Magliano Sabina Art in Festival

A festival of diffused art in the heart of Sabina

The Magliano Sabina Art in Festival is the signature summer event of Magliano Sabina, a town in the province of Rieti, in northern Lazio, just a few kilometres from the border with Umbria. Designed to bring contemporary art out of traditional indoor venues, for several years the festival has been held in the Giardino dell'ecOstello, a natural terrace overlooking the Tiber Valley that serves as a concert hall, open-air theatre, and exhibition space for a few magical evenings.

A multidisciplinary approach

The festival's hallmark is the juxtaposition of different artistic languages within a deliberately concise and focused programme: four or five evenings, each with its own distinct identity. The line-up ranges from jazz to singer-songwriter music, from theatre to stand-up comedy, and from talks with directors, journalists, and writers to art installations and sculptures nestled among the garden's plants. Some works remain on-site, permanently enriching the town's artistic heritage.

• Music: evening concerts, jazz ensembles, singer-songwriter projects, DJ sets, and indie nights to close the festival.
• Theatre and Comedy: monologues, literary adaptations, and stand-up performances.
• Visual Arts: site-specific exhibitions and installations designed for the garden, accessible even before the shows begin.
• Talks: dialogues with prominent figures from Italian cinema, journalism, and poetry.

Organisers

The event is promoted by the Pro Loco of Magliano Sabina with the support of the Municipal Administration and the collaboration of local associations, volunteers, and regional sponsors. It is a collective effort, as the organisers remind us every year, which keeps prices accessible and allows a large part of the programme to be open to the public free of charge.

The setting: Magliano Sabina and the Tiber Valley

Magliano Sabina is a ridge-top village in the Sabina Reatina area, famous for its DOP extra virgin olive oil, olive grove landscapes, and proximity to the archaeological sites of the Via Flaminia. The historic centre preserves the Cathedral, the Civic Archaeological Museum, and the Teatro Manlio, which has hosted festival events in some years when weather conditions or scheduling required it. Its location, halfway between Rome, Terni, and Orvieto, makes the festival easily accessible from outside the region; it is no coincidence that a large portion of the audience comes from Umbria.

Atmosphere

Evenings begin early with aperitifs, tastings of local Sabina street food, and social gatherings in the public gardens, followed by the main show around 9:15-9:30 PM. The nocturnal setting, with illuminated artworks among the trees and the Tiber Valley in the background, is an integral part of the experience. Attendees often praise the intimate, family-like atmosphere of the festival more than the individual performances. It is a village-scale event where direct interaction between artists and spectators remains possible even after the show.

Why it's worth the trip

In a summer landscape crowded with food festivals and square concerts, the Magliano Sabina Art in Festival offers a clear cultural choice, featuring nationally renowned names in an intimate and largely free setting. For those visiting Sabina in July or August, it is the perfect opportunity to combine a high-quality evening with the discovery of a village off the beaten path of mass tourism.