Festival della Parola
The value of words through talks, shows, and music in Parma
About Festival della Parola
A festival that puts words at the center
The Festival della Parola is one of the most beloved cultural events in Parma, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna. Founded in 2014, it transforms the Emilian municipality and its province into a large, widespread laboratory each year where words, in all their forms, become the protagonist: from literature to science, from author music to civil theatre, from journalism to poetry. It is not a simple series of meetings, but a journey that intertwines reflection and entertainment, thought and lightness, always with the ambition of restoring words their weight and value.
The 2026 edition: the theme of Biophilia
The thirteenth edition, scheduled from spring to autumn 2026, is built around the theme of Biophilia: the love for life and the deep interconnection between human beings and nature. It is a lens through which to read daily choices, affections, creative processes, the spaces we inhabit, social systems, and ethics. The program spans over thirty days and offers numerous shows-concerts, conversational talks, film screenings, and art exhibitions, as well as the now-established Oratorical Challenges among students and Literary Rambles by Bike, cycling excursions with authors in the cultural sites of the Parma area.
The festival venues
The heart of the event is the Lostello della Cittadella, but events multiply in evocative spaces of the city: the Casa della Musica, the Piazzale San Francesco del Prato, the Cinema Astra, and various courtyards and cloisters. The festival also has a widespread vocation that takes it beyond the borders of the Parma region, with stops in Reggio Emilia and other territories, confirming its open and itinerant nature.
A free event for everyone
One of the distinctive features of the Festival della Parola is its free admission: all events are free and, with few exceptions, do not require booking. This is a deliberate choice that makes culture accessible and makes the event a collective appointment for the city of Parma and its province, attracting a large and curious audience every year.
Festival della Parola — edition 2026
The thirteenth edition of the Festival della Parola unfolds from spring to autumn 2026 around the theme of Biophilia. The program includes over thirty days, numerous shows-concerts, screenings, art exhibitions, and conversational talks, as well as the Oratorical Challenges among students and the Literary Rambles by Bike. The official opening is on May 29 at the Lostello della Cittadella in Parma. All events are free admission.
Programme Festival della Parola 2026
Previews (April – May)
- April 23 — Bragadin, Casa della Musica
- May 9 — Qualcosa che brilla, Liceo Romagnosi
- May 24 — Viaggio in Italia con Niccolò Paganini, Casa della Musica
Main Festival (June – July)
- June 24, 9:00 PM — Scienza sostantivo femminile, CSAC
- June 25, 9:00 PM — Bandiere dello sport, Pergola Corale Verdi
- June 26, 7:00 PM — Atlante del passato perduto, Lostello della Cittadella
- June 26, 9:00 PM — La seduzione della legalità, Lostello della Cittadella
- June 29, 9:00 PM — Giorgio Conte in concert, Piazzale San Francesco del Prato
Expansion to Reggio Emilia (Chiostri di San Pietro)
- July 1 — Tutti su per terra, exhibition by Fabio Magnasciutti
- July 2, 9:00 PM — Al fuoco!
- July 3, 9:00 PM — I cinque elementi
Musica In-chiostro (August – September)
- August 21 — Quel che resta, Parco Nevicati
- August 27 — Far finta di essere Gaber, Piazzale Pilotta
- September 3 — Via Nino Bixio, Corte Agresti
- September 14 — Il silenzio degli ignavi, Casa della Musica
Among the announced guests for the edition: Pif, Mariangela Gualtieri, Giorgio Conte, Piero Grasso, Jacopo Fo, Michela Marzano, Vito Mancuso, Salvatore Borsellino, Patrizio Roversi, and Frankie HI-NRG MC, special guest of the opening night.
Highlights Festival della Parola 2026
- 2026 Theme: Biophilia, the love for life and the connection between humans and nature
- Opening on May 29 at the Lostello della Cittadella
- Concert by Giorgio Conte on June 29 at Piazzale San Francesco del Prato
- Musica In-chiostro section between August and September
- Guests such as Pif, Mariangela Gualtieri, and Piero Grasso
Prices Festival della Parola 2026
Practical information — Festival della Parola
When
From May to September 2026, with the main series concentrated between late May and late June, and the "Musica In-chiostro" music section between August and September.
Where
Parma and its province. Main venues: Lostello della Cittadella, Casa della Musica, Piazzale San Francesco del Prato, Cinema Astra.
How to get there
Parma is easily reachable by train (railway station on the Milan-Bologna line, High Speed) and by car from the A1 motorway. The historic center is easily walkable or cyclable.
Tickets
Free admission to all events, no booking required except for exceptions indicated by the organizers.
Contacts
Tel. +39 320 7133650 — [email protected] — www.festivaldellaparola.it
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Where does it take place — Festival della Parola
Lostello della Cittadella