Baronissiadi - Sports Village

Baronissiadi, the sports festival of Baronissi

Every year, at the beginning of September, the Municipality of Baronissi, in the province of Salerno, hosts the Baronissiadi - Sports Village: a sporting, recreational, and experiential event that turns Piazza Mercato into a large open-air village. It is not just a simple tournament series, but a community gathering that involves young people, families, and associations from across the entire Irno Valley in Campania.

Dozens of disciplines in one village

The heart of the Baronissiadi is the opportunity to try out, for free and within a small area, a wide variety of sports. In recent editions, the village has offered over twenty disciplines:

• beach volleyball, street volleyball, and volleyball
• street basketball and minibasket
• football, 5-a-side football, and football tennis
• dodgeball and human billiards
• tennis and table tennis
• rugby, track and field, and roller skating
• airsoft, motorcycling, and foosball
• dance and martial arts performances

The tournaments are organized by age group, with brackets dedicated to teenagers and adults, managed by a staff of young volunteers that grows every year.

Paralympic sport and inclusion

What makes the Baronissiadi different from many other sporting events is the space reserved for athletes with disabilities, which is not relegated to a corner but integrated into the village. Over the years, courts have been set up for sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, showdown (table tennis for visually impaired athletes), wheelchair foosball, equestrian vaulting, and dance sport. This commitment has earned the event significant recognition: the 2025 edition received the High Patronage of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the support of the Minister for Disabilities.

Beyond sport: music, shows, and the Keys to the City

Alongside the playing fields, the village offers an entertainment program that has made the event popular well beyond municipal borders: the national singing contest Anema e Core Music, dedicated to emerging young pop and rap artists; the Fashionadi fashion show; inflatables for children; local food stalls; and surprise guests. A highlight is the Keys to the City, the challenge between the districts and hamlets of Baronissi, revived after years of absence, which closes the event with a playful and competitive spirit that delights the whole town.

A festival that has grown year after year

Born as an initiative for local youth based on an idea by Tony Siniscalco, the event has become one of the most anticipated end-of-summer gatherings in the Salerno area. The 2024 edition, the eleventh, recorded about 2,000 participants, over 80 associations involved, and 200 volunteers; in 2025, for the twelfth edition, the duration increased from two to five days, the number of associations exceeded one hundred, and participants surpassed 3,000. There is also a winter version, the Babbonissiadi, which brings the same spirit to the Christmas season.

Organizers

The event is organized by the Contrariamente association of Baronissi, chaired by Amalia Salvati, with the patronage of the Municipality of Baronissi and the collaboration of the Irno Valley municipalities—Pellezzano, Fisciano, Mercato San Severino, and Calvanico—together with CUS Salerno and the University of Salerno, as well as sports bodies CONI, CIP, and ASI.

When it takes place

The Baronissiadi are traditionally held in the first few days of September: from September 6th to 8th in 2024, and from September 5th to 9th in 2025. The dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been officially announced: it is best to follow the event's social media channels for the updated calendar and tournament registration details.