Casmene Fest

A festival spread across the Baroque heart of Comiso

Casmene Fest is a cultural event held every September in the historic centre of Comiso, a Baroque town in the province of Ragusa, Sicily. Its name recalls the ancient Kasmenai, a Syracusan colony founded in the Iblean hinterland, setting the tone for an event that blends historical identity with contemporary creativity. The festival offers a multidisciplinary programme ranging from singer-songwriter music to theatre, cinema, and literature, as well as workshops designed for children and teenagers.

A programme of music, words, and images

Casmene Fest is designed as a widespread festival: events are distributed across various symbolic locations in the historic centre, transforming squares, churchyards, courtyards, and museum spaces into open-air stages. The programme alternates concerts, book presentations, readings, screenings, and meetings, with a particular focus on Italian singer-songwriter music and the promotion of emerging talent, including through awards and musical competitions.

In the places of Gesualdo Bufalino

Comiso is the birthplace of the writer Gesualdo Bufalino, and the festival engages in an open dialogue with his literary legacy. Event venues include the courtyard of the Gesualdo Bufalino Foundation and the Literary Park dedicated to him, alongside the Civic Museum of Natural History, the Fulvio Stanganelli Municipal Library, the Roman Baths, and the churchyards of the town centre. This choice makes Casmene Fest not just a series of shows, but an itinerary for discovering the historical and architectural heritage of Comiso.

A local project

The event is promoted by the Municipality of Comiso with the support of the Sicilian Region and the Free Municipal Consortium of Ragusa, in collaboration with the Bufalino Foundation and various local cultural associations. The artistic direction of the most recent editions has been entrusted to Alessandro Nobile. Born as an initiative to bring life and culture back to the historic centre, the festival has grown year by year to involve nationally renowned artists and an ever-increasing audience of residents and visitors.

Why attend

• Singer-songwriter concerts in the evocative settings of the Iblean historic centre.
• Literary presentations and readings linked to the figure of Gesualdo Bufalino.
• Workshops and readings for children and families.
• Free admission to most events.
• An opportunity to discover Comiso and its Baroque heritage.