Festa Occitana
Music, dances, and flavours of Occitan culture on the French border
About Festa Occitana di Olivetta
The Occitan soul of western Liguria
Olivetta San Michele, a municipality in the Province of Imperia on the westernmost border of Liguria, close to France, preserves a special cultural heritage: that of the Occitans, common to a vast cross-border territory of the Maritime Alps. The Festa Occitana celebrates this identity in an evening that combines music, dance, and gastronomy.
Traditional music and dances
The heart of the festival is live music, with instruments of Occitan tradition: the accordion, bagpipes, wind instruments, and the violin. The performances accompany the folk dances of the balfolk, in which the audience and musicians merge into a single participatory celebration. An opportunity to discover a vibrant and fascinating musical heritage, rarely featured in summer event calendars.
Occitan flavours
Accompanying the evening is Occitan cuisine with its specialities, in a gastronomic event that completes the immersion in the culture of these borderlands. Now in its twentieth edition, the Festa Occitana di Olivetta San Michele is a precious event for those who love authentic traditions and the lesser-known places of western Liguria.
Festa Occitana di Olivetta — edition 2026
The 2026 edition, the 20th, is scheduled for Saturday, July 18 from 8 p.m. in Olivetta San Michele. The live music of the Trio per Balfolk, with Irene Gandino (accordion, vocals, percussion), Stefano Frisé (bagpipes, wind instruments) and Enrico Pascal (violin), will be the highlight, offering traditional and original music to accompany Occitan dances.
The evening is complemented by a dinner featuring Occitan specialities. Booking is recommended to attend at numbers 347 2104679 or 347 7307058.
Programme Festa Occitana di Olivetta 2026
Saturday, July 18, 2026 (from 8 p.m.)
- Gastronomic evening with Occitan specialities
- Traditional music and dances with the Trio per Balfolk: Irene Gandino (accordion, vocals, percussion), Stefano Frisé (bagpipes, wind instruments), Enrico Pascal (violin)
Booking recommended: tel. 347 2104679 / 347 7307058.
Highlights Festa Occitana di Olivetta 2026
Prices Festa Occitana di Olivetta 2026
Practical information — Festa Occitana di Olivetta
How to get there
Olivetta San Michele can be reached from Ventimiglia by going up the Val Roia (SS20), near the French border. Mountain road.
When
In July, in the evening (from 8 p.m.). Occitan dinner and live music.
Bookings
Booking is recommended for the gastronomic evening: tel. 347 2104679 or 347 7307058.
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Where does it take place — Festa Occitana di Olivetta
Olivetta San Michele
Centro del paese, 18030 Olivetta San Michele