Aspide Festival
Three nights of free concerts, street art, and Cilento flavors in Roccadaspide
About Aspide Festival
A Cilento village that becomes a stage
Roccadaspide is one of the most vibrant centers in the Cilento hinterland, in the province of Salerno, overlooking the Calore valley and a short distance from the archaeological sites of Paestum. For three nights in August, its main street, squares, and historic center alleys change their function: they become a continuous path of stages, taverns, installations, and performances. This is the Aspide Festival, the event that has made the town one of the most recognizable summer destinations in southern Campania.
The name recalls the asp, the snake that appears in the town's historical symbol and has accompanied its toponymy and legends for centuries. From this identity root comes an event that is not limited to music, but attempts to tell the story of the territory through its products, its crafts, and its oral memory.
The theme, the common thread of every edition
The festival's unique feature is the choice, every year, of a cultural theme that runs through the entire program: it inspires the custom-made set designs for the historic center, guides the meetings, and provides a common key to interpreting the evenings. The 2025 edition was dedicated to "Words"; the 2026 edition revolves around "Time", explored through memory, nature, and the transformation of the landscape.
Two stages, always free admission
The musical formula has remained the same over the years and is one of the reasons for the event's success: all concerts are free. The main stage is set up in Piazza Madonnina, while a second stage alternates performances so that the public can move along the route without downtime. The programming deliberately mixes different languages: Campanian singer-songwriters, rap and hip-hop, contemporary pop, electronic, folk, and world music, with nationally renowned names alongside emerging projects.
Not just concerts
Alongside the stage program, the festival builds a broader offering every evening that involves the entire town:
- Street performers: roving bands, tightrope walkers, street theater, and surprise performances along the street;
- Taverns and food and wine route: cuisine of the Mediterranean Diet, typical Cilento products, olive oil, bread, cheeses, and traditional peasant dishes;
- Artistic and craft workshops, also dedicated to traditional crafts like crochet;
- Fashion shows, choreography, and dance performances in the town center spaces;
- Widespread set designs created specifically on the year's theme.
The 2026 edition: "Time"
The 2026 Aspide Festival takes place from August 7th to 9th, but for the first time, it is preceded by an entire week of appointments that prepares the public for the three central nights. The overall program features over thirty free concerts. Among the most interesting previews is "The Time of Roots", a guided walk of a few hours through nature, storytelling, and tastings, and an opening concert entrusted to a historic name of Italian music.
Who organizes it
The event is promoted by the Municipality of Roccadaspide, led by Mayor Gabriele Iuliano, with the "Eventi dell'Aspide" Association chaired by Massimo Sabetta and the artistic direction of Michele Lettieri, who has followed the project for several editions. Local businesses and associations also play an important role, managing taverns and spaces along the route.
Why it's worth the trip
The Aspide Festival manages to combine two things that rarely coexist: the scale and atmosphere of a village festival, with its taverns and people in the streets, and a musical program that has nothing to envy from more famous festivals. It is a good starting point to discover the Cilento hinterland, the one less traveled compared to the coast, and to do so at the moment when the town is at its best.
Aspide Festival — edition 2026
"Time" at the center of the 2026 edition
The 2026 Aspide Festival chooses "Time" as its common thread: a theme that runs through set designs, meetings, and side activities, from the relationship with peasant memory to the slow rhythm of the Cilento hinterland. The three central nights take place from August 7th to 9th, with the main stage in Piazza Madonnina and a second stage alternating performances along the historic center route.
A week of anticipation
The most significant novelty of 2026 is the extension of the program: the festival itself is preceded by a week of appointments designed for all tastes and ages. On August 6th, "The Time of Roots" is scheduled, a guided walk of 8-10 km from the Verna locality to Borgo Tuoro (from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM, free but limited capacity, with stops for mindfulness, storytelling of Cilento fairy tales and legends, and tasting of bread, oil, cheeses, and wild herbs), and the concert by Eugenio Finardi in Piazza XX Settembre. The preparatory review was inaugurated on June 20th in the Council Chamber with the press conference and the book "Victor Salvi – The Lord of the Harps" by Professor Biagio Russo.
Beyond music
Like every year, the program includes street performers, artistic and crochet workshops, fashion shows, and choreography, in addition to the food and wine route with taverns dedicated to Mediterranean Diet dishes. Admission to all concerts is free.
Programme Aspide Festival 2026
Thursday, August 6th — waiting for the Festival
- 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM — "The Time of Roots": guided walk of 8-10 km from Verna to Borgo Tuoro, with four stages (the time of breath, the time of memory, the time of the earth, and the final sharing). Free, limited groups, booking recommended.
- In the evening — Concert by Eugenio Finardi, Piazza XX Settembre.
Friday, August 7th
- Roberto Colella — voice and guitar of the Campanian singer-songwriter scene.
- Tommaso Primo — contemporary Neapolitan singer-songwriter.
Saturday, August 8th
- Anastasio — author rap, intense writing, and high-energy performance.
Sunday, August 9th
- Morfuco & Tonico 70
- Vacca & Inoki — history of Italian rap.
- Ditonellapiaga — only date in Campania this summer.
- Ginevra
For all evenings
- Two stages with alternating performances along the historic center route, over thirty free concerts in the overall program.
- Street performers, "Time" themed set designs, artistic and crochet workshops, fashion shows, and choreography.
- Taverns and food and wine route with Mediterranean Diet dishes and typical Cilento products.
The program may be subject to change: the organizers have announced further names in addition to those already communicated.
Highlights Aspide Festival 2026
- Ditonellapiaga super guest on August 9th, in what is announced as her only performance in Campania.
- Anastasio protagonist of the evening of August 8th.
- The return of the duo Vacca & Inoki, two historic names of Italian rap.
- The Campanian singer-songwriter style of Roberto Colella and Tommaso Primo at the opening, on August 7th.
- Eugenio Finardi in Piazza XX Settembre on August 6th, anticipating the festival.
- "The Time of Roots": free experiential walk through nature, memory, and tastings.
- For the first time, an entire week of events before the three main nights.
Prices Aspide Festival 2026
Practical information — Aspide Festival
How to get there
By car: from the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, take the Battipaglia exit, then the SS18 towards Capaccio-Paestum and the SP road to Roccadaspide (about 45 minutes from Salerno). By train: Capaccio-Roccadaspide station on the Tyrrhenian line, about 15 km from the center, then bus or taxi. By plane: Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi airport (about 60 km) or Naples Capodichino (about 120 km).
Admission and costs
All festival concerts have free admission. You only pay for what you consume in the taverns and food and wine stands. Some side activities, although free, require reservations as they have limited capacity.
Practical tips
- The historic center is uphill with uneven paving: comfortable shoes are essential.
- On peak evenings, the turnout is very high: it is best to arrive early and park in the indicated areas downstream from the town, where a shuttle service is active.
- In recent editions, a free camping area has been set up for those staying for several days.
- For accommodation, the widest choice is between Capaccio-Paestum and the Calore valley; in high season, it is better to book well in advance.
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Where does it take place — Aspide Festival
Piazza Madonnina e centro storico di Roccadaspide
Piazza Madonnina, 84069 Roccadaspide