The Terra dei Motori festival returns from 28 to 31 May: over 50 events, more than 200 international speakers and four days in the heart of the Emilia-Romagna Motor Valley between innovation, automotive, technology and industrial culture
Modena turns on its engines and prepares to return to the international capital of mobility and automotive innovation with the eighth edition of Motor Valley Festthe open-air festival of the Land of Motors of Emilia-Romagna scheduled from 28 to 31 May 2026. The official countdown started today with the presentation, in the Representative Hall of the Municipality of Modena, of the program of what promises to be one of the most international, participatory and strategic editions ever for the Motor Valley ecosystem.
For four days the city of Ghirlandina, a UNESCO world heritage site, will be transformed into a widespread stage dedicated to engines, innovation and industrial culture, hosting over 50 appointments including international conferences, top tables, Talent Talks, experiences, widespread expo, B2B meetings, gatherings, exhibitions and dynamic events in the area. A program that will involve more than 200 international speakers and 20 thematic tables dedicated to the great transformations that are redefining the automotive and manufacturing sectors.
It will be the heart of the festival the conference program which between 28 and 29 May will bring to Modena institutions, top managers, companies, universities, startups and international protagonists called to discuss the new scenarios of global mobility. To officially open the 2026 edition, Thursday 28 May at the Storchi Theater, it will be the Opening Conference international entitled “Global Trends, New Frontiers and Human Responsibility”, dedicated to the themes ofartificial intelligencefrom the energy transitionfrom the digitalisation and the relationship between technological innovation and human responsibility.
Next, the Motor Valley Top Table will bring together the leaders of the six symbolic manufacturers of the Motor Valley: Dallara, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Pagani they will be the protagonists of a discussion dedicated to the challenges that are redefining the future of the sector between software-defined vehicles, AI, autonomous driving, electrification and advanced manufacturing.
At 1.00 pm, in the splendid setting of the Courtyard of Honor of the Military Academy of Modena, the traditional ceremony of ribbon cuttingin the presence of civil and military authorities and the CEOs of the Motor Valley brands. A highly symbolic moment which marks the inauguration of the Best of Motor Valleywhere supercars, motorcycles and historic cars of the brands that have made the Motor Valley famous throughout the world will be on display, together with the regional racetracks that are symbols of the Emilia-Romagna motoring tradition.
The dialogue between industry, training and new generations is also increasingly central. On Thursday 28th and Friday 29th May the Teatro del Collegio San Carlo will host the Talent Talk of the format Innovation & Talent: ten meetings dedicated to students and young professionals who will see the voices of the car and motorbike manufacturers Dallara, Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani alternate on stage together with companies such as HPE Group, Loccioni and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls, as well as MUNER Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna and Accenture, with meetings dedicated to the topics of new skills and mobility professions of the future.
For all four days of the festival, Piazza Grande will also host the projects SAE formula, the international university engineering design competition that will take place in Modena 11 Italian universities and 16 teams involved in the development of innovative prototypes. Also in the heart of the city will be MUNER Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna and ITS MAKER Academy with orientation and information activities dedicated to the new generations.
To complete the program, exhibitions, museums open for free, widespread experiences, parades and rallies of historic cars will once again transform Modena and the Motor Valley into an open-air museum dedicated to passion, technology and Italian automotive design.
THE ORGANIZERS
Motor Valley Fest is organized by the Emilia-Romagna Region, APT Servizi Emilia-Romagna, Municipality of Modena, Motor Valley Association, MUNER, Meneghini & Associati, Unioncamere Emilia-Romagna, Modena Chamber of Commerce and Modena Foundation. With the support of Italia.it Ministry of Tourism.
