Coldiretti Yellow Nights

Agriculture returns to the heart of Benevento

The Coldiretti Yellow Nights are a summer festival that transforms the historic center of Benevento, the capital of the Sannio province in Campania, into a grand village dedicated to Italian agricultural excellence. Piazza Castello and Corso Garibaldi host the Campagna Amica Market stalls, while the gardens and council chamber of the Rocca dei Rettori serve as the venue for tastings, cooking shows, and conferences. As organizers explained during the presentation, bringing the Yellow Nights to the city center means putting agriculture back at the heart of the city: a simple idea that was immediately embraced by the locals, with Piazza Castello bustling from the very first evening.

Over forty short-supply-chain stalls

The heart of the event is the farmers' market: more than forty stalls where producers from the Campagna Amica network sell and share the stories behind what they grow and process. The culinary journey spans the entire province and region, offering a complete showcase of Sannio's finest products:

• cheeses and dairy products from local farms;
• artisanal cured meats, preserves, and vegetables in oil;
• seasonal vegetables and freshly picked fruit;
• traditional Sannio sweets and baked goods;
• craft beers and local wines.

Every purchase is made without intermediaries: it is the direct-sales model that Coldiretti has championed for years through its Campagna Amica markets, here presented in a festive, evening setting.

Farmers' street food and live cooking

Framing the exhibition areas is the farmers' street food, curated by the farmers of Campagna Amica Campania: traditional dishes revisited with a modern twist, always using short-supply-chain ingredients. In the gardens of the Rocca dei Rettori, the Farmer Chefs from Terranostra take to the stage for live cooking demonstrations, explaining the origin of every ingredient: a direct way to understand why the quality of a dish begins in the fields long before it reaches the kitchen.

Sannio wines in the spotlight

Tastings are curated by the Sannio Wine Protection Consortium, which presents labels from local producers in one of the city's most evocative settings, at the foot of the Rocca dei Rettori. The Benevento Sannio area is one of the most extensive wine-growing regions in Campania, and the Yellow Nights provide the perfect opportunity to sample its best expressions alongside the market's cheeses and cured meats.

Conferences, Made in Italy, and Oscar Green

The Yellow Nights are more than just a gastronomic festival: each evening features an in-depth session in the council chamber of the Rocca dei Rettori. Topics include the protection of 'Made in Italy' and changes to customs codes, with the participation of local mayors, as well as the value of supply chains—grain, safflower, and especially tobacco, a historic crop of the Benevento area—with industry experts, institutional representatives, and agricultural leaders. The grand finale on Sunday is the Oscar Green Campania Gala, the Coldiretti 'Giovani Impresa' award dedicated to under-40 agricultural companies and start-ups that drive innovation, development, and employment: an accolade that celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2026.

Live music every night

To bring the atmosphere to life, every evening is accompanied by live musical entertainment in Piazza Castello, with bands enlivening the center until late among the stalls and street food stations. It is this feature that makes the event a true city festival: you can stroll along Corso Garibaldi, sample food, enjoy a glass of wine, and listen to the music.

Benevento, a city to discover around the festival

The choice of location is no coincidence. The Rocca dei Rettori, which overlooks Piazza Castello, is the city's iconic monument and the seat of the Province; from here begins Corso Garibaldi, the pedestrian axis that crosses the historic center and leads toward the Arch of Trajan and the Roman theater, testaments to Benevento's imperial past. Visitors arriving for the Yellow Nights can therefore combine their market visit with a walk through the Roman and Lombard ruins of one of the most interesting art cities in inland Campania.

Why it's worth it

Free admission, producers sharing their work, and farmers' market prices: the Yellow Nights are the ideal event for those who want to experience the agricultural side of Campania without filters, on a summer evening just steps from the castle.