Festa Popolare della Tammorra
Three nights of tammurriate and Southern Italian music in the historic center of Sessa Aurunca
About Tammorra Festival
Tammorra music in the heart of the Auruncan village
The Festa Popolare della Tammorra is the summer event that, every year on the penultimate weekend of July, brings the folk music of the South to the heart of Sessa Aurunca, in the province of Caserta, Campania. For three consecutive nights, the alleys, streets, and squares of the historic center become one large, open-air stage, accessible on foot and free of charge: visitors stroll from one square to another following the sound of the tammorre, amidst concerts, dances, street performances, and the aromas of traditional cuisine.
Four squares, one musical journey
The event is designed as a widespread itinerary. The main concerts are held in Piazza XX Settembre, where the most renowned names of the Italian folk scene take the stage; Piazza Tiberio and Piazza Mercatello host paranze, folk groups, and research projects on traditional music; along Corso Lucilio, roaming groups and street artists guide the public through the village. Evenings generally start around 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM, with main square concerts kicking off later, around 10:00 PM - 10:30 PM.
What is the tammurriata
The tammorra is the large frame drum of the Campanian tradition, an instrument that accompanies songs and dances linked to peasant festivals, pilgrimages, and the cult of popular Madonnas. The resulting tammurriata is not just a dance: it is a form of collective communication, made of sung call-and-response, castanets, and steps learned by watching others. In Sessa Aurunca, the festival brings together historic paranze, guardians of traditional practice, and new performers who reinterpret this repertoire with contemporary arrangements, ranging from Salento pizzica to Mediterranean world music.
Gastronomy and local products
Alongside the music, the festival offers a food and wine trail distributed throughout the streets of the historic center, with stalls dedicated to local specialties and popular Campanian cuisine: traditional first courses, fried foods, grilled meats, fried pizza, Neapolitan pastries, craft beer, and local drinks. It is a way to introduce visitors to the products of the Auruncan area and to extend the evening between concerts. Local crafts and scenic decorations that dress the village for the party are also featured.
A festival that has grown since 2017
The event was born in 2017 on the initiative of the Etnia Popolare Cultural Association, founded in the same year in Sessa Aurunca with the aim of promoting traditional folk music and enhancing the historical, cultural, and gastronomic heritage of the area. Over the years, the event has grown to become one of the most anticipated appointments of the Caserta summer, capable of attracting thousands of visitors, and takes place under the patronage of the Municipality of Sessa Aurunca. The association is also the entity behind the musical group Popolare Songo.
Sessa Aurunca, a city of art in the Caserta area
The festival is also an opportunity to discover Sessa Aurunca, an ancient city of the Aurunci in the far north of the province of Caserta, between the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina and the Domitian coast. The historic center preserves Roman and medieval evidence and an urban fabric of alleys, stairways, and small squares that perfectly lends itself to a widespread festival. For those arriving from outside the region, the Festa Popolare della Tammorra is one of the most authentic ways to get in touch with Campanian folk culture: free, participatory, and deeply rooted in the life of the town.
Tammorra Festival — edition 2026
Festa Popolare della Tammorra 2026 — 9th edition
The 2026 edition, the ninth, was held from Friday, July 17 to Sunday, July 19 in the historic center of Sessa Aurunca, in the province of Caserta. As per tradition, the village transformed into a widespread musical route: four main locations — Piazza XX Settembre, Piazza Tiberio, Piazza Mercatello, and Corso Lucilio — connected on foot and enlivened every evening by concerts, roaming groups, and street artists, with free admission.
On the stage of Piazza XX Settembre, three prominent names of the Italian folk scene performed: Ars Nova Napoli with guests Ebbanesis, the Popolare Songo project with Gianni Lamagna and Giancarlo Paglialunga, and the Salento-based Antonio Castrignanò. In the other squares, Gerardo Amarante, Simone Carotenuto, Leggermente al Sud, and the bottari groups performed, while along Corso Lucilio, La Barca di Teseo, Musicamore, the Gruppo Folk Le Tradizioni di Minturno, I Giullari, and street artists Masaniello and Scipione roamed. The evenings were accompanied by food and wine stalls with local specialties.
