Aura Fest

Aura Fest: Art inhabiting the village

Aura Fest is one of the most original cultural festivals in the Messina area: a multidisciplinary event that, in the heart of the historic center of Santa Lucia del Mela (Sicily), weaves together visual, performing, and musical arts into a single immersive and deeply spiritual experience. Conceived and directed by artist Giuseppe La Spada, the festival was launched in 2023 and has quickly established itself as a highly anticipated highlight of the Sicilian summer.

An open-air museum

For the duration of the event, the streets, squares, churches, and courtyards of the village are transformed into a true open-air museum. From the Castle to the Piazza della Concattedrale, a path unfolds, dotted with installations, exhibitions, video mapping projections, and live performances, where the community and artists merge into a single collective work. Evocative spaces such as the Piazza Castello cloister, the Church of San Sebastiano, and the atrium of the Bishop's Palace become natural stages for the works.

Art, music, and spirituality

The festival is dedicated to experimentation and dialogue between artistic languages, with a vocation that unites contemporary research and a spiritual dimension. Each edition revolves around a poetic theme: "The River of Dreams" in 2024, and "Learning to fly, learning to dive deep" in 2025. The program ranges from visual arts to aerial dance, and from singer-songwriter music to sound performances, hosting established artists alongside emerging young talents.

Young Sicilian talents

One of the hallmarks of Aura Fest is its focus on young Sicilian artists, selected through an open call and invited to populate the village with their works. This choice makes the festival a platform for promoting the region's new creative generations, strongly supported by the Municipality of Santa Lucia del Mela.

A community event

Included in the Municipality's summer calendar of free events, Aura Fest attracts thousands of visitors every year: the 2025 edition recorded over 3,500 attendees and the participation of about 60 artists. More than just a festival, it is a collective experience that restores sacredness and beauty to the village, rediscovering culture, art, and music as tools for community building.