Concerti Imprevisti

Concerti Imprevisti: live music takes over the centre of Novara

Concerti Imprevisti is an experimental project of cultural animation and urban enhancement that brings live music to the streets, avenues, and squares of the historic centre of Novara, a provincial capital in Piedmont. The initiative is promoted by the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Novara, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce and local businesses, and entrusted in its organizational and artistic phase to the Rest-Art Association.

A widespread open-air stage

The idea behind the event is simple yet effective: to transform the heart of Novara into a widespread stage, where music reaches passersby in the spaces of everyday life. At each event, six musical stations are set up across Corso Italia, Corso Cavour, Piazza Cavour, and other areas of the historic centre, animating multiple points of the city simultaneously.

Performances are predominantly acoustic or semi-acoustic, without stages or invasive structures, following a spirit close to the tradition of street music and buskers. The artistic programme embraces different musical genres, with the aim of engaging diverse audiences and creating an open and inclusive cultural experience.

When it takes place

Concerti Imprevisti is divided into two distinct phases in 2026: an initial experimental phase with three dates in June (Saturday 13th, 20th, and 27th) and a second phase with four dates in September (Saturday 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th). Every Saturday, music brings the centre to life roughly from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM, in the late afternoon, when the streets and squares are frequented by residents and visitors.

Objectives and spirit of the initiative

• Bring live music back into public spaces, outside of traditional venues;
• Foster opportunities for meeting, socialising, and cultural enjoyment for the citizenry;
• Enhance the urban heritage and commercial avenues of the historic centre;
• Support local musicians and the artistic scene;
• Contribute to the economic and social vitality of the heart of Novara.

Novara and its cultural vocation

With Concerti Imprevisti, Novara joins the Piedmontese cities that choose to animate their historic centres through widespread music and street events. The province of Novara, in Piedmont, offers visitors a valuable architectural heritage, from the Cupola di San Gaudenzio designed by Alessandro Antonelli to the elegant squares of the centre, which during these Saturdays become the natural setting for an informal musical experience accessible to all.