Benevento Città Spettacolo 2026 - Mediterraneo

For six days, Benevento does not simply host a festival: the city itself becomes the show.

From 25 to 30 August 2026, Benevento Città Spettacolo returns for its 47th edition, once again bringing together theatre, music, dance, literature, cinema and visual arts with the city’s extraordinary historical and cultural heritage.

The theme chosen for 2026 is “Mediterraneo”, suggested by Maurizio de Giovanni and developed under the artistic direction of Renato Giordano. Here, the Mediterranean is seen not as a border, but as a meeting place: a sea crossed for centuries by different peoples, languages, stories and traditions. This vision inspires a programme designed to create a dialogue between different artistic languages, generations and perspectives.

Once again, Benevento itself provides the setting. Piazza Santa Sofia, the Hortus Conclusus, Arco del Sacramento, the Cloister of Santa Sofia, Museo del Sannio, Piazza Roma, Piazza Federico Torre, Piazza Cardinal Pacca and the city’s theatres become places to experience through performances, concerts and encounters. Rather than a single stage, visitors will discover an entire city inviting them to explore its heritage through culture.

The programme features names including Maurizio de Giovanni, Vincenzo Salemme, Alessandro Siani, Kid Yugi, Peppe Servillo, Lina Sastri, Enzo Gragnaniello, Eugenio Bennato, Gino Rivieccio and Serena Bortone, alongside theatre companies, musicians, writers and artists from the local cultural scene. Piazze d’Autore, exhibitions across the city, activities for children, astronomical observations and numerous theatre and music productions further enrich the festival.

And perhaps this is the true spirit of Città Spettacolo: bringing the city closer to art while allowing art to tell the story of the city itself.