The Notte Bianca dello Sport, organized by the Municipality of Pisa and now in its fourth edition, returns on Saturday, September 19th. Starting at 5:30 p.m., the streets, squares, and lungarni of the historic center will be transformed into a large sports area, with the participation of approximately 100 sports associations and over 100 stands and stations. Throughout the evening, it will be possible to get to know and try out many disciplines, attend performances and demonstrations, and meet the sporting realities of the area.
The 2026 edition will coincide with a particularly important event for Pisan sport. From September 18th to 20th, five ACES European Commissioners will be in Pisa to evaluate the city's candidacy for the title of European City of Sport 2028. Three days during which the commission will visit associations and sports facilities in the city, meeting local realities and getting to know the Pisan sports system up close. Further visits, the signing of the “Call to Action” and the participation of the commissioners in the Notte Bianca dello Sport are planned for Saturday 19 September. On Sunday morning, the delegation will be present at the Miniduathlon sui Lungarni, before the final meeting at Palazzo Gambacorti, during which the commissioners will evaluate and assign the score achieved by Pisa's candidacy.
The White Night program
The event will take place along a wide route through the historic center between Piazza Garibaldi, Ponte di Mezzo, Piazza XX Settembre, Largo Ciro Menotti, Logge di Palazzo Gambacorti, Logge di Banchi, Lungarno Gambacorti, Lungarno Galilei, Lungarno Pacinotti, and Lungarno Mediceo.
Starting at 5:30 pm, the associations will be present with stands, stations, and spaces dedicated to the various disciplines. The official inauguration is scheduled for 6:30 pm with a parade of sports associations. At 7:00 pm, there will also be sports in the Arno with the regatta between the Pisa and Capraia e Limite boats, while at 9:45 pm there will be a vertical dance performance.
Among the new features of the 2026 edition is an even more significant presence of rowing disciplines. The Arno will host boats from the city's various rowing clubs, while at the Renaioli dock, rowers will welcome children and teenagers who want to get up close to rowing, with the opportunity to try out the discipline and board the boats for a ride on the water.
Throughout the evening, the associations will present their activities through demonstrations and performances, also offering the public the opportunity to get up close and personal with the various disciplines. The White Night thus confirms the formula developed in previous editions, bringing sports activities outside the facilities and directly into the streets, squares, and Lungarni of the historic center.
During the event, awards will also be held for athletes and sports organizations in the city. Among these is Pisa Beach Soccer, fresh from winning their fourth Scudetto in their history, the second consecutive. President Alessandro Donati's team will be celebrated together with the city for the new national title.
Among the athletes awarded will also be the two Pisan fencers Filippo Macchi and Martina Batini, also protagonists at the highest international levels in 2026. Macchi won the silver medal in the individual foil event and gold in the team event at the 2026 World Championships in Hong Kong, also climbing to the top step of the podium with the Italian team at the 2026 European Championships in Antony. Batini will be awarded for her foil achievements, including gold at the 2026 World Championships in Hong Kong and gold at the 2026 European Championships in Antony, following her European success in Genoa in 2025.
Three days with the ACES commissioners
The delegation of five ACES commissioners will arrive in Pisa on Friday, September 18, and will remain in the city until Sunday, September 20, as part of the evaluation process for Pisa's candidacy for European City of Sport 2028.
Il programma prenderà il via venerdì con una serie di visite alle associazioni e agli impianti sportivi cittadini, per consentire ai commissari di conoscere direttamente le strutture, le attività e le realtà che compongono il movimento sportivo pisano.
Visits will continue on Saturday, September 19. The “Call to Action” will also be signed during the day, while in the afternoon and evening the five commissioners will participate in the Notte Bianca dello Sport, thus being able to get to know the associations present directly and witness the city's participation in the event.
The three-day event will conclude on Sunday, September 20. At 9:00 a.m., in Piazza XX Settembre, the Miniduathlon sui Lungarni will take place, a sporting event dedicated to children in which the five ACES commissioners will also take part. At the end of the initiative, the commission will meet at Palazzo Gambacorti to proceed with the final evaluation and attribution of the score achieved by the city as part of its candidacy for European City of Sport 2028.
The White Night of Sport is part of European Sports Week – European Week of Sport, an initiative promoted every year to promote sports and spread healthy and active lifestyles. The event is organized by the Municipality of Pisa, with the participation of Pisamo and the patronage of the University of Pisa, CONI Toscana, the European Commission, and the Department of Sport. Technical sponsors Acque, HTS Verde Sportivo and Decathlon.
CHANGES TO TRAFFIC.
For the fourth edition of the Notte Bianca dello Sport, Ponte di Mezzo, Lungarno Gambacorti between Piazza XX Settembre and Via delle Belle Donne, Lungarno Pacinotti between Via Curtatone and Montanara and Piazza Garibaldi, and Lungarno Mediceo between Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Mazzini, the latter excluded, will be closed to traffic from 1:30 PM to midnight. Lungarno Galilei is also closed, where only residents with a left turn will be allowed at the intersection with Vicolo Da Scorno.
To allow for the event to be set up and held, a parking ban with forced removal will also be in place from 11:00 am to midnight on Lungarno Pacinotti, between Via Curtatone and Montanara and Piazza Garibaldi, Lungarno Mediceo, between Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Cairoli. The parking ban will be in effect from 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 19th, to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 20th, on Lungarno Galilei, between Piazza San Sepolcro and Piazza XX Settembre, and Lungarno Gambacorti, between Piazza XX Settembre and Via delle Belle Donne.
