Cavallino Summer Festival

A summer of culture in Cavallino

The Cavallino Summer Festival is the summer cultural season of the Municipality of Cavallino, a town in the province of Lecce just a few kilometers from the regional capital, in the heart of the Salento. Every year, from late June to mid-September, the municipal administration creates a widespread program that weaves together theater, music, dance, cinema, and book presentations, offering residents and tourists a cultural alternative to beach leisure during the long Apulian summer.

The festival venues

The events are spread across the most evocative locations in the town and the hamlet of Castromediano:

• Piazza Castromediano, the civic heart of Cavallino and stage for major concerts;
• the cloister of the former Dominican Convent, an intimate setting for theater and meetings;
• the Casina Vernazza, a historic space surrounded by greenery;
• the Arena "Capitano Black" in Parco "Adele Savio" in Castromediano, dedicated to music and outdoor cinema.

A program that celebrates Salento

The festival's philosophy is to provide space and attention primarily to local artists and companies: vernacular theater, cabaret, concerts by Salento bands, pizzica evenings, and film screenings make up a varied and popular program. Local amateur and professional companies alternate on stage alongside emerging and established musicians, in a journey that tells the cultural story of Cavallino and the Salento.

More than just shows

The main calendar is complemented by several traditional events deeply felt by the community: the Feast of Saint Dominic in early August, the nocturnal guided tours of the "Notte subbra allu Crucefissu" in the Diffused Museum area, the tango evenings of the "Milonga sotto le stelle", and motorcycle gatherings like "Alba Salentina in Sella". A mosaic of events that combines culture, devotion, gastronomy, and social life.

Practical information

All Cavallino Summer Festival shows are free of charge. Events generally begin at 9:00 PM (at 8:30 PM for the final events of late summer), while book presentations start at 7:30 PM. The festival is promoted and organized by the Municipal Administration of Cavallino, in the province of Lecce, in the Puglia region.