EuroPuppet - International Traveling Puppet Theater Festival (Varallo stage)

EuroPuppet, puppet theater in the heart of Varallo

Every summer, the EuroPuppet International Traveling Puppet Theater Festival turns the Valsesia valley into a vast, open-air stage dedicated to puppets, marionettes, shadow theater, and object theater. Varallo, the historic capital of the valley and a town in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, serves as the heart of the festival: it is here that the journey begins each year, unfolding across the town's squares and cultural venues. At the foot of the famous Sacro Monte, a UNESCO World Heritage site, puppet theater meets one of the most picturesque locations in Upper Piedmont.

A traveling, international event

EuroPuppet is organized by Kirby Teatro - La Bottega Teatrale APS from Fontanetto Po (VC), a group active since 1995 in children's and puppet theater, under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Cardascio and Salvatore Varvaro. The festival is not competitive in the traditional sense: the audience votes from 1 to 10 to reward the most popular shows, which are then invited back the following year. The festival winds through the municipalities of Upper Valsesia—including Varallo, Civiasco, Balmuccia, and Scopello—before continuing into the Lower Vercelli area (Crescentino, Fontanetto Po, Lamporo) and reaching the Province of Turin for the first time with two stops in Grugliasco.

Shows for families and the Pinocchio exhibition

The program offers a selection of productions designed for families: classic stories and new plays brought to life with various techniques, from hand puppets to marionettes and shadow theater. Guest companies arrive from various Italian regions and abroad, with international participants from Colombia and Switzerland. In Varallo, alongside the performances, the Farinone-Centa Civic Library (Palazzo Racchetti) hosts the exhibition "Pinocchio in Mangiafuoco's Puppet Theater", dedicated to the bicentennial of the birth of Carlo Lorenzini, known as Collodi.

• Free admission to all shows
• Inaugural outdoor performance in Piazza Calderini
• "Pinocchio in Mangiafuoco's Puppet Theater" exhibition at the Farinone-Centa Civic Library
• Italian and international companies, programming for children, teenagers, and families

Varallo and the Valsesia valley

Hosting the core of a puppet theater festival in Varallo means blending the magic of animated figures with the beauty of the Valsesia mountains. The town in the Province of Vercelli is famous for its Sacro Monte, a devotional complex declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its local art gallery. EuroPuppet is an opportunity to discover Varallo and Upper Valsesia in the summer, combining live performance with walks, nature, and local gastronomy. For families vacationing in the area, the festival is a high-quality cultural event that highlights the region and its role as an artistic and social hub in Piedmont.