Workers' Day falls on a Wednesday in 2024.

Italy celebrates Labour Day - known as the Festa dei Lavoratori or Festa del Lavoro - with a national public holiday every year on 1 May.

This year the Primo Maggio holiday falls on a Wednesday and will result in the closure of Italy's schools and public offices.

The annual event, marked in more than 80 countries, is held in commemoration of the labour movement and the social and economic achievements of trade unions on behalf of workers.

• Italy's public holidays: a quick guide

The Primo Maggio holiday is celebrated in Rome with a free May Day concert which this year moves from Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano to the Circus Maximus.

Organised by Italy's trade unions, the concertone attracts well-known acts along with rising stars from the Italian music industry and is used as a platform to promote workers' rights.

Cover image: Il quarto stato (1898-1901) painting by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo.