces.

The jazz that returns every weekend at Palazzo Ducale

There is an appointment that has marked Genoese September weekends for years, and it is the Gezmataz Festival, now in its twenty-third edition. The Sala del Minor Consiglio at Palazzo Ducale, with its frescoed ceilings and that surprising acoustics that only historic halls can provide, hosts the second cycle of concerts in the festival, scheduled for this very weekend and the following days, until September 20.

The program promises a dense dialogue between different musical traditions: among the announced artists are Anaïs Drago and the Edera Trio, names that move with ease between the most contemporary jazz and influences from other musical cultures. It’s the kind of festival that rewards those who love live music in an intimate format, without the noise of large summer festivals: here you listen seated, close to the stage, with the cool evening air entering through the palace windows. Palazzo Ducale, after all, has been the city’s finest salon for centuries — seat of ducal power first, then a cultural venue — and hosting jazz within its walls always has something elegant and never forced about it.

Exhibitions not to miss in the same palace

Those who visit Palazzo Ducale for the jazz can easily extend their visit to two photographic exhibitions open these days. Memories on Film. Ferrania, Factory of Images traces the history of Ferrania, the historic Ligurian company of films and photographic materials that for decades accompanied Italian photography: a story that speaks of industry, collective memory, and a lesser-known but central piece of Liguria in the history of national photographic technique. The exhibition remains open until November 27, so there’s no rush, but the weekend is a perfect opportunity to discover it at leisure.

At Galata, a photographic journey between ice and oceans

Not far away, descending toward Porto Antico, the Galata Museo del Mare opens these very days the exhibition Ice Oceans, Golden Seas, curated by photographers Fabio Accorrà and Andrea Izzotti. It’s a visual path that brings together the extreme landscapes of Greenland with the golden waters of tropical oceans, with a clear connecting thread: water as an element that unites worlds that seem vastly distant from one another. The photographs convey forms created by nature that seem almost abstract, ice sculpted by wind and marine surfaces that capture light in unexpected ways.

For those staying in Genoa, it’s an excellent addition to a museum visit that already tells centuries of Genoese maritime history: here contemporary photography dialogues with rooms dedicated to navigation, trade routes, and emigration. The exhibition will remain open until October 18, so in this case too, the weekend is just a first taste of a longer appointment.

Live music, from singer-songwriters to contemporary classical

For those looking for a real concert, the weekend offers two different options. At Porto Antico, in one of the city’s most evocative locations with the sea as a natural backdrop, Il Vagabondo Detto Houston performs—a singer-songwriter with a personal style who promises an evening of author’s songs in the open air, with the relaxed atmosphere typical of late summer evenings on the pier.

For those who prefer a more intimate setting, at Teatro Ivo Chiesa—the historic home of Teatro Nazionale di Genova—Roger Eno takes the stage. This British composer has developed a musical signature suspended between ambient and contemporary classical, the brother of the better-known Brian Eno but with a completely distinctive artistic voice. It’s a concert for those seeking a more meditative listening experience, far from club rhythms: the theater hall, with its acoustics designed for the spoken word and live music, is the ideal setting to let yourself be enveloped by rarefied atmospheres.

Slow clubbing and morning dance breakfasts at Porto Antico

If Saturday morning starts better for you with music than silence, the Genoa weekend has thought of that too. Volkswagen Electro Vibes powered by Radio m2o Morning Club brings the slow clubbing phenomenon—parties held in the morning in daylight instead of at night—to both Calata Mandraccio and Porto Antico. The idea is simple yet effective: breakfast, electronic music selected by Radio m2o artists, and the chance to dance without giving up the rest of your day.

It’s a format that has gained traction in several Italian cities in recent years, and in Genoa it finds a particularly felicitous setting among the harbor quays, with boats moored just meters away and morning light making everything less nocturnal and lighter. To be honest: it’s not an event for those seeking the most traditional Genoa, but for those who want to experience the city at a different pace—perhaps after a quiet evening—this dance breakfast is an original way to start Saturday.

Tattoos in the square and the inland festival

Also at Piazza delle Feste, in the heart of Porto Antico, the Genova Tattoo Convention returns—two days entirely dedicated to the art of tattooing with Italian and international artists, live sessions, and themed contests. Even for those who aren’t tattooed and have no intention of becoming so, it’s worth stopping by: the atmosphere is that of major industry fairs, with music, performances, and a diverse crowd that keeps the square lively throughout the weekend.

Those who prefer to leave the city and breathe the air of the inland can head to Casoni di Amborzasco, where the seventeenth edition of the Mushroom and Quarantina Potato Festival takes place. It’s an appointment that speaks of another Liguria—one of Apennine valleys, chestnut forests, and mountain cultivation: here the quarantina potato, a local variety with an intense flavor, pairs with mushrooms harvested from the surrounding woods, with expert mycologists on hand to explain species and characteristics. For those staying in Genoa but wanting to take a day trip out of town, it’s an authentic opportunity, far from the more touristy circuits.

A pause away from the crowds

If the weekend takes you to Porto Antico for the tattoo convention or slow clubbing, it’s worth carving out a quieter moment before or after. Just move a few hundred meters back toward the caruggi behind, between Piazza Banchi and Via San Luca, to find the Genoa of always: narrow shops, the smell of fresh focaccia coming out of the ovens, the muffled buzz of alleys filtering light with difficulty. It’s the perfect counterpoint to a day of music and events, the best way to remind yourself that Genoa, beneath the surface of the weekend’s events, remains first and foremost a city to walk slowly.

Where to stay to enjoy the weekend without rushing

With such a packed schedule, spread between the old town, Porto Antico, and city theaters, the choice of accommodation makes a difference. Staying in one of the homes in the heart of Genoa means being able to move on foot between Palazzo Ducale, the Galata Museo del Mare, and Piazza delle Feste without depending on transportation, and returning in the evening to an apartment that smells like home rather than a hotel. For those arriving from outside the city, it’s also an opportunity to discover at leisure that Genoa guide that brings together itineraries, practical tips, and places worth a longer stop.

If you own a property in the city and have ever wondered how tourist rentals work, you can find concrete answers on the page dedicated to those who want to become a host with genovabb.it. To keep up with the city’s upcoming cultural events, we recommend keeping an eye on the events and shows in Genoa section, updated week after week.

If this Genoese weekend is already calling you, between jazz, photography and dancing breakfasts by the sea, we’re here: you can book your stay in one of our properties and let Genoa, with its unhurried pace and pleasant surprises, set the rhythm of your days.