Notte di Fiaba is the emblematic event of Riva del Garda's summer: every year it closes the season by transforming the town into a fairy-tale world of dance, games, theatre and music. It brings together around 100 volunteers and 85,000 visitors, with 160 hours of entertainment, and is a tradition handed down since the 1950s.
Its origins go back as far as the nineteenth century, with lakeside festivities and illuminated boats. The first annual editions were born in the 1950s, tied to local markets, before evolving over the following decades — from allegorical float parades on the lake to the medieval theme of the 1990s. The decisive turning point came in 1999, when the Comitato Manifestazioni Rivane reinvented the event around its magical and fairy-tale character, to restore the importance of fairy tales at a time when the world was becoming increasingly technological — an experience designed to bring together grandparents, parents and grandchildren. Every year a different fairy tale sets the theme for the event, with its own characters and colours transforming the town.
Fireworks have always been a defining feature of Notte di Fiaba — for many people, they are the event's most distinctive element. In 2023, the Associazione Manifestazioni Rivane made the difficult and painful decision to discontinue them, driven by several reasons: increasingly high costs, complex authorisation procedures, personal safety risks, and a growing sensitivity towards environmental issues and sustainability. This called for an even deeper commitment to keeping Notte di Fiaba a magical and memorable moment at the close of summer. The choice was made to place greater emphasis on storytelling and the fairy tale, with ever richer and more varied programmes; to offer widespread entertainment opportunities that reduce crowding; to reconnect with the lake; to celebrate the participation of local residents and organisations; and to put children back at the heart of it all. Because true magic is not born from fireworks, but from shared emotions.
Once upon a time...
From the very first edition in 1999 to today, every year Notte di Fiaba has chosen a different fairy tale as its guiding thread, transforming Riva del Garda into an enchanted world of lights, colours and characters. Browse through past editions and let yourself be swept away by the magic of each story.
