May Day Festival - Festa Rossa Lari
May Day in the medieval village of Lari: music, debates, and performances for the workers' festival
About Festa Rossa Lari
The May Day Festival in Lari
For over a decade, on May 1st, the small village of Lari, a district of the municipality of Casciana Terme Lari in the Province of Pisa, has become the beating heart of a grand popular festival dedicated to workers. The Festa Rossa is not just a simple May Day concert: it is a day that blends live music, political reflection, culture, art, and entertainment for all ages, spread across the squares and alleys of the medieval historic center dominated by the Castello dei Vicari.
A self-financed, volunteer-run festival
The event is organized by the Associazione Festa Rossa Lari, a local political-cultural organization that builds the event entirely through volunteer work every year. The festival is completely self-financed, free to attend, and strongly committed to environmental sustainability: tableware and setups are designed to minimize waste, and the catering focuses on local food and drinks at affordable prices.
Music, debates, and culture
The program is rich and widespread: every square in the village hosts a stage or a thematic space. It ranges from concerts by emerging bands from the Tuscan and national scene—with genres spanning from punk-rock to ska, crossover to folk, and DJ sets—to popular and anti-fascist choirs, as well as guitar performances and roving street bands. Alongside the music, there is space for debates on current social issues, labor, peace, and rights, which give the festival its deepest identity.
Spaces for families and children
- Children's area with creative and theatrical workshops, entertainment, and storytelling
- Craft market with creations and products from local producers
- Exhibitions and stands from local associations
- Locally sourced food area and beer garden with typical products
Lari, a village to discover
The festival is also an opportunity to visit Lari, one of the most charming villages in the Valdera, in the Province of Pisa, famous for its Castello dei Vicari and its cherry tradition. On May 1st, the entire historic center comes alive with music and color, offering residents and visitors a day of celebration that has become a staple of the Tuscan spring.
Festa Rossa Lari — edition 2026
The 12th edition of the May Day Festival in Lari, organized by the Associazione Festa Rossa Lari, was held on May 1st, 2026 in the historic center of the village, in the Province of Pisa, with the guiding theme #DISARMIAMOLI, dedicated to peace and against the war economy. The day, with free admission, enlivened several squares of the town with music, political reflection, art, and entertainment for all ages, confirming the self-financed and eco-friendly spirit of the event.
Programme Festa Rossa Lari 2026
May 1st, 2026 — 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Theme of the edition: #DISARMIAMOLI
Piazza Alma Vivoda — concerts (1:30 PM - 10:00 PM)
Musical program featuring post-punk, crossover, punk-rock, ska, and DJ sets, with bands such as Nothing to Lose, Monna Lisa BlackOut, Kaosforcause, Contratto Sociale, and Fish Bones.
Piazza Walaa Al Jabari — musical performances
Choirs, fingerstyle guitar, and roving street bands in the afternoon and evening, with Or'Coro and the Coro Anpi Pietro Gori.
Teatro José Martà — debate (4:00 PM)
Debate "Security is written, repression is read. From imperialist war to the war on workers" with contributions from Clara Statello, Federica Frazzetta, representatives of the former GKN, and the Cub-Ferrovieri group against the war.
Piazza Paco Paquito — children's space (12:00 PM - 6:30 PM)
Theatrical and creative workshops, entertainment, and storytelling for the little ones.
Throughout the village
- Craft market
- Exhibitions and stands from local associations
- Locally sourced food area and beer garden
Highlights Festa Rossa Lari 2026
Live concerts on multiple stages (Nothing to Lose, Monna Lisa BlackOut, Kaosforcause, Contratto Sociale, Fish Bones), the debate "Security is written, repression is read" at the Teatro José MartÃ, the children's space with workshops and storytelling, the craft market, and the locally sourced food area. Theme of the year: #DISARMIAMOLI.
Prices Festa Rossa Lari 2026
Practical information — Festa Rossa Lari
How to get there
Lari is located in the Province of Pisa, in the heart of the Valdera. By car, it can be reached from the SGC FI-PI-LI (Pontedera exit) or from the provincial road to Casciana Terme. By train, the nearest station is Pontedera-Casciana Terme, on the Florence-Pisa line, from where you can continue by bus or car.
Admission and hours
Free admission. The festival takes place on May 1st, approximately from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, in the historic center of Lari.
Practical tips
The village is pedestrian-only and hilly: comfortable shoes are recommended. There are refreshment areas with locally sourced food and drinks at affordable prices. As this is an eco-friendly festival, mindful waste sorting is appreciated.
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Where does it take place — Festa Rossa Lari
Centro storico di Lari