Alkantara Fest – Concerts in Aci Bonaccorsi

The festival that brings the world to the foot of Mount Etna

The Alkantara Fest is Sicily's premier international folk and world music festival. Founded in 2004 and organized by the Darshan Cultural Association under the artistic direction of Mario Gulisano, it reaches its 22nd edition in 2026, spread between July 10th and August 8th across various municipalities on the slopes of Mount Etna. The heart of the event beats at the Azienda Agricola Il Pigno, in the hamlet of Pisano in Zafferana Etnea, but the festival is itinerant and also reaches Catania, Acireale, Santa Venerina, Noto, and, of course, Aci Bonaccorsi.

The stops in Aci Bonaccorsi

Aci Bonaccorsi, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Catania overlooking the Ionian Gulf amidst citrus groves and Etna's lava, hosts two of the most anticipated 'Off' concerts of the festival, both with free admission:

• July 25 – Piazza della Regione: a concert by Ethno Sicily, an intercultural and international orchestra composed of young musicians who share their respective musical heritages. It is the Sicilian branch of the global Ethno program by Jeunesses Musicales International, active since 1990 in over forty countries.
• August 7 – Palazzo Cutore: the return of Agricantus, one of the most important Palermo-based world music ensembles, with their new project 'E.A.R. – Elektro-Akoustikòs Roots', which weaves the traditions of Southern Italy with electronic music, ambient, and an international perspective.

A world-renowned festival

Alkantara Fest is more than just a local event: in recent years, it has climbed to third place in the Transglobal World Music Chart, the network of music critics that promotes traditional music, ranking among the best world music festivals on the planet. Its philosophy is one of musical 'biodiversity': bringing together different cultures, traditions, and sounds, featuring both established and emerging artists from across the Mediterranean and beyond.

More than just concerts

Alongside the concerts, the festival program offers workshops on dance and percussion, labs, excursions on Mount Etna, family shows, food and wine experiences, and crafts. The stops in Aci Bonaccorsi, designed as moments open to the village community, are an opportunity to experience this atmosphere in an intimate and popular setting, under the summer sky of Eastern Sicily.