LUPO Festival - Montesole Resistente

A Ritual of Music and Memory at Monte Sole

LUPO - Montesole Resistente is not a festival like any other: its organizers define it as "a ritual to sow ideas and cultivate peace." It takes place in the Monte Sole Historical Regional Park, in the municipality of Marzabotto, in the Bolognese Apennines, Emilia-Romagna. It was here, among the woods and villages of the ridge, that one of the most serious massacres of civilians in Western Europe during World War II occurred between September and October 1944.

The Name and Its Meaning

The event is named after Mario Musolesi, the legendary partisan commander nicknamed "Lupo" (Wolf), head of the Red Star Brigade which fought the Nazi-fascist forces in these mountains from November 1943. LUPO ideally extends the "Montesole Resistente" experience beyond the commemorations of April 25th and September, transforming the stage into a place for collective reflection where music is linked to civil responsibility, anti-fascism, and constitutional values.

A Multidisciplinary Program

The event spans several days of live music, performances, workshops, meetings, and nature walks. Alongside the major evening concerts, the public can find guided historical walks along the massacre trails, book presentations, art workshops, yoga, and folk singing, as well as DJ sets ranging from electronic to funk. The symbolic venue is Il Poggiolo, a cultural space within the Park that preserves collective memory.

The Artists

In its editions, LUPO has hosted leading names from the Italian and international music scene, from Vinicio Capossela to Max Gazzè, from Quintorigo to Extraliscio, choosing artists capable of engaging with the depth of the place. For the 2026 edition, the festival hosts the return to the stage of C.S.I. - Consorzio Suonatori Indipendenti, who last performed at Monte Sole twenty-five years prior.

An Immersive Experience

LUPO also offers free camping within the Park and a range of services designed for a full experience: morning walks along the six-kilometer memorial path, discussions on the Constitution, peace, and anti-fascism, and spaces for families and children. It is an event that makes Marzabotto and the Bolognese Apennines a reference point for those seeking culture, nature, and engagement.