Janara - Witches' Village (Spring Edition)
The Benevento witches' festival: three days of folklore, mystery, and an immersive village at the Villa Comunale
About Janara - Witches' Village
The janare return to Benevento
With the arrival of spring, the historic center of Benevento, the capital of the province of the same name in Campania, surrenders to its witches. Janara - Witches of Benevento is the festival that turned one of the Sannio region's most deep-rooted legends—that of the janare—into a collective narrative. The spring edition stages three days of shows, rituals, meetings, exhibitions, medieval games, workshops, storytelling, and roving performances. The project was born in March 2025, conceived by artistic director Antonio Frascadore and entrepreneur Nico Girolamo, and grew rapidly: the first edition brought about thirty thousand visitors to the city, leading the festival to adopt a dual annual schedule (spring and autumn) and open a permanent headquarters on Corso Garibaldi to work on the theme year-round.
The Witches' Village at the Villa Comunale
The major highlight of the third edition is the Witches' Village, set up in the Villa Comunale in Piazza Castello and open from evening until late at night. The urban park is completely reinvented with scenic installations, light shows, soundscapes, and enigmatic presences: it is a roughly two-hour journey consisting of nine narrative areas, which are traversed one after another like chapters in a story.
- the herb garden, dedicated to traditional folk remedies;
- the dwellings of the janare, inhabited by mysterious figures;
- a medieval village with artisans and actors;
- the realm of magic, where illusionism and theater intertwine;
- the jester's hamlet;
- the enchanted forest and, by contrast, the forest of terror;
- the sabbath set design, the ritual heart of the path.
The Janara Experience
Also debuting at the Villa Comunale is the Janara Experience, a horror-fantasy survival experience designed as an outdoor escape room: riddles to solve, challenges to overcome, choices to make, and actors interacting with participants in a game that blurs the line between spectator and protagonist, potentially continuing until dawn. It is the most suitable choice for those seeking an intense experience.
Sixteen stops in the historic center
Outside the Villa, the city becomes a map to explore: the organizers count sixteen points of interest among streets, squares, and historic palaces. Along Corso Garibaldi winds the tarot path, Via Manciotti hosts the «Beyond the Doors» photo exhibition, the lepers' alley (Via Bartolomeo Camerario) hosts roving performances, while theatrical shows like «Manolonga» and «Confessions of a Witch» alternate with book presentations featuring historians, writers, and scholars. The program also includes an exhibition dedicated to Milo Manara, creative writing workshops, botanical walks, tarot readings, role-playing games, and storytelling, plus plenty of entertainment for children: most of these downtown events are free to enter.
The magic and mystery fair
From March 19th, one day before the official opening, Piazza Roma hosts a fair entirely dedicated to the world of magic and mystery: alternative publishing and comics, esoteric objects, herbal products, handicrafts, themed clothing, cartomancy, and food stalls. It is the festival's most informal meeting point and remains open for the duration of the event.
An international network of witch cities
Janara is not just entertainment: the festival has established collaboration protocols with twelve "witch cities" in Italy and abroad, including Salem in the United States. Its inaugural edition opened with a conference at Palazzo Paolo V that brought together administrators and scholars from Cuneo, L'Aquila, Lecce, and Triora. The Municipality of Benevento supports the event, which in just one year has brought together a hundred events and involved over three hundred people, including artists, technicians, associations, and local schools.
Why it's worth the trip
The janara is a familiar presence for the people of Benevento, part of a popular tradition handed down for centuries; the festival presents it to visitors without kitschy folklore, alternating historical education with pure spectacle. The spring weekend is also an opportunity to discover the city's historic center, with its Roman and Lombard layers, at a time of year when the weather is still cool and the streets are less crowded. Note: as its popularity grows, hotels and bed and breakfasts in the city sell out well in advance.
