Autumn Equinox Festival

A historic festival in the deep south of Cilento

The Autumn Equinox is a music and cultural festival promoted by the Municipality of San Giovanni a Piro, in the province of Salerno, located in the southernmost part of the Cilento region, in Campania. Created to accompany the transition from summer to autumn, it has become one of the most anticipated and recognizable events of the entire Cilento season over its two-decade history: the 2025 edition marked its twentieth anniversary, while 2026 hosts the 21st. The artistic direction has been entrusted for years to Father Gianni Citro, while the organization is managed by the municipal administration led by Mayor Ferdinando Palazzo, with Deputy Mayor Pasquale Sorrentino and event delegate Stefano Baldassarri, under the patronage of the Campania Region.

Three locations, one unique festival

The distinctiveness of the Autumn Equinox lies in its itinerant nature within the municipal territory, which includes three very different settlements that become open-air stages during the festival:

• San Giovanni a Piro, the hilltop village that gives the municipality its name, with concerts in Piazza Giovanni Paolo II;
• Bosco, the inland hamlet, featuring the scenic Piazza 7 Luglio 1828;
• Scario, the seaside village overlooking the Gulf of Policastro, where stages are set up on the Piazzale del Porto and in Piazza Immacolata.

The audience moves from one square to another, transitioning from the sea to the hills: it is this alternation of landscapes, even more than the headliners, that gives the festival its unique identity.

A program blending big names and new generations

The lineup combines diverse genres with the stated goal of reaching an intergenerational audience: singer-songwriters, pop, world music, rap, and the new Neapolitan song alternate on the same stages. Recent years have featured artists such as Enrico Ruggeri, Tullio De Piscopo, La Rappresentante di Lista, Coma Cose, and Giancane, while the 2026 edition brought Livio Cori, LDA, Aka7even, Eugenio Bennato, and The Kolors to Cilento. Each edition is built around a central theme: "Abbi cura" (Take Care) in 2025, and "A Sud" (To the South) in 2026.

The 2026 edition: "A Sud"

The title chosen for the 21st edition, presented on July 2, 2026, in Scario during the "Scario Talk & Spritz" public meeting, is more of a compass heading than a geographical one. As artistic director Father Gianni Citro explained, "A Sud" indicates a direction, a perspective, and a soul: the global south is fragile, yet remains a source of light, color, poetry, hope, and faith in the future. Hence the choice of a lineup that weaves together the folk music of Southern Italy and the pop of new generations, with four events spread between July and September.

Always free admission

One of the hallmarks of the Autumn Equinox is its accessibility: all concerts are free to attend, with no tickets or reservations required, in squares set up to accommodate several thousand people. The evenings follow a well-established schedule: from 8:00 PM, opening acts and DJ sets animate the square, while the main concert kicks off around 10:00 PM. The municipality provides information on traffic, parking, and shuttle services through its official channels.

More than just concerts

Alongside the evening live shows, the festival has hosted cultural meetings, exhibitions, theatrical performances, and tastings of typical Cilento products over the years, as well as the Ortega Prize, an award that opened the inaugural evening in Bosco in 2025. It is this broader cultural dimension that has made the Autumn Equinox a project for regional development rather than just a simple series of summer concerts.

Why it's worth the trip

San Giovanni a Piro is located within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, just a few kilometers from the wildest coast of Campania. Scario is the starting point for sea excursions to the Costa degli Infreschi e della Masseta, with coves accessible only by boat. Attending a free concert at the port in September, when the beach season winds down and temperatures become milder, is one of the best ways to experience this part of Cilento away from the most crowded circuits.