Kite Festival

A sixty-year-old spring tradition

The Kite Festival is one of the most deeply rooted traditions in the calendar of Polignano a Mare, in the Metropolitan City of Bari, in the heart of Apulia. Established in the 1960s, the event has spanned over six decades, reaching its 63rd edition in 2026, and remains a collective ritual that brings children, teenagers, parents, and grandparents together every spring. It is more than just a kite competition; it is a moment for generations to connect through artistic expression and creativity.

The theme, the heart of the festival

What makes the Kite Festival special is the choice, year after year, of a theme around which young participants build and decorate their kites. Through shapes and colors soaring in the sky, children are invited to reflect on social, environmental, or cultural values. In 2026, the chosen theme was "The Canticle of the Creatures", dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi on the 800th anniversary of the famous text, an invitation to look at nature and creation with new eyes.

The competition and awards

The highlight is the creative kite competition, judged by a committee that awards prizes in various categories: the most beautiful kite, the one best adhering to the year's theme, the one that flies the highest, and the most creative. Some awards are named in memory of figures dear to the Polignano community, testifying to the strong bond between the festival and the city's social fabric.

Workshops and side activities

• Kite-building workshops, hosted in the days prior at local cultural spaces like the R. Chiantera Community Library, where participants learn the principles of flight and techniques for construction and decoration;
• Performances and entertainment accompanying the main day;
• A festive atmosphere spread across one of Polignano's most scenic squares, Piazza Suor Maria Laselva, suspended over the Adriatic Sea.

An event for the whole family

The Kite Festival is designed primarily for children, but naturally involves families: it is not rare to see fathers and children working together to launch a kite. Organized by the Pro Loco "F. F. Favale" Tourist Association with the patronage of the Municipality of Polignano a Mare and the Apulia Region, the event combines tradition, play, and educational engagement in a natural setting of rare beauty, among the white houses perched above the sea that have made the Apulian town famous worldwide.