Janara - Witches' Village — edition 2026
The first weekend of spring
From March 20 to 22, 2026, Benevento celebrated the third edition of Janara - Witches of Benevento, with a program spread between the Villa Comunale and the historic center. The Villa Comunale, open from the evening and requiring a ticket, was transformed into a true Witches' Village: nine narrative areas traversed in about two hours, from the dwellings of the janare to the sabbath, from the jester's hamlet to the forest of terror, up to the realm of magic with illusionists and actors. In parallel, the Janara Experience debuted, an outdoor horror-fantasy escape room with riddles and challenges until late at night.
City on stage
In the historic center, largely free to enter, theatrical shows like «Manolonga» and «Confessions of a Witch» alternated with the tarot path on Corso Garibaldi, the «Beyond the Doors» photo exhibition on Via Manciotti, performances in the lepers' alley, book presentations, botanical walks, workshops for adults and children, and an exhibition dedicated to Milo Manara. In Piazza Roma, the magic and mystery fair brought together alternative publishing, comics, herbalism, handicrafts, cartomancy, and gastronomy. City accommodation was practically sold out, and local press reported thousands of attendees from across the region and beyond.
Programme Janara - Witches' Village 2026
Thursday, March 19
- Opening of the magic and mystery fair in Piazza Roma: alternative publishing and comics, esoteric objects, herbalism, handicrafts, themed clothing, cartomancy, and food stalls (open for the duration of the festival).
From Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22 — historic center
- Sixteen points of interest among streets, squares, and historic palaces, with mostly free events.
- Tarot path along Corso Garibaldi.
- «Beyond the Doors» photo exhibition on Via Manciotti.
- Exhibition dedicated to Milo Manara.
- Theatrical shows «Manolonga» and «Confessions of a Witch».
- Roving performances and parade show in the lepers' alley (Via Bartolomeo Camerario) and city streets.
- Book presentations and meetings with historians, writers, and scholars; creative writing workshops.
- Medieval games, role-playing games, and storytelling; workshops for adults and children.
- Botanical walks on traditional herbs, tarot readings, rituals, music, and folklore.
- Entertainment for children.
Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 — Villa Comunale
- Witches' Village: gates open at 6 PM until late at night, staggered entries every 30 minutes, two-hour journey through nine narrative areas (herb garden, janare dwellings, medieval village with artisans and actors, realm of magic, jester's hamlet, enchanted forest, forest of terror, sabbath set design).
- Janara Experience: horror-fantasy survival experience in the form of an outdoor escape room, with riddles, challenges, choices, and actors on stage.
Highlights Janara - Witches' Village 2026
- The debut of the Witches' Village at the Villa Comunale: nine narrative areas and two hours of immersive journey.
- The Janara Experience, a horror-fantasy outdoor escape room that can last until dawn.
- The magic and mystery fair in Piazza Roma, from March 19.
- The exhibition dedicated to Milo Manara and the «Beyond the Doors» photo exhibition.
- The shows «Manolonga» and «Confessions of a Witch».
- The network of twelve "witch cities," from Triora to Salem.
Prices Janara - Witches' Village 2026
Practical information — Janara - Witches' Village
How to get there
The Villa Comunale is located in Piazza Castello, in the heart of Benevento and a short walk from the Rocca dei Rettori: from the Benevento Centrale train station, it can be easily reached on foot or by city bus. Those arriving by car will find parking in the center very limited during festival evenings: it is advisable to leave the vehicle in the outer areas and continue on foot, especially since much of the historic center is pedestrianized.
Tickets and hours
Events throughout the historic center are largely free. The Witches' Village at the Villa Comunale requires a ticket (12 euros per person for the 2026 edition, free for children under 3), which can be purchased on TicketOne: entries are staggered every 30 minutes starting in the evening, and the visit lasts about two hours. It is advisable to book early, as the most popular time slots sell out quickly.
Tips
- Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes: the path in the Villa is on dirt and gravel.
- Bring a light jacket: March evenings in Sannio are cool.
- The Janara Experience has a horror theme: consider carefully before bringing small children.
- Book accommodation weeks in advance: during the Janara weekend, city lodging is almost fully booked.
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 — Janara - Witches' Village
Villa Comunale e centro storico di Benevento
Villa Comunale, Piazza Castello, 82100 Benevento