Military and Police Bands Festival

Sabaudia, capital of institutional music

The Military and Police Bands Festival is one of the most defining events of the summer in Sabaudia, in the province of Latina, Lazio. Launched in 2024 by the municipal administration led by Mayor Alberto Mosca, the event brings together the musical bands of the Italian Armed Forces and Police in Piazza del Comune for a free, public evening that serves as a concert, a civic ceremony, and a community celebration. This unique national event is designed as a public thank-you to the men and women in uniform who serve the State every day.

A city born with the Armed Forces

The bond between Sabaudia and military institutions is rooted in the very history of the 'city of dunes,' founded in the 1930s during the reclamation of the Agro Pontino and the historic home of the Army's Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command. The festival renews this deep connection: the rationalist square housing the town hall becomes a stage under the stars for one night, before an audience that unites locals, tourists from the Pontine coast, and civil and military authorities. Past editions have featured high-profile institutional messages, including one from the Minister of Defence, and the presence of the Prefect of Latina.

The bands take center stage

Over the years, the most prestigious ensembles of Italian and international institutional music have graced the stage:

• the Italian Navy Band;
• the Carabinieri Corps Band;
• the State Police Band;
• the Financial Guard Band;
• the Sabaudia Anti-Aircraft Artillery Command Band;
• the Bersaglieri Fanfare of the Garibaldi Brigade;
• the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Band, the international guest of the second edition.

Alongside these professionals in uniform, the Giovani Filarmonici Pontini perform, creating a dialogue between the new generation of local musicians and the great Italian band tradition.

A repertoire of marches and soundtracks

The musical program ranges from traditional marches to modern arrangements: historic international film scores by Morricone, Rota, and Williams, themes from Gladiator, Indiana Jones, and Pirates of the Caribbean, Italian classics like Napul'è, and celebrated pieces such as Over the Rainbow, Amazing Grace, and Star Wars. The Marcia Sabaudia, a musical tribute to the host city, is also a staple of the event.

A growing tradition

Edition after edition, the festival has solidified its role in the summer calendar of Sabaudia and the entire province of Latina, with the stated ambition of opening up to foreign military and police bands. For those spending their holidays between the Circeo National Park and the Pontine coast, the evening of the bands is a special opportunity to experience the city's main square in an atmosphere of music, memory, and national pride.