Folkatanè — International Folklore Festival

Folkatanè: Where youth meets tradition

In the heart of Gravina di Catania, a town in the metropolitan area of Mount Etna near Catania, the Folkatanè festival celebrates the heritage of Sicilian folklore every year. The event, whose name evokes the ancient toponym Katanè, is organized by the Gravina Arte Cultural Association in collaboration with the FITP — Italian Federation of Popular Traditions and supported by the Katanè Shopping Center, under the patronage of the Municipality of Gravina di Catania.

A festival in two acts

Folkatanè unfolds in two distinct yet complementary stages. The school phase, hosted within the Katanè Shopping Center on Via Salvatore Quasimodo, engages local school choirs and folk groups in mornings dedicated to Sicilian songs, dances, and legends. The final evening, meanwhile, takes place outdoors at the Turi Ferro Municipal Amphitheater, located within Parco Paolo Borsellino, where folk groups perform before an audience in a vibrant celebration of popular music and dance.

Music, costumes, and civic engagement

The festival provides a stage for the universal language of traditional music, historical costumes, and folk dances, fostering dialogue between youth groups from across Sicily. Recent editions have linked the festival to themes of significant civic value, such as legality and remembrance, with titles that encourage younger generations to rediscover their roots without forgetting the past. Among the honors awarded during the event is the special Alfio Russo prize, dedicated to excellence in the use of traditional Sicilian instruments.

A local landmark

Open to all and with free admission, Folkatanè has become a highly anticipated date on the cultural calendar of Gravina di Catania and the entire Etna region. By involving children, teenagers, and families, the festival promotes the transmission of popular traditions from one generation to the next, confirming itself as a meeting point and a celebration for the community of the town and the province of Catania, in Sicily.