Festa Figarola

A tradition "launched into the future"

The Festa Figarola is a small neighborhood festival that enlivens the historic center of Cesena, in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in Emilia-Romagna. The event takes place on Via Manfredi, at the entrance to the historic center, and for one evening transforms the heart of the city into a rustic village, populated by hay bales, the scent of piadina, and glasses of Sangiovese. More than just a village festival, the organizers describe it as "an authentic social and cultural experiment," an invitation to rediscover social interaction at a different pace.

The history: Porta Figarola and the fig market

The name of the festival comes from the memory of the ancient Porta Figarola, one of Cesena's gates that has since disappeared, which stood precisely in the Via Manfredi area. It was called this because the fig market was held there, thanks to the abundance of fig trees in the surrounding countryside. The Festa Figarola revives this city tradition and relaunches it in a contemporary way, maintaining the genuine spirit of old street festivals.

The descending numbering, unique in the world

The Festa Figarola has a feature that makes it unique: its editions are numbered in descending order. The 2025 debut was celebrated as the 150th edition; 2026 marks the 149th edition, 2027 will be the 148th, and so on, up to a hypothetical "first edition" planned for the distant future. A poetic and ironic game, typical of the Romagnol spirit, that projects a new tradition into the centuries to come.

Music, flavors, and street artists

The program combines Romagnol gastronomy, live music, and itinerant performances. The absolute protagonist is the piadina, accompanied by Sangiovese wines from local producers. Musicians, street artists, and jugglers perform in the neighborhood streets, while folk music groups take to the stage. For the 2026 edition, an official anthem for the festival was presented, created by singer-songwriter and rocker Lorenzo Kruger (the historic voice of Nobraino) together with the folk band Emisurela, specializing in traditional Romagnol music.

Who organizes the festival

The Festa Figarola is conceived and organized by Ex Bar Cristina, a neighborhood art gallery created to give visibility to local artists, and by Cesena di una Volta, the city's largest historical photographic archive and active online community. The event is sponsored by the Municipality of Cesena and supported by local partners. Admission is free, in the full spirit of a popular festival open to all.