Avisio Valleys Accordion Festival – Varena

The accordion arrives in Varena

The Avisio Valleys Accordion Festival is one of the most original summer music festivals in Trentino, and every year it makes a stop in Varena, a village in the municipality of Ville di Fiemme (Province of Trento). Founded in 2015 and organized by the Pro Loco of Castello-Molina di Fiemme, the festival transforms the Avisio valleys into a vast, widespread stage for ten days, where the accordion becomes the absolute star. Admission to all concerts is free.

The format is that of a touring event: the stops are not concentrated in a single location but span dozens of municipalities and villages in the Fiemme, Fassa, and Cembra valleys, reaching as far as the Tesino, the Vigolana Plateau, the Vallagarina, the Mocheni Valley, and the Piana Rotaliana. On this musical journey, Varena has hosted one of the most appreciated concerts on the bill for years at the Sala A. Longo.

Varena, the pearl of the Val di Fiemme

Nestled at an altitude of about 1,200 meters at the foot of the Corno Nero, Varena is one of the three villages that gave life to the municipality of Ville di Fiemme in 2020, along with Daiano and Carano. It is a town with a strong musical tradition where the accordion has deep roots: it is no surprise that it is one of the most loyal locations to the festival. The evening in Varena combines the intimate atmosphere of the village hall with the appeal of great soloists, in a meeting between the local public and enthusiasts arriving from all over the valley.

A versatile instrument, a thousand musical genres

The festival's strength lies in showing how surprisingly versatile the accordion is: from folk music to waltzes, polkas to tango, and even jazz, classical, and fusions with dance and theater. Each edition weaves Alpine tradition with new experiments, alternating concerts in town squares with theatrical evenings and events in cultural venues, featuring soloists of national and international caliber.

A festival for the entire territory

Alongside the concerts, the festival hosts the «Molina, Town of the Accordion» competition, dedicated to young accordionists, and brings music into local nursing homes to reach those with limited mobility. With its network of partner Pro Loco associations, the Avisio Valleys Accordion Festival is now a permanent fixture of Trentino's cultural summer, and Varena is one of its most cherished venues.