Beer Festival

An evening of beer and Carnival on the Amalfi Coast

Suspended between Positano and the Vallone di Furore, the town of Praiano, in the Province of Salerno, preserves a village atmosphere that the Amalfi Coast rarely reveals to summer visitors. The Beer Festival was born from this very spirit: a late-winter evening where Piazza San Luca, the living room overlooking the sea in front of the parish church, fills with stalls, beer taps, and music. It is not a massive festival with thousands of attendees, but a community celebration that has become a recognized event across the coast in Campania.

Beers and street food

The heart of the event remains the tasting. In past editions, the bar has offered beers from several European countries—Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Great Britain—served alongside hot dishes prepared on-site: sandwiches, porchetta, hot dogs, and fried snacks accompany the mugs. Attention has also been paid to those with specific dietary needs, with gluten-free alternatives available for celiacs.

• Draft beers from Italy and Europe
• Freshly prepared street food
• Outdoor seating in Piazza San Luca
• Games, activities, and entertainment organized by local youth

The migliaccio contest

Since the 2025 edition, the festival has hosted the migliaccio contest, dedicated to the iconic dish of the Praiano Carnival. The Praiano migliaccio is not the Neapolitan dessert of the same name: it is a savory pasta cake—made with broken ziti, mafaldine, or trenette—enriched with semolina, eggs, cheeses like mozzarella, fresh caciocavallo, sheep's milk caciotta or grated pecorino, smoked sausage, pepper, and cinnamon. Every family has its own recipe, passed down from grandmother to grandchild, and the contest is open to anyone who wants to bring their own version to the square to be tasted. It is the moment when the festival stops being just a beer night and becomes a small gastronomic census of the village.

Live music and DJ sets

The soundtrack is provided by local bands and coastal DJs: in 2025, the band I Bevitori Longevi took the stage, followed by a DJ set from Peppe Barba and Nello Fiorentino, turning the square into a dance floor until late at night. The setup is typical of traditional Campanian village festivals, where the repertoire flows seamlessly from Italian classics to the latest hits.

The Carnival that kicks off the day

The Beer Festival is traditionally paired with the Praiano Carnival parade. In 2025, the procession set off in the afternoon through the town streets with an «Alice in Wonderland» theme, open to adults and children, before converging in the square for the evening. Organizers invite the public to arrive in costume, or at least with a carnival accessory: it is the easiest way to get into the right mood.

Who organizes it

The event is promoted by the Praiano Youth Forum with the patronage of the Municipality of Praiano. This fact explains much about the character of the festival: it is the local youth who manage the stalls, games, and entertainment, and the proceeds remain within the community's initiatives.

When to go

The event takes place during the Carnival period, between late February and early March, almost always on a Saturday night; the date changes every year and is announced just a few weeks in advance. For those visiting the Amalfi Coast, it is a rare opportunity: you can discover Praiano off-season, without the summer crowds, with the village alleys and stairways returned to the residents and the long light of the sunset over the Gulf of Salerno.