Meltin'Folk
Catania's festival celebrating the meeting of Mediterranean cultures
About Meltin'Folk
A sonic bridge in the heart of Catania
Meltin'Folk is one of the most enduring and iconic musical events in Catania, a city on the eastern coast of Sicily. Born from the vision of musician and artistic director Mario Gulisano and organized by the Darshan Cultural Association, the festival focuses on the Mediterranean: a sea that unites peoples, languages, and sounds, expressed through folk music, world music, and dance.
The Tinni Tinni Arts Club, home of the festival
The beating heart of the festival is the Tinni Tinni Arts Club, a cultural space located in the Castello Ursino area, one of the most historic spots in central Catania. Here, in an intimate and cozy atmosphere, evening concerts, dance workshops, and themed dinners take place, highlighting conviviality as an essential part of the musical experience.
A Mediterranean of peace and dialogue
Every edition of Meltin'Folk builds a dialogue between diverse musical traditions, often geographically distant but close in spirit. Over the years, the festival has hosted artists who weave together flamenco, Turkish music, Persian repertoires, and traditional Sicilian sounds, showcasing string and plectrum instruments, percussion, and voices that transcend borders.
- Concerts featuring Italian and international musicians
- Dance workshops, with a focus on flamenco rumba
- Social moments with dinners inspired by Mediterranean flavors
- Meetings and in-depth discussions on folk music
A festival in Catania, between Sicily and the Mediterranean
Integrated into the rich cultural landscape of the Municipality of Catania in eastern Sicily, Meltin'Folk is a must-attend event for those seeking music rooted in research, connection, and heritage. For a few days, the festival transforms the Tinni Tinni Arts Club into a crossroads of sounds, where distances shrink and differences become an opportunity for exchange.
Meltin'Folk — edition 2026
The 22nd edition of Meltin'Folk was held on May 8 and 9, 2026, at the Tinni Tinni Arts Club in Catania, in the Castello Ursino area. The festival, conceived by Mario Gulisano with the Darshan Cultural Association, offered a journey across the shores of the Mediterranean, from Anatolia to Andalusia and Persia.
On Friday, May 8, at 9 PM, Murat Usanmatz performed, an artist who weaves the roots of Turkish tradition with the expressiveness of flamenco developed between Turkey and Spain. Saturday, May 9, featured two flamenco rumba workshops with dancer Soad Ibrahim (at 10 AM for beginners and at 3 PM for advanced levels), a vegetarian dinner inspired by Mediterranean flavors at 8 PM, and at 9 PM, the concert by the Simurgh Duo featuring Karim Alishahi (vocals, tar, daf) and Enrico Grassi Bertazzi (percussion).
Programme Meltin'Folk 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
- 9 PM — Concert by Murat Usanmatz: between Turkish tradition and flamenco
Saturday, May 9, 2026
- 10 AM — Flamenco rumba workshop (beginners) with Soad Ibrahim
- 3 PM — Flamenco rumba workshop (advanced) with Soad Ibrahim
- 8 PM — Mediterranean vegetarian dinner
- 9 PM — Concert by the Simurgh Duo (Iran/Sicily): Karim Alishahi (vocals, tar, daf), Enrico Grassi Bertazzi (percussion)
Highlights Meltin'Folk 2026
- Concert by Murat Usanmatz, between Anatolia and Andalusia
- Flamenco rumba workshops with Soad Ibrahim
- Mediterranean vegetarian dinner
- Simurgh Duo, a dialogue between Iran and Sicily
Prices Meltin'Folk 2026
Practical information — Meltin'Folk
How to get there
The Tinni Tinni Arts Club is located in the Castello Ursino area, in the historic center of Catania. The city is easily accessible by train (Catania Centrale station), by car via the A18/A19 motorways, and by plane via Catania-Fontanarossa Airport.
Tickets and reservations
Concerts require a ticket, with affordable rates; dance workshops have a participation fee. For costs, updated schedules, and reservations, it is recommended to contact the organizers at +39 345 5206150.
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Where does it take place — Meltin'Folk
Tinni Tinni Arts Club