Lavinaio Rock Fest

A stage for emerging rock music

The Lavinaio Rock Fest is a music competition dedicated to the emerging rock scene, held in Aci Sant'Antonio, a town on the slopes of Mount Etna in the province of Catania, Sicily. The event takes its name from the Lavinaio district, where it was founded in 2025, with the goal of providing young musicians with a real space for growth, exchange, and visibility.

The format: semi-finals and final

Organized by the La Riserva Cultural Association with the patronage of the Municipality of Aci Sant'Antonio and the support of the Youth Council, the festival is a true contest. Competing bands are selected by the organizers from dozens of applicants: for the 2026 edition, 16 artists were chosen from over 60 proposals, hailing not only from Sicily but also from other Southern Italian regions, such as Basilicata. The artists compete in the semi-final evenings, divided into two groups, before advancing to the final.

Jury and prizes

The evaluation combines two elements: the judgment of a technical jury and the direct involvement of the audience, who actively participate in choosing the winners. The winning band receives a tangible prize designed to help young talents enter the professional world: the opportunity to record one of their tracks in a studio for free and release it with a record label.

An event for the community

More than just a series of concerts, the Lavinaio Rock Fest serves as a powerful social gathering for the Etna region. The evenings, which are free to attend, transform the squares of Aci Sant'Antonio into a meeting place for music lovers, families, and young people, while promoting the Lavinaio district and the entire community of this town near Catania.

Where it takes place

The semi-final evenings are held in Piazza Maggiore, in the center of Aci Sant'Antonio, while the final moves to the evocative Lavinaio district, where it all began. Aci Sant'Antonio, located on the slopes of Mount Etna just a few kilometers from Catania and Acireale, offers visitors the chance to discover a town of Etnean Baroque, blending live music with local tradition.