Monforteatro

A festival that builds community

Monforteatro is one of the most beloved winter cultural events in the Langhe. Every year, between late January and March, the Teatro Comunale of Monforte d'Alba, in the heart of the Province of Cuneo (Piedmont), welcomes a loyal audience for a series of Sunday afternoon shows. The festival is promoted by the Coincidenze APS association in collaboration with the Pro Loco of Monforte d'Alba and the local municipality, and in 2026 it celebrates its tenth anniversary: ten years of theatre that, as the subtitle suggests, "builds community".

The five o'clock tea ritual

What makes Monforteatro special is not just the quality of the performances, but its welcoming spirit. Before each show, the audience is greeted with "five o'clock tea", a convivial moment with tea and biscuits that precedes the curtain rising. Performances begin on Sundays at 5:00 PM and admission is always free, with no booking required: an opportunity for everyone to meet up and share the pleasure of live theatre.

Piedmontese theatre and popular tradition

The Monforteatro programme primarily showcases local companies and theatre in the Piedmontese language, alongside Italian and international repertoire texts reinterpreted by local amateur drama groups. Over the years, the stage of the Teatro Comunale has hosted groups such as Nostro Teatro di Sinio, Teatro del Poi di Bra, Piccolo Teatro Bra, and the Compagnia Coincidenze of Alba itself. It is a theatre that speaks the language of the people of the Langhe, made of comedy, dialect, and popular storytelling, yet capable of engaging with authors like Massimo Bontempelli or William Shakespeare.

Monforte d'Alba, pearl of the Langhe

The festival is also an opportunity to discover Monforte d'Alba, one of the most picturesque villages in the Barolo Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The historic centre, with its alleys winding upwards and the Horszowski auditorium, famous for the summer Monfortinjazz festival, provides the ideal setting for a festival that combines culture, conviviality, and local identity.