A Cappello - International Street Art Festival

A street art festival in the heart of Salento

A Cappello - International Street Art Festival is one of the most beloved summer events in Gagliano del Capo, a small town in the Province of Lecce at the southern tip of Puglia, just a few kilometers from Santa Maria di Leuca and the point where the Ionian and Adriatic seas meet. For one night in August, the town's historic center turns into a vast open-air stage, where alleys, courtyards, and squares become the backdrop for ephemeral and surprising performances.

History and artistic direction

Founded in 2013, the festival is conceived and directed by Matteo Greco, who spends each year carefully selecting a roster of Italian, European, and international artists. A Cappello is not just a busker showcase; it is designed as a collective experience, an invitation to lose yourself and find your way again through ancient alleys while being swept away by the power of movement, words, music, and daring feats. The name refers to the custom of street artists collecting donations «in a hat», relying on the generosity of the public.

The performances

The program embraces the many languages of street art:

• contemporary circus and poetic circus;
• street theater, physical theater, and clowning;
• juggling, acrobatics, and verticalism;
• comedy, cabaret, and improvisation;
• magic and visual theater suitable for all ages.

Performances take place throughout Piazza San Rocco, the main street, and the small squares of the historic center from evening until late at night, with the audience moving from one corner to another to follow the artists in an itinerant and participatory experience.

An event for all ages

A Cappello is a free festival for everyone, from 0 to 99 years old: families, children, curious onlookers, and live performance enthusiasts find diverse and accessible entertainment in a single evening. The stated goal is to rebuild social bonds through enchantment, imagining different ways to experience the town's spaces.

Gagliano del Capo and the Capo di Leuca

The event is also an opportunity to discover Gagliano del Capo and the Capo di Leuca territory, a land of cliffs, ancient olive trees, and small Salento villages. The setting of the historic center, with its Lecce stone architecture, adds charm to an event that unites art, community, and landscape in the southernmost part of Puglia.