by InTrieste
Interview: Serena Tonel, Deputy Mayor of Trieste and Councilor for Economic Policies; Elena Pellaschiar, Vice President of Confcommercio Trieste and Coordinator of the Commerce Group
Shops across central Trieste will stay open late on Saturday as the city stages its annual Notte dei Saldi (“Night of the Sales”), combining the start of Italy’s summer discount season with live entertainment aimed at attracting both residents and visitors.
The initiative, organized by the Municipality of Trieste in partnership with the provincial branch of Confcommercio, was presented Wednesday at City Hall. Officials said the event is designed to support local retailers while increasing the city’s appeal during the peak tourist season.
The evening, scheduled for Saturday, July 4, will feature extended shopping hours alongside performances by street artists, musicians and dance groups throughout the historic center. Organizers emphasized that entertainment is intended to complement, rather than overshadow, the event’s commercial focus.
Deputy Mayor Serena Tonel said the municipality has increasingly shaped the initiative around supporting neighborhood businesses and encouraging people to spend time in the city center. She credited the partnership with Confcommercio and the Trieste Commerce District for helping develop measures intended to strengthen local commerce in a changing retail environment.
Among the scheduled performances are appearances by the choir Amici per Caso, Greek folk dancers, Drum Circle percussion groups and dance exhibitions by athletes from the Società Ginnastica Triestina in Piazza della Repubblica. Local radio station Radio Punto Zero and media outlet iMagazine will also host promotional activities during the evening.
To encourage participation, the municipality has approved temporary measures for retailers, including permission to display sale prices up to 48 hours before the official start of the sales, provided the effective date is clearly indicated. Shops will also be allowed to use the space immediately outside their premises free of charge for merchandise displays and small entertainment activities. Restaurants and cafés will be permitted to install temporary outdoor facilities, subject to emergency access and safety regulations.
Several streets in the city center will be closed to private traffic from 7 p.m. Saturday until 1 a.m. Sunday, creating pedestrian areas intended to make shopping and public events more accessible. The closures will affect parts of Via Mazzini, Corso Italia, Via Roma, Via Diaz, Via Cavana and several adjacent streets.
Nicola Deluca, director of the Trieste Commerce District, said the event is part of a broader strategy launched in 2023 to revitalize neighborhood shopping throughout the municipality. While the Night of the Sales is centered on downtown Trieste, he noted that the district’s programs also extend to residential neighborhoods including San Giacomo, Servola and Roiano.
The event will be promoted through multilingual advertising campaigns in Italian, Slovenian and German, along with social media, local media outlets and informational material distributed at tourist information points, hotels and hospitality businesses.
