Artevento – International Kite Festival
The oldest and largest international kite festival, on the beach of Pinarella di Cervia
About Artevento Cervia
The world's most famous kite festival
Artevento is the International Kite Festival in Cervia, on the Romagna Riviera, in the Province of Ravenna (Emilia-Romagna). Founded in 1981, it is considered the oldest, largest, and longest-running kite festival on the planet: an event that has made Cervia the world capital of art flight. Every spring, between late April and early May, the long beach of Pinarella becomes an immense open-air art gallery, where the works are not hung on a wall but dance suspended in the wind.
Over 200 wind masters from around the world
The festival brings together over 200 kite masters representing more than 50 nations and all five continents. Along about a kilometer of coastline, contemporary art kites, ethnic and traditional kites, historical specimens, giant creations, and acrobatic flight sports disciplines alternate. It's not just an exhibition: Artevento is a cultural crossroads that brings the kite traditions of Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Colombia, and dozens of other countries to Romagna, accompanied by meetings, conferences, and moments of reflection on peace, the environment, and brotherhood among peoples.
Not just kites: art, circus, music, and workshops
The program goes far beyond flying. The days are marked by sport kite shows, illuminated night flights, parades of aerial creatures, contemporary circus performances, concerts, film screenings, and exhibitions set up in the historic Magazzino del Sale (Salt Warehouse) of Cervia. For the public, there are kite-making workshops for adults and children, specialized markets, play areas, and ample gastronomic spaces with piadina, Adriatic fish, pizza, and local specialties distributed between the North Wind Fair and the South Wind Fair.
A free and international event
Artevento has always been completely free to enter and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors of all ages and abilities each year, in a climate of popular celebration and openness to the world. Supported by the Municipality of Cervia and the Emilia-Romagna Region, and recognized by the Ministry of Culture for its value as intangible heritage, it is one of the symbolic events of the Romagna spring and a must-see for anyone visiting the Adriatic coast.
Artevento Cervia — edition 2026
The 46th edition of Artevento animated the beach of Pinarella di Cervia from April 23 to May 3, 2026, for eleven consecutive days that included the April 25th and May 1st long weekends. The chosen theme, "Brother Wind", focused on environmental care and brotherhood among peoples, in dialogue with the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis's death.
The guest of honor country was Colombia, with the BIMANA collective and artist Alejandro Uribe. The event brought together over 200 wind masters from more than 40 countries and five continents, with tributes to the Japanese tradition of edo-dako, Indonesia, and Thailand. Among the new features, the ARTEVENTO Flying Circus Arena dedicated to contemporary circus, with five shows and numerous repeats.
Programme Artevento Cervia 2026
Thursday, April 23 – Inauguration
- 10:00 AM – Kites in flight on Pinarella beach
- 10:00 AM-1:00 PM / 4:00 PM-7:00 PM – Exhibition "The Hague Air Gallery – Painted Wind" (Magazzino del Sale)
- 2:00 PM – Sport Kite Show
Friday, April 24
- 2:00 PM – "The Other Half of the Sky", showcase of female wind artists
- 3:00 PM-7:00 PM – Shows at the Flying Circus Arena
Saturday, April 25 – Day dedicated to Saint Francis
- 11:00 AM – "Nature in Flight", international artists
- 2:00 PM-5:00 PM – Parade of Creatures with the BIMANA collective (Colombia)
- 3:30 PM – Special award for flight merits to Flavio Lotti (PerugiAssisi Foundation)
- 9:00 PM – "Knock on the Sky and Listen to the Sound", night flight with Ariane Diakite
Sunday, April 26 – Day dedicated to Japan
- 11:00 AM – Flag Ceremony with Malcolm Goodman
- 3:00 PM – Homage to Japan and master Mikio Toki with the Japanese delegation
- 4:30 PM / 5:00 PM – East meets West: Indonesia (Endang Ernawati) and Thailand
Monday, April 27 – Wednesday, April 29
- 10:00 AM – "Brother Wind" Sewing Kite Workshop for adults with Alicja Szalska (mandatory booking)
- Daily Sport Kite Shows and featured artists
Friday, May 1 – Day dedicated to Grazia Deledda
- 10:30 AM – Cervia's Cup, Italian Championship of STACK Acrobatic Flight
- 11:30 AM – Meeting with Grazia Madesani Deledda, granddaughter of the writer
- 2:30 PM – Parade of Creatures
Saturday, May 2 – Day of Contemporary Circus
- 10:30 AM – Cervia's Cup, STACK competitions
- 3:30 PM – Megateam with artists from Cirque du Soleil
- 9:00 PM – "The Night of Miracles", parade of stars, Ariane Diakite and Cinema du Desert
Sunday, May 3 – Closing Day
- 10:30 AM – Cervia's Cup, STACK awards ceremony
- 11:30 AM – "One Sky One World", collective flight for peace
- 4:00 PM – Cervia Gospel Soul in concert
Flying Circus Arena
Five shows with 31 repeats, including "Time to Loop" (Duo Kaos), "Hop Hop" (Simone Romanò), "Mago per Svago" (L'Abile Teatro), and "La Vertigine del Desiderio" (Giacomo Costantini). Bookings at vivaticket.com.
Highlights Artevento Cervia 2026
Prices Artevento Cervia 2026
Practical information — Artevento Cervia
Where it takes place
The heart of the festival is the beach of Pinarella di Cervia (RA), where the flights and shows take place. The exhibitions are held at the Magazzino del Sale Torre, in Via Nazario Sauro in Cervia. The exhibition and service areas are divided into the Fiera del Vento Nord (North Wind Fair) on Via Emilia and the Fiera del Vento Sud (South Wind Fair) on Via Piemonte.
How to get there
By car: A14 motorway exit Cesena, then E45 highway and follow signs for Cervia/Pinarella. By train: Cervia-Milano Marittima station on the Ravenna–Rimini Adriatic line, a short distance from the beach. The nearest airports are Forlì, Rimini, and Bologna.
Admission and prices
Access to the festival and exhibitions is free. Some specific activities, such as kite-making workshops for adults, require mandatory booking; shows at the Flying Circus Arena can be booked via Vivaticket.
Contacts
Associazione Artevento Cervia Aquiloni dal Mondo APS, Via Caduti per la Libertà 138, 48015 Cervia (RA). Tel. +39 0547 21501, email [email protected].
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Where does it take place — Artevento Cervia
Spiaggia di Pinarella di Cervia
Spiaggia di Pinarella, 48015 Cervia