Arena San Sebastiano - Summer Evenings

An open-air arena at the foot of Mount Vesuvius

Arena San Sebastiano - Summer Evenings is the summer festival hosted by the Municipality of San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, a small town in the Metropolitan City of Naples nestled between the regional capital and the Vesuvius National Park in Campania. The heart of the event is the Urban Park on Via Panoramica, a municipal green space that is equipped with a stage and open-air seating for the entire summer. For the 2026 edition, the venue has been renovated, increasing capacity to approximately one thousand seats, compared to the 504 numbered seats of previous seasons.

The underlying concept is simple yet highly successful: to provide the inhabitants of the Vesuvian area with a continuous, high-quality cultural program at affordable prices, without the need to travel into the center of Naples. Events take place almost every evening from late June to early September, starting at 9:15 PM.

The Cinema Section

The film program, curated by Peppe Minopoli with the Red Carpet association, is the common thread throughout the summer. The schedule alternates between Italian hits from the recently concluded season, auteur cinema, and family-friendly offerings, with a flat rate of 3.50 euros per screening. Over the years, special events featuring guest directors and actors have been added, along with an evening dedicated to the Aria Film Fest, a short film festival focused on environmental themes.

Neapolitan Theatre and Comedy

The performance section is under the artistic direction of Pino Oliva from the Teatro Troisi in Naples, bringing some of the most beloved names of the Neapolitan scene to the park: actors, comedians, and singer-songwriters who have shaped the history of popular Neapolitan theatre. Several evenings offer free admission, while for other shows, residents can access the venue with a symbolic contribution of 5 euros—a choice that clearly reflects the festival's public service vocation.

Music: The Napoli Jazz Festival in the Park

The musical program is curated by Michele Solipano as part of the Napoli Jazz Festival: concerts ranging from jazz to classic Neapolitan songwriting, soul, and theatrical fusions, featuring ensembles and voices from the Campanian and national scene. This is the section that most transforms the Urban Park into a listening space, on evenings where Mount Vesuvius serves as a natural backdrop.

Rights and Authors, the Literary Section

Alongside cinema, theatre, and music, the festival hosts Rights and Authors, a cycle of eight meetings curated by Ida Mazzarella and Giovanpaolo Gaudino: book presentations and public dialogues on citizenship, memory, legality, and the environment, featuring writers, journalists, and administrators. It is an opportunity to give the park the function of a civic square.

From Agorà to Arena San Sebastiano

The event began in 2022 and was known as Agorà for its first few seasons before adopting its current name. The summer of 2026 marks the fifth edition and confirms the multidisciplinary formula, supported by the Campania Region, the Metropolitan City of Naples, the Municipality, and, for the cinematic portion, the Film Commission Regione Campania.

A Community Festival

More than just a simple summer arena, Arena San Sebastiano has become a cultural hub for the entire Vesuvian belt: San Sebastiano al Vesuvio, Massa di Somma, Cercola, Volla, Ercolano, and the eastern districts of Naples. The audience consists of local families who find a complete program just minutes from home, but the festival also attracts spectators from across the province, especially for the most famous theatre and music acts.