Mine Festival
From the mines to culture: art, community, and memory in Emarèse
About Mine Festival
A festival born from the rebirth of the territory
The Mine Festival is a cultural event debuting in 2026 in Emarèse, a town in the lower Valle d'Aosta region, in the province of Aosta. Its history is closely linked to that of the former asbestos mines that marked the area for decades: once the reclamation was complete, the community chose to reclaim those places not with silence, but with culture. The festival thus originated as a gesture of "collective reappropriation," from the project It's Mine. Tests for the cultural enhancement of the Emarèse asbestos mines.
Three days of art and community
For three days, the town becomes a widespread stage that intertwines contemporary art, photography, sculpture, music, and workshops. The two hearts of the event are the Le Milieu cultural centre and the Erésaz community oven, a hamlet in the municipality, around which exhibitions, concerts, convivial moments, and participatory activities designed to involve residents and visitors unfold.
Photography, sculpture, and author music
The programme weaves together different languages: the photographic exhibition Hidden Voices. Languages that resist, curated by Camera – Italian Centre for Photography in Turin, the sculpture exhibition Form and Matter by local artist Marco Roux promoted by the Pro Loco of Emarèse, and concerts by artists such as singer-songwriter Marta Del Grandi and the Valle d'Aosta artist Helen Aria. There are also workshops in collaboration with Slow Food dedicated to "good bread" and convivial moments that conclude each day.
A cultural bet for Valle d'Aosta
Mine Festival is an experiment in regeneration that centres on participation and memory: transforming a difficult industrial past into an opportunity for encounter, beauty, and shared creation. A new event that enriches the cultural landscape of the Valle d'Aosta Region, showing how even a small mountain town can become a place for artistic experimentation.
Mine Festival — edition 2026
The first edition of the Mine Festival opens from June 12 to 14, 2026, in Emarèse, transforming the town into a widespread laboratory of art and community. The main venues are the Le Milieu cultural centre and the Erésaz community oven. It begins with the inauguration of the photographic exhibition Hidden Voices. Languages that Resist, curated by Camera Torino, and continues with the sculpture by Marco Roux, concerts by Marta Del Grandi and Helen Aria, Slow Food workshops, and the lunches and convivial dinners that seal the sense of a festival born from the rebirth of the territory.
Programme Mine Festival 2026
Friday, June 12 — Opening
- Inauguration of the photographic exhibition Hidden Voices. Languages that Resist, curated by Camera – Italian Centre for Photography in Turin, with photographers Arianna Arcara, Antonio Ottomanelli, and Roselena Ramistella (Associazione La Clé sur la Porte).
- Opening of the sculpture exhibition Form and Matter by artist Marco Roux, curated by the Pro Loco of Emarèse.
- Evening — DJ set by Capiuz and live performance by Pitularita at the community oven.
Saturday, June 13
- Bread baking in the community oven and convivial lunch on the theme of "good bread," in collaboration with Slow Food.
- Activities for younger audiences by the Cactus Film Festival.
- Reading of Macaco by Simone Torino.
- Evening — Concert by singer-songwriter Marta Del Grandi, presenting the album Dream Life.
Sunday, June 14
- Workshop Oltrespazio. Nourishment for soul and body.
- Second convivial event dedicated to sustainable food.
- Workshops by the Associazione La Clé sur la Porte.
- Concert by Valle d'Aosta artist Helen Aria.
- Community closing dinner.
Programme under development: updated details and times will be published by the Municipality of Emarèse and the Pro Loco.
Highlights Mine Festival 2026
Prices Mine Festival 2026
Practical information — Mine Festival
How to get there
Emarèse is located in the lower Valle d'Aosta, above Verrès, in the province of Aosta. By car, it can be reached from the A5 motorway (Verrès exit) by heading towards Saint-Vincent and the Emarèse plateau. Activities take place between the Le Milieu cultural centre and the community oven in the hamlet of Erésaz.
Admission
Most activities (exhibitions, workshops, convivial moments) are free admission. Reservations may be required for concerts and community lunches/dinners.
Information
Programme and updates via the Municipality of Emarèse and the Pro Loco of Emarèse.
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Where does it take place — Mine Festival
Centro culturale Le Milieu, forno di comunità di Erésaz