Etnica – Mugello Global Groove in Borgo San Lorenzo

Etnica – Mugello Global Groove opens in Borgo San Lorenzo

Etnica is one of Tuscany's longest-running and most beloved music festivals. Born and raised in Vicchio, in the heart of the Mugello, it reaches its 28th edition in 2026 under the name Mugello Global Groove. Promoted by the Jazz Club of Vicchio in collaboration with Music Pool and local municipalities, the festival is a widespread event spanning several towns: in addition to Vicchio, the project's hub, the 2026 edition reaches Borgo San Lorenzo, Barberino di Mugello, and San Godenzo, in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany.

Borgo San Lorenzo, the main center of the Mugello, has the honor of raising the curtain on the event with its highly anticipated preview. Etnica's philosophy is to bring music into the real, lived-in spaces of the territory, moving beyond conventional stages: squares, courtyards, and city spaces become the backdrop for concerts, meetings, and festive moments that showcase the entire Mugello region.

The June 11 preview at the Foro Boario

The Borgo San Lorenzo event is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Foro Boario, the city space hosting the opening night. Taking the stage are the Baro Drom Orkestar, an ensemble considered one of the finest in the world music scene. With over six hundred concerts across Europe in festivals, theaters, and clubs, and three albums to their name, the group has developed an original sound that weaves together fiery Eastern European rhythms, Mediterranean melodies, and sounds echoing from Brazil to Mongolia and Africa.

The evening is structured as a true celebration: the street food area opens at 7:00 PM, the DJ set starts at 7:30 PM, and the Baro Drom Orkestar concert kicks off at 9:30 PM. The preview is also held in collaboration with the Carnevale Mugellano, confirming the festival's deep roots in the local community.

A festival that spans the Mugello

The Borgo San Lorenzo preview is just the first piece of a broader program. The heart of the festival remains Vicchio, where from June 18 to 21, 2026, Piazza Giotto will welcome international headliners—from Roy Paci & Aretuska to Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, from Shantel & Bucovina Club Soundsystem to the grand finale with Nomadi—alongside exhibitions, an ethnic market, international street food, DJ sets, theater, and talks. The festival then concludes with events in Barberino di Mugello (June 20) and the final party in San Godenzo (June 27).

For those living in or visiting Borgo San Lorenzo and the Mugello, the Etnica preview is the perfect opportunity to immediately immerse themselves in the itinerant and multicultural spirit of an event that, for nearly thirty years, has told the story of encounters between distant cultures through music.