European Peoples Festival

A festival between archaeology and live music

The European Peoples Festival is a summer event held in the evocative Peltuinum archaeological site, straddling the municipalities of Prata d'Ansidonia and San Pio delle Camere, in the province of L'Aquila. Promoted by the CREA Foundation (Regional Events Council) with the support of the Abruzzo Region, the festival transforms the ruins of the ancient Roman city into an open-air natural theatre, where contemporary music engages with over two thousand years of history.

Peltuinum, the stage

Founded between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, the Roman city of Peltuinum preserves an Augustan-age theatre, sections of the city walls, the remains of a temple likely dedicated to Apollo, and the 12th-century medieval church of San Paolo. This unique setting, nestled in the landscape of the L'Aquila plateau, offers spectators an experience that combines concerts with the discovery of Abruzzo's archaeological heritage.

A vision of Europe

The festival was born with the stated goal of promoting European identity as a shared homeland—a kaleidoscope of peoples and cultures. For this reason, the programme alternates between Italian pop and rap stars and artists linked to folk traditions and the continent's minority languages, weaving together modernity and roots.

Artists from recent editions

• 2024 (2nd edition): a concert by Boomdabash and a night of Celtic music with The Celtic Tramps and Riserva Moac.
• 2025 (3rd edition): rapper Fred De Palma opened the event, while the folk-rock group Lou Tapage closed it with their multilingual repertoire in Occitan, Franco-Provençal, Catalan, French, and Italian.

Free admission

One of the hallmarks of the European Peoples Festival is free admission to all shows, designed to make the discovery of Peltuinum accessible to everyone and to bring public attention back to the inland areas of Abruzzo. The evenings, which usually start at 7:00 PM, are followed by DJ sets and social gatherings.

An event for inland areas

Beyond the music, the festival is part of a broader project to enhance the territory of the L'Aquila plateau, alongside other local cultural initiatives. It is an opportunity to rediscover a lesser-known corner of Abruzzo, where the memory of ancient Rome meets the vitality of contemporary music in a natural setting of rare beauty.