Mediterranean Art Theatre Festival

A festival that listens to the Mediterranean

The Mediterranean Art Theatre Festival is one of the longest-running and most recognizable theatrical experiences in the lower Lazio region. Established in 2005 by the Teatro Bertolt Brecht of Formia, in the province of Latina, it has built a distinct identity over time: it is not a festival of big stars, but a space where theatre engages with literature, folk music, and the stories of the communities bordering the Mediterranean. The artistic direction is led by Maurizio Stammati, who has often summarized the festival's philosophy with a simple image: the festival does not shout or chase famous names, but believes in forests that grow in silence.

Formia, a city of sea and archaeology

The setting is the Gulf of Gaeta, where Formia preserves a vast Roman heritage: the Caposele archaeological area, the Roman port of Gianola, the Villa of Mamurra, and hilltop villages like Maranola with its ancient washhouse. The festival has always chosen to step out of the theatre hall and inhabit these spaces, alternating between courtyards, open-air arenas, urban parks, and beaches. This choice offers spectators a unique geography of the city, turning the act of watching performances into a small journey of discovery across the territory.

Dawn readings and performances under the stars

The proven formula alternates very different moments throughout the day. At dawn, on the beach or at archaeological sites overlooking the sea, early morning readings are held, dedicated to Mediterranean classics: past editions have featured Oedipus Rex, Antigone, the Odyssey, and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, sometimes even performed aboard small boats under the moonlight. In the late afternoon, there are meetings with authors, scholars, and journalists, hosted in various districts and hamlets. In the evening, around 9:00 PM, it is time for the main performances, ranging from civic theatre and puppetry to dance and folk or world music concerts.

An international network

The Mediterranean character is more than just a theme: over the years, the festival has hosted companies and artists from Spain, Greece, and Tunisia, also as part of cultural cooperation projects between the two shores of the sea. Each edition chooses a common thread: the 21st edition, in August 2025, was entirely dedicated to Palestine, featuring readings, testimonies, and performances built around the theme of war and the rights of peoples. This is a constant trait of the event, which pairs artistic quality with an explicit civic vocation.

A piece of the Formia Summer

The festival is now one of the cornerstones of the summer calendar of the Municipality of Formia, alongside the Caposele Classical Theatre Festival, the Jazzflirt Festival, and various street art events. For 2026, the event has been confirmed by the municipal administration as one of the summer's major highlights, within a widespread program designed to involve the city center, the villages, and the peripheral districts, with most events offering free admission.

Why it's worth the trip

• Accessible, often free, experimental theatre in locations of great beauty.
• Dawn readings by the sea, a rare and beloved experience for the public.
• A program that combines performance, civic reflection, and Mediterranean music.
• The chance to discover the Roman archaeology of Formia in a nocturnal setting.
• An event rooted in the local community, far from the most commercial circuits.