Festa della Musica – European Music Festival in Vallesaccarda

A night of music for the summer solstice

The Festa della Musica – European Music Festival is the event through which Vallesaccarda, a small town in the Province of Avellino, Campania, joins the major European celebration that marks the summer solstice every June 21st, filling squares and streets across the continent with music. Here, however, the format differs from the usual scattered concerts: each year, the municipal administration chooses one single, major show—complete with lighting rigs, choreography, and festival-grade production—and brings it to the main square with free admission.

This choice has given the town visibility far beyond its size: the evening attracts audiences from all over Alta Irpinia and the nearby areas of Puglia and Basilicata, transforming a village of just over a thousand inhabitants into the musical hub of the Vallo dell'Ufita for one night.

Piazza Addesa, an open-air stage

The heart of the festival is Piazza Addesa, along Via Francesco Tedesco, which turns into an outdoor dance floor for the evening. Festivities begin around 9:30 PM and continue into the early hours of the morning. Surrounding the stage, you will find a food area with local specialties, a cocktail bar, and an aftershow space to keep dancing under the stars: the goal is for the square to remain vibrant all night long, not just during the performance.

Major shows: from 90s revival to electronic tarantella

In recent years, the event has built its identity around touring productions of national appeal, entrusted to the Montecristo production company and supported by the Municipality together with the Province of Avellino and the Campania Region, as part of the European initiatives linked to the Festa della Musica:

• 2024 – Nostalgia 90: A DJ set dedicated to the 90s revival, spanning disco, pop, soul, rhythm and blues, and electronic music, with special effects and stage choreography.
• 2025 – Dance Tarantella: The debut of a show that reinterprets Southern Italian folklore with a dance and electronic twist, where the ancestral rhythms of the tarantella intertwine with contemporary beats.
• 2026 – La Nave 90: A 90s show set up on two levels, presented as the only format of its kind in Italy, for an evening of great hits and spectacular scenery.

The common thread is always the same: a strong, highly visual production capable of speaking to an intergenerational audience, from twenty-somethings to families and adults who lived through those songs the first time around.

A free event for all ages

Admission is free and open to all. In recent years, the Vallesaccarda evening has also become part of the Irpinia free concert series promoted by the Province of Avellino, a widespread summer program that brings over fifty performances to local municipalities from June to September. This detail perfectly explains the spirit of the initiative: music as a tool for revitalizing inland areas, with events accessible to everyone and designed to bring people back to the square.

Vallesaccarda, a village in Alta Irpinia

Vallesaccarda is located in the eastern part of the province of Avellino, not far from the border with Puglia, in an area of hills and windy ridges that is currently one of the most interesting territories in inland Campania for those seeking authenticity, silence, and good food. The town is also known for its gastronomic tradition: the solstice evening is therefore a great opportunity to combine music with a stop at a local trattoria or a tour of the nearby villages of the Vallo dell'Ufita.

Tips for the evening

• The concert is an evening and night event: it starts at 9:30 PM and goes on until late, so it is best to plan your return trip accordingly.
• The square is within walking distance from anywhere in the center; it is advisable to arrive early to park in the surrounding streets.
• Even in June, temperatures drop in the evening on the hills of Alta Irpinia: a light sweater is always useful.
• The program for the following year is usually announced in the weeks leading up to June 21st: it is worth following the Municipality's channels and the national Festa della Musica portal.