Dance Tarantella

When tarantella meets electronics

Dance Tarantella is one of the most original events in the summer of inland Cilento: a concert-show that brings Mediterranean tarantella into the language of electronic music. On the stage of the Pietro De Luca Amphitheatre in Torre Orsaia, in the province of Salerno, traditional drums and folk rhythms intertwine with electronic beats, lights, and projections, within a large-scale set design created for the open-air audience.

The result is neither a simple folk evening nor a standard DJ set: it is a hybrid format where the musical memory of the South—the same that has traversed centuries of peasant festivals and healing rituals—is rewritten with today's sounds. A choice that speaks primarily to younger generations, without betraying the roots of the popular repertoire.

The Pietro De Luca Amphitheatre

The event is held at the Pietro De Luca Amphitheatre, the open-air space that the Municipality of Torre Orsaia uses for major summer events. The structure, overlooking the greenery of the village, allows guests to enjoy the show under the stars and also hosts the evening's side attractions: the gastronomic area and the cocktail bar.

Inside the Festival Tanager

Dance Tarantella is not an isolated event: it is part of the Festival Tanager, an inter-municipal project named after the Tanagro river, led by the Municipality of Polla. The project also involves the municipalities of Sant'Arsenio, Pertosa, Petina, Vibonati, and Torre Orsaia, with a widespread program that brings together concerts, guided tours, workshops, tastings, and performances.

The initiative is funded by the Campania Region as part of the 2021-2027 Development and Cohesion Fund and the Strategic Plan for Culture and Tourism, within the program of cultural, naturalistic, and food-and-wine tourist itineraries for the promotion of Campania. It is a piece of a broader strategy: using events to make the villages of the Salerno hinterland known outside the most crowded seaside circuits.

The link with the feast of Saint Lawrence

Dance Tarantella takes place during the days of the patronal feast of Saint Lawrence, celebrated in Torre Orsaia on August 10th. The anniversary is the most significant identity moment of the year for the town and culminates in the Historical Pageant of Saint Lawrence the Martyr, a re-enactment with over 250 costumed figures from the Roman era (258 AD) that crosses the historic center up to Piazza Lorenzo Padulo, amidst scenes of daily life, artisan workshops, and the representation of the saint's martyrdom. Those arriving in town for the concert will therefore find a whole sequence of events within a few days.

How the evening unfolds

• Concert-show with tarantella and electronic music, lights, and projections on a large set;
• Food area with gastronomic specialties of the Cilento territory;
• Cocktail bar set up inside the amphitheatre;
• After-show to keep dancing under the stars;
• Open-air event, in the evening and night hours.

Torre Orsaia, a village in inland Cilento

Torre Orsaia is a small municipality of just over two thousand inhabitants, nestled at nearly 300 meters above sea level between the Bussento valley and the Gulf of Policastro. The municipal territory includes the hamlets of Castel Ruggero, Calleo, and Borgo Cerreto and is part of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The stone fountains just outside the town and the olive growing linked to the Pisciottana variety tell the agricultural vocation of this part of Campania, where the summer festival remains the main meeting point for residents and emigrants who return in August.

2026 Edition: what we know

At the moment, no official announcement with the date and program for the 2026 edition has been published. The event was held in August 2025, and confirmation should be checked on the channels of the Municipality of Torre Orsaia, the local Pro Loco, and the Festival Tanager project. Before setting off, it is therefore advisable to check that the event is actually on the calendar.