Blue Flag Festival
Formia celebrates its FEE-awarded sea with music, community spirit, and pristine beaches
About Blue Flag Formia
A festival born from a historic milestone
The Blue Flag Festival is the annual event where the Municipality of Formia, in the province of Latina, celebrates the prestigious banner awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). This recognition, given each year to coastal towns that excel in bathing water quality, sustainable land management, and services for beachgoers, was first awarded to Formia in May 2025: a long-awaited result for the city and a turning point for the tourism image of the entire Gulf of Gaeta.
Since then, the festival has become a civic ritual marking the start of summer, through which the municipal administration shares with the community the significance of an award that concerns not only the sea but also sewage treatment, recycling, beach accessibility, and the care of public spaces.
The heart of the event
The evening takes place outdoors, along the promenade or in areas overlooking the awarded beaches, alternating between official ceremonies and entertainment. The typical program includes:
- the official presentation of the flags to beach club operators and the awarded public beaches;
- the distribution of information panels regarding water quality and environmental best practices;
- speeches by Mayor Gianluca Taddeo and national representatives of the FEE;
- live music, DJ sets, and choral performances that bring the beach to life until late in the evening;
- a dedicated space for environmental associations and local tourism operators.
Gianola and Vindicio, the Blue Flag beaches
The two coastal areas that brought the award to Formia are Gianola and Vindicio. The former is located within the Riviera di Ulisse Regional Park, in a setting of great natural and archaeological value, where the Mediterranean scrub reaches the sea and the remains of the Roman villa of Mamurra coexist with the small promontory of Santo Janni. Vindicio, more urban in character, is the beach historically frequented by locals, with its wide stretch of dark sand and views of the Pontine Islands.
It is no coincidence that the festival moves between these two hubs from year to year: the administration's stated goal is to distribute events across neighborhoods and villages, enhancing the entire municipal territory rather than concentrating everything in the city center.
Part of the Formia Summer
The Blue Flag Festival is part of the Formia Summer program, the municipal summer festival that brings music, theater, street arts, and gastronomic events to the entire coastline and hillside neighborhoods from June to September. Other initiatives often revolve around the Blue Flag evening in the same area, from roaming brass bands to beach shows, turning the day into a small, widespread festival.
Why it's worth attending
More than just a show, the Blue Flag Festival is an opportunity to understand how a seaside town in Southern Lazio tells its own story. There is civic pride in a hard-won award, but also the awareness that the banner must be renewed every year and depends on the daily behavior of residents and visitors. Admission is free, and the atmosphere is that of a casual, familiar Italian neighborhood party: chairs brought from home, children on the shoreline, and ice cream parlors open late.
For those visiting the Gulf of Gaeta in July, it is also the best way to discover Formia beyond the port and the station: a seaside town with Roman roots, nestled between the Aurunci Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Lazio Region.
Blue Flag Formia — edition 2026
Blue Flag 2026 and a new square
For the second consecutive year, Formia celebrates the Blue Flag, and it does so by moving the celebration from Vindicio to Gianola, the other beach awarded by the FEE. The evening of Saturday, July 18, 2026, has a double meaning: in addition to the environmental recognition, it marks the inauguration of the new Piazza di Santo Janni, a public space redeveloped in the heart of the district.
The anthem of Formia
The artistic heart of the event is the official presentation of the city anthem «Buongiorno Formia», a song written and performed by Gianni Donati and executed together with the Choralia choir. It is presented to the city by Mayor Gianluca Taddeo, who has extended the invitation to citizens, tourism operators, and visitors.
Guests and institutions
The ceremony features the participation of Dr. Claudio Mazza, president of FEE Italy, the organization that awards the international banner by evaluating bathing water quality, sewage treatment, waste management, and public services.
Part of the Formia Summer 2026 program
The event is part of «Formia Summer 2026 — Timeless Beauty», the municipal summer program built around the idea of events spread across villages, neighborhoods, and suburbs. In the same area of Gianola, the Kebanda Streetband Festival is also scheduled, bringing music and roaming entertainment between Piazza Aldo Moro and the beach.
Programme Blue Flag Formia 2026
Saturday, July 18, 2026 — New Piazza di Santo Janni, Gianola district
- 7:00 PM — Opening of the evening and inauguration of the new Piazza di Santo Janni
- Blue Flag ceremony with Mayor Gianluca Taddeo and the president of FEE Italy, Dr. Claudio Mazza
- Official presentation of the city anthem «Buongiorno Formia», written and performed by Gianni Donati with the Choralia choir
- Continuation of the evening with music and entertainment in the district
In the same area, as part of the Formia Summer 2026, the Kebanda Streetband Festival enlivens the area between Piazza Aldo Moro and Gianola beach with roaming bands.
Highlights Blue Flag Formia 2026
- First public performance of the Formia anthem «Buongiorno Formia» by Gianni Donati with the Choralia choir
- Inauguration of the new Piazza di Santo Janni in Gianola
- Presence of the president of FEE Italy, Claudio Mazza
- Open-air evening overlooking one of the city's two Blue Flag beaches
- Completely free admission
Prices Blue Flag Formia 2026
Practical information — Blue Flag Formia
How to get there
By train — the Formia-Gaeta station is on the Rome-Naples line via Formia, served by Intercity and regional trains: about 1 hour and 10 minutes from Rome Termini, and about 1 hour from Naples Centrale. From the station, local buses and taxis reach Gianola and Vindicio in 10-15 minutes.
By car — take the Cassino exit on the A1 motorway, then the SS630 and SS7 Appia, or the Via Appia along the coast from Terracina or Mondragone. On festival evenings, parking near the beaches is in high demand: it is advisable to arrive well in advance or park further away and walk.
Admission and times
Admission is free and open to all, with no reservation required. The evening generally begins at 7:00 PM and continues late into the night.
Tips
Bring a light sweater for the evening breeze and comfortable shoes if you plan to walk on the sand. Local bars, kiosks, and beach clubs remain open. For accommodation, Formia offers hotels along the seafront and numerous B&Bs, but in July, it is essential to book weeks in advance.
Information
Municipality of Formia, phone +39 0771 7781 — visit the City of Formia's website and official social media channels for the updated program.
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Where does it take place — Blue Flag Formia
Nuova Piazza di Santo Janni (Gianola)
Piazza di Santo Janni, quartiere Gianola, 04023 Formia