Alute Festival

A journey of music and flavors in the village of Altavilla Irpina

The Alute Festival is a food, wine, and music event that brings the historic center of Altavilla Irpina, in the province of Avellino, to life every autumn in the heart of Irpinia. The format is simple yet highly effective: the village's squares and courtyards become stops on a walking tour, where each location offers a different musical performance and a tasting stall. Visitors arriving in the evening will find illuminated alleys, open-air tables, and concerts echoing from one square to another until late at night.

An event born from the town's youth

The first edition took place on October 14 and 15, 2022, on the initiative of the Altavilla Irpina Youth Forum, with the patronage of the Municipality of Altavilla Irpina and the Campania Region. Since then, the event has grown year after year while maintaining its participatory spirit: the local youth handle the setup, artist selection, and relationships with local producers. The festival has thus become a signature autumn event for Altavilla and one of the most popular youth-led initiatives in this part of inland Campania.

A new theme for every edition

The most recognizable feature of the Alute Festival is the choice of a theme that redesigns the map of the village each time. In 2024, the event staged a confrontation between Apollo and Dionysus: the Piazza of Apollo was dedicated to classical, jazz, and acoustic music, the Piazza of Dionysus was reserved for folk repertoire, and the Palazzo dell'Olimpo was transformed into a space for DJ sets. In 2025, the guiding thread was the Divine Comedy, with Paradise, Purgatory, and Hell becoming three thematic areas distributed between the Mother Church, the Fountain of the Three Lions, and the Ducal Palace.

Music, from folk to electronic

• Folk and traditional music — tammorre, songs, and dances of the Irpinian and Campanian tradition, featuring groups like I Cumpari and Amici della Rosamarina.
• Acoustic live sets and singer-songwriters — more intimate performances in the intermediate squares, often as duos or smaller ensembles.
• DJ sets and electronic music — the late-night portion, hosted in the courtyards of historic palaces, attracting a young audience from across the province.

The flavors of Irpinia

Alongside the stages, local producers set up stalls offering cheeses, cured meats, bread, traditional peasant sweets, and the wines that have made this part of Campania famous, from Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino to Taurasi, all produced just a few kilometers from Altavilla. The route is completed by exhibition corners, art displays, and creative workshops designed to showcase local craftsmanship and excellence, in line with the project's goal of regional promotion since its inception.

Why it's worth visiting

More than a traditional food festival, the Alute Festival is a hybrid event: it combines the conviviality of village feasts with the curiosity of a cultural exhibition, featuring a scenographic layout that changes every year. It is also a great way to discover Altavilla Irpina, a village overlooking the Sabato Valley known for the Sanctuary of San Pellegrino and its ancient sulfur mines, during a season—the Irpinian autumn—when the landscape and local cuisine are at their best.

When it takes place

The Alute Festival is usually held in October, over two consecutive evenings between Friday and Saturday: October 24 and 25 in 2025, and October 25 and 26 in 2024. No official announcement has been released yet for the 2026 edition: those wishing to attend can follow the channels of the Altavilla Irpina Youth Forum, which typically communicates the theme, dates, and program a few weeks before the event.