During the Christmas period, the Amalfi Coast transforms into a magical place, with a wide range of events and traditions.

Christmas lights and holiday markets

Traditional Christmas lights illuminate all the villages along the coast, making them even more atmospheric: from Cetara to Praiano, from Ravello to Positano, all the historic centers dress up for the holidays and shine throughout the season, with Christmas trees and twinkling lights reflecting off the water.

In Amalfi and Positano, the main towns on the coast, Christmas markets are set up where you can find holiday decorations, traditional sweets, and handmade gifts.

In 2025 Amalfi officially kicks off the magic of Christmas with the Christmas Markets in Piazza Municipio and along the Stradone, open on December 5, 6 and 7, 2025, from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm: a small village of wooden chalets offering local specialties, crafts and the scent of freshly baked treats.

If you’re looking for an even more intimate atmosphere, don’t miss the markets in the medieval cloister of the Anantara Convento Grand Hotel Amalfi, scheduled for Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14, 2025, with a special Christmas tree lighting and candlelit concert.

Salerno and its lights

If you're planning your Christmas holidays in Positano and the surrounding area, make sure you organize a visit to Salerno to admire the famous Luci d'Artista that illuminate the city during the Christmas period.

For the 2025/2026 edition, Luci d’Artista brighten Salerno from November 14, 2025 to February 1, 2026, turning streets, squares and the seafront into a huge open-air museum of light installations. The lights are switched on in the late afternoon, usually from around 5:00/5:30 pm until late at night, letting you soak up the holiday atmosphere even after Christmas and New Year’s, when the city is a bit quieter.

For New Year’s, Salerno pairs its lights with a big concert in Piazza della Libertà, where on December 31, 2025, the artist Mahmood is scheduled to welcome the new year on the waterfront stage.

Visiting the Luci d’Artista in Salerno

The nativity scene is one of the most heartfelt Christmas traditions in Naples and throughout the region of Campania. The Amalfi Coast, with its cliffside villages lit up by thousands of lights, seems like a nativity scene itself. All along the Amalfi Coast, you'll find many different types of traditional nativity scenes.

One nativity scene in particular that's worth visiting is the Presepe Monumentale nativity scene in Maiori, where you can admire "old-time" scenes of everyday life represented in great detail.

In Vietri sul Mare, a large Neapolitan nativity scene is set up in the moving setting of the parish church of San Giovanni Battista: the 18th-century nativity can be visited from the first Sunday of Advent until February 2, and is the perfect stop to combine with a walk among ceramic workshops and the seafront.

The tradition of the living nativity scene is also very interesting. It's like a mix between nativity art and theater. During your Christmas holidays on the Amalfi Coast, take time to visit the living nativity scenes in Agerola and Pimonte. In Vietri sul Mare, there's a large Neapolitan nativity scene representing the local marina and decorated with typical local ceramics.

• Live Nativity Scene in Agerola – Campora hamlet
  The 37th edition lights up this small hilltop village on December 26 and 27, 2025 and January 2, 3 and 4, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. As you follow the route through alleys and courtyards, you’ll meet shepherds, artisans, workshops and old-time taverns, for a real journey back in time.

• Live Nativity Scene in Pimonte (Valle Lavatoio)
  Just outside the Amalfi Coast, but easy to reach from Positano and Agerola, the Pimonte Live Nativity Scene returns with its 32nd edition: performances are scheduled on December 21, 26 and 28, 2025 and January 3, 4 and 6, 2026, again from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, in the natural setting of Valle Lavatoio.

• Live Nativity Scene in Albori (Vietri sul Mare)
  One of the most atmospheric nativity scenes on the Coast takes place in the village of Albori (Vietri sul Mare), along via Piliero: in 2025, the dates are December 21 and 28 and January 2 and 6, 2026, with opening hours 5:00 pm–11:45 pm. The route winds among decorated alleys, scenes of rural life and panoramic viewpoints overlooking the sea.

An underwater nativity scene

But the most famous nativity scene on the whole Amalfi Coast is probably the underwater nativity scene in the Emerald Grotto, in Conca dei Marini. The visit takes place on board small boats rowed by local sailors: on the seabed, at about 4 meters below the surface, you’ll see a ceramic nativity scene installed in 1956.

Every year during the Christmas season, divers bring flowers to the Baby Jesus, keeping alive a tradition that blends faith and the sea.

During the holidays, the cities of Amalfi and Positano host performances of sacred music, bagpipe concerts, and folk groups. The notes of the bagpipe also resonate in Praiano and a bit in all the coastal villages, especially on Sundays. Christmas concerts are also held in various local churches.

For Christmas 2025, Amalfi has an especially rich calendar:

• Santa Lucia Concert in the Arsenale della Repubblica on December 12, 2025, featuring soprano Silvia Sammarco, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Centro di Cultura e Storia Amalfitana (Center for Culture and History of Amalfi).

• “InCanti d’Autore” music series, bringing to the Coast:

  • Neri per Caso on December 26, 2025,

  • Neapolitan singer-songwriter Gnut on January 2, 2026,

  • Compagnia Daltrocanto on January 4, 2026, with folk sounds and Neapolitan tradition.

• Choral festival “Amalfi Canta il Natale” (31st edition) in the Amalfi Cathedral, featuring polyphonic choirs on December 29 and 30, 2025 and January 2, 2026.

