Le Notti dei Mulini
A rural festival of folk music, art, and gastronomy in the Parco dei Mulini of the Vallo di Diano
About Notti dei Mulini
A rural festival in the heart of the Vallo di Diano
Le Notti dei Mulini is one of the most iconic summer events in the Municipality of San Pietro al Tanagro, in the province of Salerno, located in the heart of the Vallo di Diano and the Campania region. Created to promote inland areas through culture and experiential tourism, the festival has surpassed its tenth edition and is now a landmark for the entire district, attracting visitors from Salerno, Basilicata, and Cilento.
The formula is simple and recognizable: two evenings with free admission, a river park as a natural stage, traditional Southern music as the common thread, and local flavors as an essential accompaniment.
The Parco dei Mulini, a natural amphitheater
The festival's location is no mere detail: the Parco dei Mulini is a green area crossed by spring waters, where ancient watermills that ground the grain of the Vallo di Diano for centuries still stand. Restored and returned to the community, these mills tell a story of peasant economy made of water, stone, and shared labor. During the festival, they can be visited with a guide, while light installations and contemporary art pieces redefine their profile after sunset.
Southern folk music as the common thread
The musical lineup is dedicated to the sonic roots of Southern Italy: Campanian and Calabrian tarantella, Salento pizzica, Sicilian folk songs, tammurriate, and Mediterranean fusions. Over the years, the park's stage has hosted prominent names in Italian folk music alongside emerging young bands, with a constant focus on ethnomusicological research rather than mere entertainment.
The evenings always conclude with an ethnic DJ set that keeps the party going until late at night, and it is not uncommon for spontaneous jam sessions with tambourines and accordions to break out among the audience.
Farm-to-table gastronomy and crafts
Surrounding the stage is the food and wine area, featuring farm-to-table products from the Vallo di Diano: cheeses, cured meats, vegetables, bread, and traditional peasant sweets, paired with local wines. Nearby, the craft market offers textiles, ceramics, and handmade creations.
- Food stalls with local producers
- Craft and creative goods market
- Photography exhibitions and art installations
- Information booths for environmental associations and small independent publishers
Daytime activities: trekking, workshops, literary salons
The festival doesn't start at nightfall. During the day, the program offers excursions along the trails crossing the Vallo di Diano, particularly the stages of the Cammino del Negro curated by the Cammini Bizantini, workshops for children dedicated to nature and the park's legends, outdoor sports and meditation activities, and book presentations with authors. It is a deliberate choice: to help visitors discover the territory, not just provide a concert.
A Pro Loco project for inland areas
The organization is managed by the Pro Loco of San Pietro al Tanagro and specifically its younger members, with the patronage of the Municipality, the Vallo di Diano Mountain Community, and the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. The stated goal is to combat the depopulation of inland villages by leveraging culture, environment, and hospitality: a model that has yielded concrete results over the years, with steadily growing attendance.
Why it's worth the trip
First-time visitors will find a festival that has maintained a human scale: admission is free, you can walk among the mills and canals, eat sitting on the grass, and dance under lights suspended between the trees. It is an evening that tells the story of the most authentic Southern Italy, where communities organize themselves to bring their landscape to life.
Notti dei Mulini — edition 2026
The 11th edition, July 17-18, 2026
Eleven years and a now-recognizable formula: in 2026, Le Notti dei Mulini returned to the Parco dei Mulini in San Pietro al Tanagro for two evenings of free admission, with a program alternating Southern Italian folk music, excursions, workshops, and exhibitions.
The first evening brought the unconventional Sicily of I Beddi to the stage, followed by the Calabrian rhythm of Progetto Tarantella di Fortunato e Valentina, before the ethnic DJ set by Be Cool in Tour. The second evening was entrusted to the Neapolitan songwriting of the Carlo Faiello Ensemble and the Salento pizzica of Gioacchino De Filippo & Sapunaru Project with the participation of Claudio Cavallo.
Next to the stage, as per tradition, were the craft market, food stalls with farm-to-table products from the Vallo di Diano, light installations among the trees, and a photography exhibition dedicated to the contemporary landscape of the Vallo di Diano. During the day, the fifth stage of the Cammino del Negro, environmental workshops for children, sports and meditation activities in the park, and the presentation of the book Nessun Dio è solo by Pasquale Sorrentino took place.
Programme Notti dei Mulini 2026
Friday, July 17, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Children's workshop "The Legend of the Guardian of the Parco dei Mulini", by RAF Ecologia Srl (by reservation)
- 5:00 PM — Free sports and meditation activities in the park
- 8:00 PM — Opening of food stalls, craft market, and exhibition areas
- 8:30 PM — Inauguration of the photography exhibition "The contemporary landscape of the Vallo di Diano", with video projections
- 8:30 PM — Concert by I Beddi, Sicilian folk music
- 10:30 PM — Progetto Tarantella di Fortunato e Valentina, Calabrian tradition and rhythm
- 12:30 AM — Ethnic DJ set with Be Cool in Tour
Saturday, July 18, 2026
- 4:00 PM — Trekking on the fifth stage of the Cammino del Negro with Maria Pagano and the Cammini Bizantini (by reservation)
- 5:00 PM — Sports and meditation activities in the park
- 7:00 PM — Book presentation of Nessun Dio è solo with author Pasquale Sorrentino
- 8:00 PM — Reopening of stalls, market, and exhibitions
- 9:30 PM — Carlo Faiello Ensemble, Neapolitan music
- 11:00 PM — Gioacchino De Filippo & Sapunaru Project, Salento pizzica with special guest Claudio Cavallo
- 12:30 AM — Closing ethnic DJ set with Be Cool in Tour
Throughout the festival: guided tours of the ancient watermills, permanent artistic and light installations, meditation area, open jam sessions, and information booths from Greenpeace Italia and independent publishers.
Highlights Notti dei Mulini 2026
- 11th edition of the Vallo di Diano rural festival, July 17-18, 2026
- Four Southern folk music concerts: Sicily, Calabria, Naples, and Salento
- Free admission both nights
- Trekking on the Cammino del Negro and environmental workshops for children
- Photography exhibition on the contemporary landscape of the Vallo di Diano
- Farm-to-table food stalls and craft market
- Guided tours of the park's ancient watermills
Prices Notti dei Mulini 2026
Practical information — Notti dei Mulini
Location
Parco dei Mulini, Via Mulini, 84030 San Pietro al Tanagro (SA), Campania.
How to get there
By car: A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, exit at Polla or Atena Lucana, then follow provincial roads toward San Pietro al Tanagro (a few kilometers). By train: Sicignano degli Alburni station or Sala Consilina/Polla station on the Lagonegro line, followed by a short car or bus ride. By plane: Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi Airport or Naples Capodichino Airport.
Admission and hours
Free admission on both evenings. Stalls and the market usually open around 8:00 PM, concerts on the main stage start between 9:00 PM and 9:30 PM, and evenings continue with DJ sets until late. Daytime activities (trekking, workshops) require booking.
Practical tips
- The park has natural, grassy terrain: comfortable shoes are recommended.
- Bring a light sweater, as temperatures drop at night.
- For trekking and children's workshops, advance booking is required via the organizers' contacts.
- For accommodation, the widest range of options is in Sala Consilina, Polla, Teggiano, and Padula, all just a few minutes away by car.
Contacts
Official website: www.lenottideimulini.it — email: [email protected] — phone and WhatsApp: +39 0975 399426. Daily updates on the festival's Facebook and Instagram pages.
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Where does it take place — Notti dei Mulini
Parco dei Mulini
Via Mulini, 84030 San Pietro al Tanagro