ARGINI Festival — Sorbolo Mezzani stop

ARGINI Festival: The Po River as a Widespread Stage

ARGINI Festival is the new, widespread cultural project promoted by the Emilia-Romagna Region and curated by ATER Fondazione, in collaboration with the Teatro Sociale of Gualtieri. Launched in 2026 as a travelling format along the course of the great river, the festival is not just a simple programme of shows, but an immersive experience that invites the audience to move between different places and languages: theatre, music, dance, and performances come to life directly on the banks of the Po River, between the Reggio, Parma, and Ferrara areas.

The Sorbolo Mezzani Stop

On July 18, 2026, ARGINI Festival arrives in Sorbolo Mezzani, a municipality in the Bassa Parmense region, in the province of Parma (Emilia-Romagna), overlooking the Po River at the point where the river marks the border with the province of Reggio Emilia. The heart of the day is the Porto Fluviale di Mezzani, which for one day becomes a natural stage between water, floodplains, and open sky, capable of intertwining the river landscape with the contemporary scene.

The Programme for July 18

The day opens at 6:30 PM with "La battaglia dei cuscini" (The Pillow Fight), an interactive and participatory action suitable for all ages, where ska music and games involve adults and children in a collective and liberating moment. At 7:30 PM, the audience boards the motor ship Padus for the DJ set by Godblesscomputers, featuring electronics, groove, and suspended atmospheres on the water. The evening culminates at 9:30 PM with "Crescere, la guerra" (Growing Up, War), an intense work with journalist and reporter Francesca Mannocchi and musician Rodrigo D'Erasmo (directed by Giorgina Pi, music by D'Erasmo himself), which tells the story of childhood affected by the conflicts of our time.

A Journey Along the River

The Sorbolo Mezzani stop is part of a journey that, from June 6 to August 1, 2026, crosses several riverside municipalities: Boretto, Luzzara, Gualtieri, Sorbolo Mezzani, and Guastalla, between the Reggio and Parma areas, concluding in the autumn in Goro and Mesola, in the Po Delta in the province of Ferrara. Each stop brings shows designed to interact with the landscape and the history of the villages crossed by the great river.

Why It's Worth Going

• A day that combines music, theatre, and performances in a single location overlooking the Po River
• The DJ set by Godblesscomputers aboard the motor ship Padus, an unusual experience
• The show "Crescere, la guerra" with Francesca Mannocchi and Rodrigo D'Erasmo, blending journalism, spoken word, and live music
• The opportunity to discover Sorbolo Mezzani and its river landscape in the Bassa Parmense region

The Mezzani stop is an invitation to experience the Po River not just as a natural element, but as a vibrant space for culture, encounters, and wonder.