FINC Summer Edition — Clownpedia Live
Three days dedicated to contemporary clowning at the Naxos Archaeological Park
About FINC Summer Edition
Contemporary clowning takes center stage in Giardini-Naxos
The FINC Summer Edition — Clownpedia Live is the summer offshoot of FINC, the International Nouveau Clown Festival founded in 2022, which has quickly become one of Italy's premier events for the art of clowning. The festival takes place in Giardini-Naxos, in the province of Messina along Sicily's Ionian coast, in a setting of rare beauty: the Teatro della Nike within the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park, located exactly where the island's oldest Greek colony once stood.
A festival bridging performance and training
More than just a series of shows, the Summer Edition is conceived as "a space for artistic transmission, creative exchange, and the construction of new theatrical visions." For three days, the festival intertwines public evening performances with high-level training sessions and the special project that gives this edition its name: Clownpedia Live.
At its core is the work of ten young clowns under 35, selected and guided by international master David Shiner, a legendary figure in contemporary clowning who has collaborated with Marcel Marceau and Cirque du Soleil, and created the Tony Award-winning show Fool Moon. The program concludes with a public showcase that reveals the fruits of this collective creative laboratory to the audience.
The Clownpedia Project
The Summer Edition is linked to the Clownpedia — The Clown as World Heritage project, supported by the Ministry of Culture, which aims to have the art of clowning recognized as intangible cultural heritage and to initiate a path toward UNESCO recognition. The project also includes a digital archive dedicated to this centuries-old discipline.
Organization and Territory
The festival is organized by Theatre Degart, an organization founded and directed by Daniele Segalin and Graziana Parisi, which has been promoting circus and theatrical culture in Sicily for years. The choice of Giardini-Naxos, overlooking the gulf in front of Taormina, transforms the archaeological setting into a natural stage where the wordless comedy of the clown engages in a dialogue with the site's thousand-year history.
- Where: Teatro della Nike, Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park, Giardini-Naxos (ME)
- When: Late June
- Who: International artists and companies, ten young clowns under 35
- Discipline: Contemporary clowning, physical theatre, circus
FINC Summer Edition — edition 2026
The FINC Summer Edition 2026 offers three days of performances and training dedicated to contemporary clowning, set in the Teatro della Nike at the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park. The heart of this edition is Clownpedia Live, the workshop that brings together ten young clowns under 35 under the guidance of international master David Shiner, culminating in a public showcase on the final evening.
The evening performances bring some of the most prominent names on the European scene to Giardini-Naxos, in a program that alternates between great guest artists and the new generation of performers, all centered on wordless comedy and physical theatre.
Programme FINC Summer Edition 2026
Friday, June 26
- 9:30 PM — "L'Atzar" with Pepa Plana, Catalan actress and clown, winner of the Spanish National Culture Award in 2014
Saturday, June 27
- 9:30 PM — "Punto y Coma" with Cia El Cruce, an Italian-Spanish contemporary circus and physical theatre company
Sunday, June 28
- 9:30 PM — Public showcase "Clownpedia Live": ten young clowns under 35 on stage at the end of the training program led by David Shiner, master of contemporary clowning (collaborator of Marcel Marceau and Cirque du Soleil, author of Fool Moon)
Highlights FINC Summer Edition 2026
Prices FINC Summer Edition 2026
Practical information — FINC Summer Edition
How to get there
Giardini-Naxos is easily accessible by train (Taormina-Giardini station on the Messina-Catania line) and by car via the A18 Messina-Catania motorway, taking the Giardini Naxos exit. The nearest airport is Catania-Fontanarossa, approximately 50 km away.
Venue
Performances are held at the Teatro della Nike, inside the Naxos Taormina Archaeological Park (entrance from Via Schisò).
Tickets
Reservations can be made via WhatsApp or email; we recommend checking the official website www.fincfestival.com for updated schedules, availability, and access procedures.
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Where does it take place — FINC Summer Edition
Teatro della Nike - Parco Archeologico Naxos Taormina
Via Schisò, 98035 Giardini-Naxos