GuastaFest

A festival that "disrupts" dominant narratives

GuastaFest is a hybrid, multidisciplinary performing and visual arts festival debuting in 2026 at the Zō Centro Culture Contemporanee in Catania, located at Piazzale Rocco Chinnici 6. The name draws from the Italian verb guastare—to spoil or disrupt—signifying a desire to shake things up and challenge the status quo. The festival was born from a need to ask uncomfortable questions, interrogate the present, and contest dominant narratives and power structures. It is a collaborative project that builds alliances and shared practices among independent collectives, cultural spaces, and local organizations.

Performing arts, inclusion, and queer culture

The program interweaves dance, theater, music, performances, and workshops—partially selected through an open call—and centers on the active inclusion of underrepresented identities and communities. The queer culture component is strong and explicit: queer zine workshops, performances, and public assemblies address themes of identity, the body, and rights. Accessibility is a hallmark of the festival, with numerous events translated into Italian Sign Language (LIS) and spaces designed to be fully accessible to people with disabilities.

A European cultural project

GuastaFest is developed as part of the Cultural Transformation Movement Project, a European initiative involving cultural centers in Belgium, Austria, Ukraine, and Sweden. It promotes the structural transformation of the European cultural sector through artistic practices and organizational models rooted in social justice. The festival is curated by Zō in collaboration with Officine Culturali, Transgressive Catania, KinEst Fest, Salmastra, Arcigay Catania, Arci Catania, Mettiamoci in Gioco, Culture Possibili, and the Italian National Association of the Deaf (ENS) in Catania.

Four days of free admission

Spanning two weekends, GuastaFest offers a dense program ranging from storytelling to stand-up comedy, documentary films to DJ sets, and dance performances to participatory assemblies. All events are free to attend, a choice that reinforces the festival's democratic and accessible mission.

Catania, a capital of plural culture

With GuastaFest, the City of Catania and Sicily confirm their role as a laboratory for contemporary culture that is attentive to the margins and to difference. Zō, a former industrial space converted into a cultural center, has long been a hub for artistic experimentation in the city: GuastaFest fully embodies this spirit, offering Catania a new landmark event dedicated to live arts and civic engagement.