All of Italy's main cities and many towns offer lively and sophisticated nightlife, with stylish clubs and bars, as well as theatres, concert halls, cinemas and other entertainment venues.

Hiking, walking and cycling are popular in Italy, especially in the Italian Alps and The Apennines, both of which have well-marked trails. The Alps also offer excellent skiing from December to March, and there are numerous ski resorts in this region, with the spectacularly scenic Dolomites region the most popular. Sailing is a popular pursuit on the lakes of northern Italy, while windsurfing and other water-sports are popular on the coast. An Italian form of lawn bowling, called bocce, is commonly played throughout the country.

Soccer is a very popular spectator and participant sport, and the Italians are extremely proud of their national team. Other popular spectator sports include cycle racing, and Formula 1 motor car racing.

The Italians have many festivals in celebration of religious, cultural and historical events, most notably the Holy Week Easter processions, the Easter Sunday fireworks in Florence, the Siena Corsa del Palio bareback horse-riding festival, and the Estate Romana, Rome's annual summer music and film festival.