Palio di Siena postponed to August 17 due to rain

The historic Palio di Siena horse race, a deeply ingrained tradition in the Tuscan city, has been postponed to Monday, August 17, due to persistent rain and adverse weather conditions. The announcement came after the green flag was raised, signaling the cancellation of the race originally planned for sunset.

Heavy rain fell on the Piazza del Campo and the tuff track in the early afternoon, making the conditions unsafe for both horses and jockeys. This is not an unprecedented event; the Palio on July 2 also faced a postponement to the following day due to rain. Recent years have seen similar disruptions, including August 16, 2024, July 2, 2024 (which was delayed by two days), and August 16, 2022, all attributed to downpours that compromised the track's integrity.

The municipality explained that the rain began around 2 p.m., rendering the Historical Parade and the Race impossible to conduct. The full program is set to be replicated on Monday, August 17, weather permitting, with the same timings. The day's events will commence with cannon shots at 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. as first and second warnings, followed by track clearing at 4:15 p.m. for the Carabinieri's horseback display at 4:45 p.m. The Historical Parade will enter the Piazza del Campo at 4:50 p.m., with the horses exiting the Podestà's Courtyard for the Palio at 7 p.m. Spectators wishing to attend the race in the center of the Piazza del Campo can access the area from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. via Via Dupré, subject to capacity.

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making it impossible to hold the Historical Parade and the Race.