InCanto di Natale

The official Christmas festival of the Sannio capital

InCanto di Natale is the official Christmas festival of Benevento, promoted and organized by the Municipality of Benevento in partnership with the Benevento Città Spettacolo Foundation, the same institution behind the summer's Benevento Città Spettacolo festival. Rather than a single event, it is a widespread program that, from early December until January 6th, hosts over one hundred initiatives spread across the city's squares, theaters, churches, and historic palaces. Music, theater, dance, readings, children's workshops, art tours, exhibitions, and markets come together in a program designed to keep the city vibrant throughout the festive season.

The Cant'Albero and the lights of the historic center

The symbol of the event is the Cant'Albero, a spectacular twenty-meter tree installed in Piazza Castello, in front of the Rocca dei Rettori. This structure, created by the Città Spettacolo Foundation, is brought to life by scenic lighting, projections, and musical accompaniment, and has become the most recognizable image of Christmas in Benevento over the years. Its lighting is complemented by the large tree in Piazza IV Novembre and the artistic illuminations along Corso Garibaldi, the main squares, and key landmarks of the historic center.

Squares, markets, and the Santa Claus Village

The festival unfolds in stages throughout the city. Piazza Federico Torre hosts the Santa Claus Village, featuring activities, entertainment, and workshops designed for children and families. Piazza Santa Sofia, located next to the UNESCO-listed Lombard church, serves as the venue for the inauguration, concerts, and weekend craft and local produce markets. The Christmas market is held in Piazza Castello, while Via Traiano is dedicated to nativity scenes, guided tours, and musical performances.

Theaters and churches: the cultural program

The artistic heart of the event beats within the city's theaters. The Vittorio Emmanuele Municipal Theater on Corso Garibaldi hosts the main events, ranging from symphonic concerts to comedy and dance shows, alongside the Mulino Pacifico, the Teatro de La Salle, the Piccolo Teatro Libertà, and the Teatro San Marco. The historic churches of the center—Santa Sofia, Sant'Agostino, San Domenico, the Annunziata, and SS. Salvatore—become the natural setting for concerts, musical itineraries, sacred art exhibitions, and theatrical performances.

• Symphonic concerts, children's choirs, and sacred music in the historic churches
• Theatrical performances, Christmas musicals, and comedy shows in city theaters
• Exhibitions of nativity scenes, photography, sacred art, and historical documentaries
• Artisan markets and local Sannio products
• Workshops, entertainment, and activities for children in the Santa Claus Village

A program built with the city

The administration has adopted a participatory approach: the program is born from a public call open to associations, foundations, theater companies, parishes, and volunteer groups, who propose their own events to be included in the festival's unified calendar. This is how the program exceeds a hundred initiatives without burdening the municipal budget, with most events being free to attend and involving local cultural entities, from the "Nicola Sala" Conservatory of Music to the local Pro Loco associations.

Benevento and the Sannio region during the holidays

As the capital of its namesake province in Campania, Benevento is a city of many layers, from the Roman Arch of Trajan to the Lombard complex of Santa Sofia. In December, its compact historic center is perfect for strolling among illuminations, nativity scenes, and concerts. InCanto di Natale also serves as a gateway to the Christmas season in the Sannio region, which, during the same weeks, offers living nativity scenes, village markets, and Epiphany rituals. A visit to the city can easily be combined with exploring the hills of Taburno and the wine routes featuring Falanghina and Aglianico.