• New Year’s Day Grand Concert, on January 1, 2026 in the Arsenale, performed by the S.C.S. International Harmonia Chamber Orchestra, to kick off the new year with great symphonic music.

Families with children spending their Christmas holidays on the Amalfi Coast will have plenty to enjoy.

In the hilltop hamlet of Nocelle above Positano, the local youth organize a small seasonal program every year, perfect if you’re traveling with kids:

• December 7, 2025, from 3:00 pm – Piazza Santa Croce, Nocelle: afternoon tree-decorating party and start-of-Advent celebration.

• December 13, 14, 20 and 21, 2025, from 5:00 pm – Nocelle parish hall: Scopone card tournament (a very local atmosphere; kids will love watching grandparents and parents battle it out at the card tables).

• December 26, 2025, 6:00 pm – “ExEx” building in Nocelle: big Christmas tombola, open to locals and visitors.

• December 27, 2025, 4:00 pm – live Nativity reinterpretation “Eppure ti ho sentito…”, starting from Piazza Arco and unfolding as a theatrical route through the village.

• January 3, 2026, 6:00 pm – ExEx Nocelle: “La Zeppola più buona” contest to crown the best homemade zeppola, a beloved local fried pastry.

In Amalfi, the 2025 program dedicated to kids is gathered under the title “Il Natale dei Piccoli” (Children’s Christmas):

• December 7, 2025 – Arsenale della Repubblica: show “Ecco a voi… i folletti!” (“Here they are… the elves!”), starring three clumsy elves on the eve of the Immaculate Conception holiday.

• December 13 and 20, 2025 – Amalfi paper Christmas letter workshop, where children write their letter to Santa on traditional Amalfi handmade paper and hand it over to him in person.

• December 20–24, 2025 – “Christmas Factory” in the Arsenale: an interactive route with the Astronomer Elf, the snow laboratory, Santa’s Driving School and Mamma Claus’ kitchen, where kids make lemon cookies, a sweet tribute to the Amalfi lemon terraces, recently recognized by the FAO as a GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System) site.

Calata della Stella in Atrani

If they can stay awake late, kids will also love the traditional “Calata della Stella” in Atrani, a deeply rooted local event in which a “comet” of fireworks is lit and made to “slide” down the sky over the tiny seaside village.

This tradition, over 140 years old, usually takes place on Christmas night, around midnight, right after the Midnight Mass: the village lights are turned off, the comet begins its descent from Mount Aureo and a fireworks show lights up the little square on the sea.

Visiting the Amalfi Coast with children

In Positano, New Year's Eve is an experience that promises fun and relaxation for everyone.

Start the evening with an outdoor aperitif and continue with the traditional Christmas Eve "cenone" dinner. Many restaurants offer special menus for New Year's Eve, allowing you to savor typical dishes while celebrating the arrival of the new year. Another Italian tradition on New Year's is playing "tombola," which is the Italian term for the game of bingo.

Restaurants open on the Amalfi Coast

After dinner, the party continues under the stars. New Year's Eve is celebrated on the Spiaggia Grande beach, which turns into an outdoor nightclub with music, dancing, and fireworks that light up the sky.

New Year's Eve in Amalfi

In 2025, Amalfi confirms its role as New Year’s capital on the Coast with “The Longest New Year’s Eve in Italy – #NYE Amalfi”: a huge, city-wide party from the afternoon of December 31, 2025 until dawn on January 1, 2026, spread across the main squares, with live bands, DJ sets, the “Capodanno Folk Amalfitano” folk festival and a fireworks show over the sea. In the first hours of the new year, a performance by The Muppets is also scheduled, with DJ sets and music selection.

The Capodanno Folk Amalfitano continues throughout the holiday period, featuring folk groups from Amalfi’s neighborhoods and nearby towns, with traditional costumes, tammurriata dancing and popular songs.

The Christmas holidays are the ideal time to visit the Amalfi Coast, without the scorching heat of the summer months. Enjoy unique events and activities, including Christmas markets and living nativity scenes.

Take a stroll along the pedestrian-only streets of the historic center of Positano, shopping in the local boutiques and enjoying the panoramic view from the iconic Path of the Gods. Climb up to Ravello to admire its monumental villas with unsurpassed views of the entire coast.

Above all, make sure you visit Amalfi and learn about its incredible history, with visits to cultural sites such as the Paper Museum and the beautiful Cathedral of Sant'Andrea.

The mild climate also allows you to immerse yourself in nature with walks and hikes on various paths and trails such as the Valley of the Mills or the famous Path of the Gods. Make sure you check the weather forecast carefully before you set out, dress in layers, and wear shoes suitable for hiking.

Excursions in the surrounding area are also highly recommended, for example to the nearby archaeological excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which you can also visit with an organized tour.

What to see on the Amalfi Coast

For Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, the local culinary tradition includes mainly seafood specialties, such as fried fish dishes and spaghetti with clams, as well as traditional dishes such as lentils with cotechino (pork sausage) and insalata di potenziamento (cauliflower and pickle salad). Even in winter, restaurants offer dishes prepared with fresh local ingredients.

Complete your meal with one of the area's many typical Christmas desserts, such as struffoli, roccocò, or chocolate mostaccioli. Finish everything off with a sip of the fragrant local lemon liqueur known as limoncello.