Programme Tammorra Festival 2026
Friday, July 17, 2026
- Piazza XX Settembre, 10:30 PM — Ars Nova Napoli, guests Ebbanesis
- Piazza Tiberio, 10:00 PM — folk music concert
- Piazza Mercatello, 10:00 PM — folk music concert
- Corso Lucilio, 9:00 PM — roaming groups: La Barca di Teseo
- Corso Lucilio, 9:00 PM — street artists: Masaniello, Scipione
Saturday, July 18, 2026
- Piazza XX Settembre, 10:30 PM — Popolare Songo, guests Gianni Lamagna and Giancarlo Paglialunga
- Piazza Tiberio, 10:00 PM — Gerardo Amarante
- Piazza Mercatello, 9:00 PM — Leggermente al Sud
- Corso Lucilio, 9:00 PM — roaming groups: La Barca di Teseo, Musicamore, Gruppo Folk Le Tradizioni di Minturno
- Corso Lucilio, 9:00 PM — street artists: Masaniello, Scipione
Sunday, July 19, 2026
- Piazza XX Settembre, 10:30 PM — Antonio Castrignanò
- Piazza Tiberio, 10:00 PM — Simone Carotenuto
- Piazza Mercatello, 10:00 PM — bottari group
- Corso Lucilio, 9:00 PM — roaming groups: La Barca di Teseo, I Giullari
- Corso Lucilio, 9:00 PM — street artists: Masaniello, Scipione
Program published by the organizers on the official event website. Times may have undergone slight variations during the evenings.
Highlights Tammorra Festival 2026
- Ars Nova Napoli with Ebbanesis in Piazza XX Settembre, Friday, July 17
- Popolare Songo with Gianni Lamagna and Giancarlo Paglialunga, Saturday, July 18
- Antonio Castrignanò and Salento pizzica closing the festival, Sunday, July 19
- Bottari and traditional paranze in Piazza Mercatello and Piazza Tiberio
- Roaming groups and street artists along Corso Lucilio, from 9:00 PM
- Food and wine stalls with pasta and potatoes with provola, fried cod, grilled meats, arrosticini, fried pizza, Neapolitan pastries, craft beer, and sangria
- Three evenings with completely free entry
Prices Tammorra Festival 2026
Practical information — Tammorra Festival
How to get there
Sessa Aurunca is located in the upper Caserta area, in Campania, and can be reached by car via the SS7 Appia and the Formia-Cassino expressway. The Sessa Aurunca-Roccamonfina railway station, on the Rome-Formia-Naples line, is a few kilometers from the historic center and is connected by local buses. Events take place in the historic center, which is closed to traffic during the evenings: it is advisable to park in the outer areas and walk up.
Admission and hours
Admission to the historic center, concerts, and shows is free. Evenings start approximately around 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM with roaming groups and street artists along Corso Lucilio; concerts in the squares are concentrated between 10:00 PM and 10:30 PM. Consumption at food stalls is paid.
Tips
It is recommended to arrive in the late afternoon to enjoy the atmosphere of the village and visit the historic center before the concerts begin. Wear comfortable shoes: the path between the squares consists of inclines, stairways, and cobblestones. The sale of alcoholic beverages is reserved for adults.
Information
Organized by the Etnia Popolare Cultural Association, with the patronage of the Municipality of Sessa Aurunca. Phone: +39 329 3887445. Email: [email protected]. Updated program on the official website and the festival's Facebook page.
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Where does it take place — Tammorra Festival
Centro storico di Sessa Aurunca
Centro storico, Piazza XX Settembre, 81037 Sessa Aurunca