Art Festival

Art Festival, art that walks along the Conero Riviera

Art Festival is one of the most beloved performing arts events in the Marche region: a traveling exhibition that, between late June and July, brings contemporary circus, dance, street theater, and live music to the historic centers of several municipalities on the coast and in the hinterland. Founded in 2017 by the Whats Art Association, in 2026 the event reaches its tenth edition, a decade that confirms the festival's winning formula: quality shows, urban spaces used as stages, and art open to all.

The Numana stop

In the heart of the Province of Ancona, overlooking the Conero sea, the Municipality of Numana hosts one of the most suggestive stops of the festival. On Saturday, July 4th, 2026, from sunset until midnight, the historic center of the village comes alive with Italian and international artists. Alleys, small squares, and viewpoints become natural theaters, while the public strolls from one show to another in an atmosphere of typical Conero Riviera summer celebration.

A multidisciplinary and free festival

The distinctive feature of Art Festival is the variety of disciplines presented. The program alternates:

• Contemporary circus and aerial acrobatics, with companies performing on hoop and silks;
• Juggling and street arts, including clowning, hula hoop, and skill acts;
• Live music, with concerts accompanying the evening;
• Living statues and visual performances that surprise the spectator in the most scenic spots of the village.

All shows are free admission: a choice that makes the festival an inclusive experience, designed for families, the curious, and fans of theater and circus.

A territorial project

Art Festival is a choral project involving several municipalities on the coast and in the Marche hinterland, between the provinces of Ancona and Macerata. In addition to Numana, the 2026 edition includes Porto Recanati, Grottammare, Recanati, and other villages, with the support of local administrations and the Marche Region. The artistic direction is curated by the Whats Art Association, which selects artists from around the world each year through an international call.

For those visiting the Conero Riviera in summer, the Numana stop of Art Festival is a perfect opportunity to discover the charm of the village after sunset, combining a stroll through the historic center's streets with live performance.