Folkest

Folkest moves to the Castle

Folkest is one of the longest-running and most prestigious folk music festivals in Southern Europe. Born in 1979, just three years after the earthquake that devastated Friuli – the Orcolat of 1976 – the festival grew as a symbol of rebirth for a land that chose music and the meeting of peoples to rebuild itself. Organized by the Associazione Culturale Folkgiornale, every summer Folkest intertwines folk, world music, and singer-songwriting in a widespread calendar that touches dozens of municipalities in Friuli Venezia Giulia.

The Piazzale del Castello, Udine's stage

In Udine, the festival's main evenings take place in the spectacular Piazzale del Castello, the large esplanade crowning the Castle hill, the historical and symbolic heart of the city. From here, the view stretches over the rooftops of Udine and, on clear days, to the Alps: an extraordinary setting for the major concerts that attract thousands of spectators every summer.

The great names of singer-songwriter music

On the stage of the Udine Castle, Folkest has hosted and continues to host absolute protagonists of Italian and international singer-songwriter and folk music: from I Nomadi to Angelo Branduardi, from Lou Dalfin to New Trolls, up to performers and authors who make the word in music their hallmark. The Udine evenings represent the most popular and crowded face of the festival, capable of uniting different generations under the summer sky.

Music, memory, and territory

Folkest is much more than a concert series: it is a journey into the roots and contaminations of folk music, supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, the Ministry of Culture, and the Fondazione Friuli. The Udine stages at the Piazzale del Castello are the best way to experience the festival in the heart of the capital, amidst great music and a breathtaking view of the city.