Bascherdeis — International Street Artists Festival
The village of Vernasca becomes an open-air theatre with jugglers, tightrope walkers, and street music
About Bascherdeis
A village that becomes a stage
There are few places where street art finds such a perfect setting as in Vernasca, a tiny municipality perched on the hills of the upper Val d'Arda, in the province of Piacenza. For a weekend in July, its stone alleys, squares, and courtyards fill with jugglers, acrobats, clowns, equilibriists, fire-eaters, and musicians from all corners of the globe. It's Bascherdeis, the International Street Artists Festival that has been transforming this village in Emilia-Romagna into an open-air theatre for over fifteen years.
The name and spirit of the festival
The name itself, Bascherdeis, is a promise of lightness: it's read as it's written and is a playful adaptation of the English word busker, the term used worldwide for street performers. It's a grassroots festival, "by people for people," as it likes to define itself: behind every edition is the work of over 200 volunteers, young and old, coordinated by the Associazione Appennino Cultura together with the Municipality of Vernasca. Since 2018, the festival has been part of the international network United for Busking, which unites busking festivals across Europe.
What to experience at Bascherdeis
During the evenings, the historic centre is closed to traffic and explored on foot, moving from one spot to another: every corner hides a show. Alongside travelling artists, there is space for side exhibitions, avant-garde art installations, and themed markets, while the gastronomic oases offer the best of the flavours of the Piacenza hills. It's an event designed for all ages, with entertainment and shows also dedicated to children.
The tightrope walker and the moments that remain
For a few editions now, the most anticipated moment has been the crossing of the tightrope walker Andrea Loreni, the only Italian equilibrist specializing in dizzying heights, who, suspended on a steel cable, connects the Antica Pieve to the church bell tower, creating an unforgettable image. There are also the rituals that have become symbols of the festival: L'Alba del Bascherdeis, a dawn concert in a secret location revealed only at the last moment, and After Bascher, the party that doesn't end at midnight but changes form and continues until late at night.
Why it's worth the trip
More than 20,000 spectators, dozens of international companies, and over 200 shows make Bascherdeis much more than a village fair: it's a small collective miracle that brings the upper Val d'Arda back to life every summer. An opportunity to discover an authentic corner of the Piacenza Apennines and be surprised, around every corner, by something that flies.
Bascherdeis — edition 2026
For the 2026 edition, scheduled for Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, Bascherdeis chooses a poetic theme: "When the world weighs heavy, art takes flight." The historic centre of Vernasca, in the upper Piacenza Val d'Arda, will again be closed to traffic to welcome jugglers, acrobats, clowns, and musicians from around the world.
The highlight will once again be the crossing of the tightrope walker Andrea Loreni, suspended on a steel cable between the Antica Pieve and the church bell tower. Alongside street performances, the edition features side exhibitions, art installations, themed markets, and gastronomic oases with flavours from the Piacenza hills, all supported by over 200 volunteers.
Programme Bascherdeis 2026
Dates
Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, 2026, historic centre of Vernasca (PC).
Theme
The 2026 edition revolves around the theme "When the world weighs heavy, art takes flight": an invitation to rediscover lightness and wonder through street art.
Announced Highlights
- The tightrope walk of Andrea Loreni — the only Italian high-wire walker specializing in great heights crosses the village suspended on a cable connecting the Antica Pieve to the church bell tower.
- L'Alba del Bascherdeis — a dawn concert with a musician in a secret location, revealed only at the last moment, as the sun rises over the Piacenza valleys.
- After Bascher — on Saturday night, at the stroke of midnight, the party changes form and continues at the Antica Pieve until the early hours.
- International companies, exhibitions, art installations, and themed markets spread throughout the village's alleys and squares.
- Gastronomic oases with typical products from the Piacenza hills.
The detailed program with times and the complete list of companies will be announced by the organization in the weeks preceding the event on the official channels (festival website and Facebook page).
Highlights Bascherdeis 2026
Prices Bascherdeis 2026
Practical information — Bascherdeis
When
End of July, in the historic centre of Vernasca (PC). Shows are concentrated in the late afternoon and evening, from approximately 5:00 PM to midnight, with late-night extensions at the Antica Pieve.
Tickets
Admission fee (in recent editions, the ticket was around €5), purchasable online in advance or at the entrance. Activities dedicated to children and families.
How to get there
Vernasca can be reached by car from the Via Emilia, exiting at Fiorenzuola d'Arda and heading towards Lugagnano Val d'Arda. During the festival, the centre is closed to traffic: park in the designated areas (Baroni area, parking lots to the south towards Lugagnano and to the north) and reach the village via free shuttle buses from Lugagnano and the Baroni area, operating from the afternoon until late evening. By public transport, take the SETA E43 Piacenza–Vernasca bus line with a change in Fiorenzuola d'Arda.
Contacts
Associazione Appennino Cultura — [email protected] — www.bascherdeis.it
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Where does it take place — Bascherdeis
Centro storico di Vernasca
Piazza Vittoria, 29010 Vernasca