Geografie

A new festival at the Castle of Arco

Geografie was born in 2026 as a new musical event in the Municipality of Arco, in the province of Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige. The festival transforms the Prato della Lizza of the Castle of Arco into a permanent space for encounters between cultures, musical languages, and traditions from around the world. The municipal administration's vision is to create an annual event, with each edition dedicated to a different geographical and cultural area: following Eastern Europe, future editions may feature Africa, Asia, South America, or the Mediterranean.

The first edition: music from Eastern Europe

The inaugural edition, in summer 2026, is dedicated to the music of Eastern Europe and the Balkans and offers three evening concerts, all starting at 9:00 PM on the Prato della Lizza. The protagonists are artists who combine the legacy of folk tradition with contemporary research and experimentation.

• Monday, June 29, 2026 - Goran Bregović with the Wedding and Funeral Orchestra: the Balkan composer opens the festival with an explosive ensemble of trumpets, trombones, tuba, bass drum, clarinet, saxophone, and Bulgarian voices. A symbolic return, as one of his 2001 concerts was among the first major cultural events hosted at the Castle.
• Friday, July 3, 2026 - Ladaniva: one of the most interesting Armenian acts on the new European world music scene, born from the meeting between singer Jaklin Baghdasaryan and musician Louis Thomas. Their music weaves together Armenian folk, French chanson, reggae, and global rhythms.
• Thursday, July 9, 2026 - Trio Mandili: a Georgian female trio that became world-famous thanks to the viral spread of their videos, serving as guardians of Georgia's UNESCO-recognized polyphonic traditions.

The venue: the Prato della Lizza

The concerts are held outdoors on the Prato della Lizza, at the foot of the fortress that dominates the historic center of Arco. It is a panoramic natural terrace overlooking Lake Garda and the Sarca Valley, reachable by a walk of about twenty minutes from the town center, including some uphill sections.

A local cultural project

Geografie is promoted by the Culture, Sport, and Tourism Office of the Municipality of Arco and is part of the enhancement of the Castle, a symbolic monument of the city overlooking the Trentino Upper Garda. With its international vocation, the festival aims to bring the public closer to the sounds of the world in a historical and scenic setting of great charm.