Fuoripista! Traveling Circus Village

A circus village in the Modenese Apennines

For three days, from June 28 to 30, 2026, Pavullo nel Frignano transforms into a small capital of contemporary circus. Fuoripista! Traveling Circus Village stops at the I Fondi Multipurpose Center, in the hamlet of Verica, and sets up a micro-village made of tents, chapiteaus, outdoor stages, and wooden installations. It is one of the seven villages in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines touched by the festival, which from late May to mid-August brings live performances, music, and wonder to the region's highlands.

What is Fuoripista

Fuoripista is a project by ATER Fondazione, the multidisciplinary regional performing arts circuit of Emilia-Romagna, created in collaboration with Teatro Necessario and with the support of the Emilia-Romagna Region as part of Montagna Mia. The idea is simple and fascinating: instead of an enclosed theater, an entire traveling village that moves from town to town, setting up its artists' camp each time. Clowns, acrobats, jugglers, musicians, and actors live for three days with the host community, in a poetic fair atmosphere.

Three days of shows in Pavullo

Each stop opens with a parade through the town streets, leading the audience from the center of Pavullo to the village. Then, for three days, there are contemporary circus shows, clowning and acrobatics performances, musical moments, and actual concerts. On Fridays, shows start in the late afternoon/evening, while on Saturdays and Sundays, the village comes alive from the afternoon. Among the companies and artists animating the circuit are productions from Teatro Necessario, such as the famous Nuova Barberia Carloni, alongside guests from the contemporary circus scene.

The concert and attractions

The special musical highlight of the Pavullo nel Frignano stop is the concert by Javier Girotto and Aires Tango, a group that blends jazz and tango with the saxophone of Argentine Girotto. Alongside the shows, the village hosts the Wooden Games by Officina Clandestina, an area with about thirty handcrafted wooden attractions where adults and children can play freely.

A festival for the mountains

Fuoripista was created to bring culture and entertainment to the Apennine villages, often far from major circuits. For Pavullo nel Frignano, a dispersed municipality in the province of Modena and a gateway to the Modenese Apennines, it is an opportunity to experience its territory in a new way, through street art, music, and conviviality. Access to the village area is free; shows and concerts have affordable ticket prices.