Friendship Festival of San Mango Piemonte
Five days of inclusion and solidarity across San Mango Piemonte, Salerno, and the Amalfi Coast
About Friendship Festival
A festival that makes friendship a civic value
The Friendship Festival is the annual event promoted by the Sorrisi Sparsi association, which every May brings schools, families, and organizations from across Italy to the Salerno area. It is neither a food fair nor a music festival: it is an event built around the inclusion of people with disabilities, solidarity, and the simple pleasure of sharing a few days of common life. The Municipality of San Mango Piemonte, a village of just over two thousand inhabitants in the province of Salerno, Campania, serves as the organizational heart and hosts one of the most popular days on the calendar.
The San Mango Piemonte stop
The San Mango leg takes place in Piazza Luigi Alfinito, in the town center, where in 2026 a traveling show by the Patapumfete agency was welcomed by the official greetings of Mayor Francesco Di Giacomo. It is the day when the small hillside town, overlooking the Irno Valley just a few kilometers from Salerno, transforms into a meeting square for hundreds of guests: young people, volunteers, educators, and families arriving from different regions to stand side-by-side without distinctions.
A five-day program
The format is that of a traveling event that uses the territory as part of the program. Each day has a recognizable theme:
- Welcome for associations arriving from all over Italy, with a visit to the city of Salerno.
- The inspiring territory: an excursion along the Amalfi Coast and, in the afternoon, the San Mango Piemonte stop.
- The great Friendship Day: community breakfast, inclusive sports activities, meetings with guests, and a shared lunch.
- Farewell day, dedicated to goodbyes and reflection on the bonds created.
- Prevention day, with the team from the Breast Unit of the Salerno University Hospital.
Sports, testimonials, and a culture of prevention
Alongside games and creative workshops, the Friendship Festival dedicates ample space to inclusive sports and direct testimonials. In the 2026 edition, the role of testimonial was entrusted to Annalisa Minetti, an internationally renowned singer and Paralympic athlete, who engaged with the public alongside Luca Massaccesi. The event has also consolidated a healthcare chapter: as early as 2025, the Municipality hosted a day of free breast cancer screening visits in collaboration with the Salerno White Cross.
Who is behind the event
The Sorrisi Sparsi association, chaired by Vincenzo Sabatino, works in close collaboration with the parish of Saints Nicola and Matteo in the Sordina hamlet and with the parish priest Father Carlo Maria De Filippis. Institutions and local entities revolve around the project: the Municipality of San Mango Piemonte, the Campania Region, school principals, and associations such as Anffas, as well as figures like the disability manager of the University of Salerno Domenico Della Porta and the national ONBD ambassador Michele Carucci.
Why it is worth attending
Those who arrive in San Mango Piemonte during these days will not find a showcase, but a community at work. It is also a useful opportunity for those visiting the province of Salerno for other reasons: the Amalfi Coast and the historic center of the provincial capital are within easy reach, and the festival offers the key to reading the solidary face of a piece of Campania that rarely ends up in tourist guides. We recommend following the channels of the Municipality and the association in the weeks leading up to May, as the final calendar is communicated close to the event.
Friendship Festival — edition 2026
Presented on May 6 at the Town Hall
The twenty-sixth edition was presented on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at the Municipality of San Mango Piemonte headquarters, in the presence of Mayor Francesco Di Giacomo, Campania Regional Councilor Corrado Matera, Sorrisi Sparsi association president Vincenzo Sabatino, and parish priest Father Carlo Maria De Filippis. The meeting was also attended by national ONBD ambassador Michele Carucci, Banca Monte Pruno general manager Federico Cono, University of Salerno disability manager Domenico Della Porta, Anffas president Salvatore Parisi, and several local school principals.
Solidarity and inclusion, the two guiding themes
The organizers identified solidarity and inclusion as the core values of the 2026 edition: a week built to bring together schools and associations from all over Italy and to break down barriers related to disability through recreational activities, creative workshops, sports, and entertainment.
The San Mango Piemonte day
On May 14, after visiting the Amalfi Coast, the group moved in the afternoon to San Mango Piemonte: Piazza Luigi Alfinito hosted a traveling show by the Patapumfete agency, preceded by the mayor's official greeting. The most intense day was May 15, with a community breakfast, inclusive sports activities, a meeting with Annalisa Minetti and Luca Massaccesi, and a shared lunch.
Programme Friendship Festival 2026
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 — The Welcome
- Arrival and welcome of associations from all over Italy
- Tour of the city of Salerno
Thursday, May 14, 2026 — The inspiring territory
- Visit to the Amalfi Coast
- In the afternoon, transfer to San Mango Piemonte: traveling show by the Patapumfete agency in Piazza Luigi Alfinito
- Official greeting by Mayor Francesco Di Giacomo
Friday, May 15, 2026 — The great Friendship Day
- Community breakfast
- Sports campus and inclusive sports activities, games, and workshops
- Meeting with special guests Annalisa Minetti, artist and Paralympic athlete, and Luca Massaccesi
- Community lunch
Saturday, May 16, 2026 — Farewell day
- Greetings and moments of reflection on the friendships born during the event
Sunday, May 17, 2026 — Prevention day
- Breast cancer prevention initiative with the team from the Breast Unit of the Salerno University Hospital
Highlights Friendship Festival 2026
- The 26th edition of a traveling event uniting Salerno, the Amalfi Coast, and San Mango Piemonte.
- The traveling show by the Patapumfete agency in Piazza Luigi Alfinito on May 14.
- The testimonial of Annalisa Minetti, singer and Paralympic athlete, together with Luca Massaccesi.
- The community breakfast and lunch on May 15, with a sports campus and inclusive activities.
- The final day dedicated to breast cancer prevention with the Breast Unit of the AOU of Salerno.
Prices Friendship Festival 2026
Practical information — Friendship Festival
How to get there
San Mango Piemonte is located about 10 km from the center of Salerno, on the hills of the Irno Valley. By car, take the A2 motorway (Salerno exit) or the Salerno-Avellino junction; by train, the reference station is Salerno, served by Frecce and Intercity trains, from where you can continue by bus or taxi. The nearest airport is Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi (Pontecagnano), followed by Naples-Capodichino.
Where it takes place
The San Mango events are concentrated in Piazza Luigi Alfinito, in the town center, and in the parish spaces of the Sordina hamlet. The other days move between Salerno and the towns of the Amalfi Coast.
Tips
- The program is designed for groups, schools, and associations: those wishing to participate in organized activities should contact the Sorrisi Sparsi association or the Municipality of San Mango Piemonte in advance.
- The square performances are outdoors: wear comfortable shoes and bring a light jacket for the cool hillside evenings.
- For accommodation, it is best to stay in Salerno city, which offers the widest choice of hotels and B&Bs and is well-connected to the Coast.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Friendship Festival
Piazza Luigi Alfinito e frazione Sordina