International Ocarina Festival
Four days of music and tradition centered around the iconic Budrio instrument
About Ocarina Festival
Budrio, the homeland of the ocarina
There is a small municipality in the Bolognese plain, in Emilia-Romagna, that holds a unique musical record: Budrio is the town where, in 1853, the young Giuseppe Donati invented the ocarina, the terracotta wind instrument with the characteristic goose shape that has since conquered the world. The International Ocarina Festival was created precisely to celebrate this heritage, bringing musicians, builders, and enthusiasts from Europe, Asia, and the Americas back to Budrio every spring.
A festival spread throughout the historic center
For four days, the village transforms into a large open-air stage. The heart of the performances is the Teatro Consorziale, overlooking Piazza Filopanti, but the music spills out of the halls and invades the Torri dell'Acqua, the Ocarina Museum, the squares, and the arcades. Between concerts, the Oca-Buskers liven up the streets and corners of the center with itinerant performances, while Piazzetta Fabrizio De André and the streets Costa and Benni host the famous ocarina market, where you can admire and purchase handmade instruments.
Between folk, classical, and electronic music
The program is intentionally eclectic: it ranges from ocarina orchestras to contemporary and electronic music projects, from inaugurations in the form of opera or musical drama to grand folk evenings with popular Italian artists. There are also workshops, construction and tuning courses held by international masters, guided tours of the Teatro Consorziale, the Civic Art Gallery, and the Ocarina Museum, and technical meetings for those who want to learn to play or build the instrument.
A project involving the entire community
The event is the result of co-design between the Municipality of Budrio and the Fondazione Entroterre ETS, with artistic coordination by Pierfrancesco Pacoda and the patronage of the Metropolitan City of Bologna. Historical local entities such as the Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese (GOB), the custodian of the tradition, and the Orchestra Giovanile BenTiVoglio revolve around the festival. More than just a series of concerts, the Ocarina Festival is the identity celebration of an entire community that has made a small clay instrument a globally recognized symbol.
Ocarina Festival — edition 2026
The thirteenth edition of the Ocarina Festival confirmed the international and eclectic vocation of the Budrio event, intertwining opera, folk, electronic, and popular tradition over the four main days. Artistic coordination was entrusted to Pierfrancesco Pacoda, with co-design by the Municipality of Budrio and Fondazione Entroterre ETS, patronage from the Metropolitan City of Bologna, and support from the Music Commission of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
Among the venues, in addition to the Teatro Consorziale, the Torri dell'Acqua hosted concerts and the exhibition Ocarina and Clay, while the historic center was enlivened by the Oca-Buskers and the traditional ocarina market.
Programme Ocarina Festival 2026
April 14 — Preview
- 10:30 AM and 8:30 PM — Ocarinando, educational project by the "Q. Filopanti" Middle School
April 16 — Opening
- 9:00 PM — L'Inganno, satirical drama based on El Güegüense, music by Tiziano Popoli, with the Orchestra La Toscanini NEXT, an ocarina quintet, and students from the Bologna Conservatory
April 17
- Oca-Buskers in the historic center
- Økarine, new album by ØKAPI, at the Torri dell'Acqua
- Aperiocarina
- Worldwide Ocarinas: Vera Unfried, Ocabanda, and the Aniarco Orchestra from Japan (27 members)
- Night DJ set
April 18
- Ocarina Market
- Tuning workshop with Kurt Posch
- Terre Sorelle, project with Gent Hoxha
- Dance performance Bolero
- Gran Gala dell'Ocarina: Gruppo Ocarinistico Budriese and Orchestra Giovanile BenTiVoglio
- From 11:00 PM — DJ set by Alessio Collina
April 19 — Grand Finale
- Presentation of the book The Ocarina through Time by David Ramos
- Concert by Mirko Casadei and POPular Folk Orchestra
- Finale with Lovesick and Casadei as special guest
- Market and Oca-Buskers continue
Highlights Ocarina Festival 2026
Prices Ocarina Festival 2026
Practical information — Ocarina Festival
How to get there
Budrio is located about 20 km northeast of Bologna, in Emilia-Romagna. By car, it can be reached from the SP5 San Vitale; by train, it is connected to Bologna by the Bologna-Portomaggiore railway line, with the Budrio Centro stop just a short walk from the Teatro Consorziale.
Venues
The events take place at the Teatro Consorziale (Piazza Filopanti), the Torri dell'Acqua, the Ocarina Museum, and in the squares and arcades of the historic center.
Tickets
The event offers free and paid events. Info and tickets on the official website ocarinafestival.org.
Contacts
Municipality of Budrio – Culture Office, tel. +39 051 6928279, email [email protected]. Organization: Fondazione Entroterre ETS, [email protected].
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 — Ocarina Festival
Teatro Consorziale e centro storico
Piazza Filopanti, 40054 Budrio