Estate Ginestrese

A summer festival in the heart of the Sannio Fortore

The Estate Ginestrese is a summer event series that the Municipality of Ginestra degli Schiavoni, in the province of Benevento (Campania), has been organizing for years in collaboration with local associations and committees. It is not a massive festival; rather, it is the moment when a village of a few hundred inhabitants, perched over 500 meters high in the Fortore hills, transforms for a few nights into a square bustling with residents, vacationers, and visitors from neighboring towns.

The calendar is concentrated in the first half of August and culminates during the Ferragosto period, when village life moves entirely outdoors. The formula is the tried-and-tested one of Sannio summers: musical evenings, comedy shows, cultural initiatives, and moments of conviviality tied to local traditions.

The Ferragosto concert in Piazza Monumento

The core of the event is the evening concert in Piazza Monumento, the open-air living room of Ginestra degli Schiavoni. The stage is set up in the center of the square, and the audience enjoys the show standing or on chairs arranged for the occasion, usually starting at 10 PM. In documented editions, admission has been free, in keeping with the tradition of Sannio's town square festivals.

For years, the administration's artistic choices have focused on recognizable names from Italian pop music and television comedy: a way to offer locals a high-quality show while introducing the village to outsiders. These evenings also serve as a tool for local tourism promotion and provide concrete support to the village's commercial activities during the busiest time of the year.

Artists from recent editions

Local records allow us to reconstruct the musical programming of recent years:

• 2025 — Matia Bazar, the iconic Italian pop band, performed on August 15th for their 50th-anniversary tour;
• 2024 — Sandro Giacobbe on August 14th with a show dedicated to his fifty-year career, and Bobby Solo on August 15th, performing his greatest hits;
• 2023 — The Superband Iene and the comedy of Peppe Laurato and Salvatore Turco (known from "Made in Sud") on August 14th, followed by a concert by Tony Colombo on Ferragosto evening, accompanied by the inauguration of the Museum of Ginestrese Civilization on Via Roma.

A program that, while changing every year, maintains the same approach: one or two nights of great popular music, entertainment for all ages, and free admission.

Ferragosto, Madonna dell'Assunta, and the Festa dell'Emigrante

The Estate Ginestrese is not just an isolated artistic lineup: it is intertwined with the festivities of the Madonna dell'Assunta on August 15th and the Festa dell'Emigrante. The latter is key to understanding the event's significance: like many towns in the upper Sannio, Ginestra degli Schiavoni has experienced significant emigration, and summer is the time when those who live elsewhere—in Italy and abroad—return to their hometown. The August evenings thus become a great moment of reunion for families, generations, and dispersed communities, where the concert in the square acts more as a collective glue than a simple show.

Ginestra degli Schiavoni, the smallest municipality in Sannio

With fewer than 400 inhabitants, Ginestra degli Schiavoni is the least populous municipality in the province of Benevento. Its name recalls the settlements of Slavic populations (the "Schiavoni") who arrived in Southern Italy in the modern era, an identity trait the village shares with other centers in the Fortore area. The town, at an altitude of 528 meters, is known for its production of quality olive oil and cereals and for its wind farm, which shapes the profile of the surrounding hills. The patron saint is Saint Anthony, celebrated on June 13th.

Those arriving for the Ferragosto concert will also find a rural village to explore on foot in half an hour, with its churches and the museum of peasant civilization, on the border between Campania and Puglia.

The 2026 edition

As of late July 2026, the program for the Estate Ginestrese 2026 has not yet been published by the Municipality or the local Sannio press. Given the regularity of the festival in previous years, it is likely that the lineup will be announced close to Ferragosto, as has happened in the past. We recommend checking dates and artists on the official channels of the Municipality of Ginestra degli Schiavoni before traveling.