MIC Fest – Music in the Castle (Noceto Edition)

The widespread festival that stops in Noceto

MIC Fest – Music in the Castle is one of the most established summer festivals in Emilia-Romagna: born in 2003, for over twenty years it has intertwined music, jazz, civil theatre, books, and storytelling in a large, widespread festival. In 2026, for its XXIII edition, it will reach 38 municipalities across 8 provinces (Parma, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Cremona, Mantua, Massa Carrara, and La Spezia) with 48 events and 68 artists, all with free admission and starting at 9:30 PM. Among the most evocative stops on the schedule is Noceto, in the Province of Parma, hosted in the setting of the Castello della Musica.

The Castello della Musica

The Noceto evening takes place in the courtyard of the Castello della Musica, the ancient medieval fortress of the village, renamed in 2005 for its musical vocation. Within its walls are housed the B. Slawitz Antique Record Museum, the collection of Parmense violin making, and the "Renato Scrollavezza" International Violin Making School: a place where the history of sound and instrument culture dialogue with live concerts. It is one of the festival's most beloved venues, dedicated especially to great jazz for years.

International Jazz at MIC Fest 2026

The 2026 edition confirms the festival's jazz vocation in Noceto. The Immanuel Wilkins Quartet takes the stage at the Castello della Musica with the show "The Vanguard Tour": Wilkins is an American saxophonist considered among the revelations of international contemporary jazz, author of compositions that blend spirituality, improvisation, and sonic research. A high-level concert, free and outdoors, in the heart of the Emilia summer.

A Festival with a Social Conscience

MIC Fest is conceived and directed by Enrico Grignaffini and organized by the Associazione Piccola Orchestra Italiana APS. Over the years, the festival has supported organizations such as Libera, Dynamo Camp, Pangea Onlus, and UNICEF; for 2026, the series of events continues to support Emergency, confirming its cultural mission with a focus on social issues.

Why it's Worth It

• A free evening of author international jazz in the Bassa Parmense region.
• The unique setting of the Castello della Musica, between the Record Museum and the Violin Making School.
• A star of the new global jazz scene, Immanuel Wilkins, with his quartet.
• Free admission, outdoors, on one of the summer evenings in Emilia-Romagna.

In Noceto, great music once again fills the fortress, under the stars and in the spirit of jazz.