International Workers’ Day falls on a Monday in 2023.
Italy celebrates Labour Day – known as the Festa dei Lavoratori or Festa del Lavoro – with a nationwide public holiday every year on 1 May.
This year the Primo Maggio holiday falls on a Monday so will result in a long weekend and a day off for Italy’s schools and public offices.
The annual event, marked in more than 80 countries, is held in commemoration of the labour movement and the social and economic achievements of trade unions on behalf of workers.
- Italy’s public holidays: a quick guide
The Primo Maggio holiday is celebrated in Rome with a free May Day concert in Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano.
Organised by Italy’s trade unions, the concertone attracts established acts along with rising stars from the Italian music industry and is used as a platform to promote workers’ rights.
Cover image: Il quarto stato (1898-1901) painting by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo.