Burattinarte Summertime
International puppet theatre festival across Alba, the Langhe, and Roero
About Burattinarte
The puppet theatre festival in the Langhe
Burattinarte Summertime is one of the longest-running and most beloved puppet theatre festivals in Piedmont. Founded in the 1990s and curated by artistic directors Claudio Giri and Consuelo Conterno, every summer the festival brings puppets, marionettes, dolls, and street theatre to the heart of Alba—the capital of the Langhe in the province of Cuneo—and to a network of villages throughout the Langhe and Roero area.
A widespread and itinerant festival
The festival follows a "widespread" format: after the opening days in the historic centre of Alba, the performances travel from town to town throughout the summer, visiting municipalities such as La Morra, Bra, Cherasco, Grinzane Cavour, Guarene, Murazzano, Castagnito, Novello, Piobesi d'Alba, and Lequio Berria. Courtyards, squares, and historic palaces become open-air stages, creating a continuous dialogue between theatre and the UNESCO-listed vineyard landscapes.
Companies from all over the world
The programme alternates between original festival productions, national premieres, and international guests. Alongside Italian companies, artists from Argentina, Cuba, Chile, Spain, and Switzerland perform, with a repertoire ranging from classic puppetry to popular comedy, miniature theatre, and poetic storytelling, including evening shows designed for adult audiences.
For all ages
Performances, workshops, play installations, and opportunities for direct participation make Burattinarte an intergenerational event: families, children, and fans of popular theatre will find a rich programme that is almost entirely free to attend. It is a unique chance to discover the Langhe and Roero in a new light, amidst live performance, tradition, and the magic of puppet theatre.
Burattinarte — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of Burattinarte Summertime, the 32nd, kicks off on June 25 in Alba and continues until September 6 with stops in numerous villages of the Langhe and Roero. A preview is scheduled for Sunday, June 21, at the Oasi delle Terrazze in Lequio Berria with the nature-inspired storytelling La meravigliosa Trama by Claudio and Consuelo. The heart of the festival remains puppet theatre: marionettes, puppets, miniature theatre, and street theatre, with a special focus on original productions and national premieres.
Programme Burattinarte 2026
Preview — Sunday, June 21 (Lequio Berria, Oasi delle Terrazze)
- 6:00 PM — La meravigliosa Trama (Claudio and Consuelo), nature-inspired storytelling based on Robin Wall Kimmerer
Thursday, June 25 — Alba
- Performance for preschools (Cooperativa Sociale SOL 6)
- Workshop Burattini che passione (Compagnia Bambabambin)
Friday, June 26 — Alba, Cortile della Maddalena
- 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM — Alla Fiera dei Racconti (original festival production, conceived by Sasa Guadalupe)
- Macchina per il Teatro Incosciente (La Voce delle Cose)
- 9:45 PM — Koral concerto – Tutti possono cantare! Forse… (Kora APS, conducted by Barbara Borra)
- 9:45 PM — SocksBeat (Teatro del Cacao, with Stefano Locati and Alessandra Pasi)
- 10:30 PM — Frontera S.A. (Teatro sobre el camino, Cuba), national premiere, for adult audiences
Saturday, June 27 — Alba
- Area Pertinace — Macchina per il Teatro Incosciente and Cenerentola (Stefano Locati, Teatro del Cacao)
- Cortile della Maddalena — Alla Fiera dei Racconti continues
- 9:00 PM - 11:00 PM — RiShow, itinerant performance (Compagnia Bambabambin)
- 9:45 PM — C'era due volte un piede (Verónica González)
Sunday, June 28 — Alba, Cortile della Maddalena
- Macchina per il Teatro Incosciente
- Koral concerto – Tutti possono cantare! Forse…
- 9:45 PM — Il Mercante di legnate (Compagnia Bambabambin, with Paolo Rech), puppet show for ages 4+
Summer stops in the Langhe and Roero
- July 2 — Piobesi d'Alba: Il drago dalle 7 teste (I Pupi di Stac)
- July 3 — La Morra: miniature theatre and C'era due volte un piede (Verónica González)
- July 4 — Bra (Palazzo Traversa): miniature theatre, Lucilla in Opera (Consuelo Conterno), and Pinocchio (Teatro dell'Erba Matta)
- Subsequent stops in Lequio Berria, Guarene, Murazzano, Cherasco, Grinzane Cavour, Castagnito, and Novello until September 6
The full programme and updated times are published on the festival's official website.
Highlights Burattinarte 2026
Prices Burattinarte 2026
Practical information — Burattinarte
How to get there
Alba can be reached by car via the A33 Asti-Cuneo motorway (Alba exit) or the A6 Turin-Savona motorway (Marene exit). By train, the Alba station is connected to Turin and Asti. The other events take place in the villages of the Langhe and Roero, which are accessible by car.
Tickets
Most performances are free of charge. For updated schedules and any changes to the programme, we recommend checking the festival's official website.
Contacts
Associazione Culturale Burattinarte, Via Zara 18, Alba (CN). Email: [email protected], Tel: +39 338 7154844.
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Where does it take place — Burattinarte
Cortile della Maddalena
Via Zara 18, 12051 Alba