Music and Theatre under the Stars

A festival under the Nebrodi sky

In Montagnareale, a village overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea in the heart of the Nebrodi mountains near Messina, summer comes alive with Music and Theatre under the Stars, a cultural festival that brings the historic Piazza Indipendenza (Piazza Matrice) to life. From June to August, the village's historic center becomes an open-air stage featuring a rotating program of concerts, plays, jazz evenings, readings, and book launches.

Organizers

The event is promoted by the APS Banca della Speranza, chaired by Nicola Calabria, with artistic direction by singer-songwriter and actor Mario Incudine, under the patronage of the Municipality of Montagnareale, the Sicilian Region, and Slow Food Nebrodi. The goal is to bring high-quality programming to this small town in the province of Messina, bridging the gap between major national performers and the rich cultural sounds of Sicilian tradition.

Between big names and Sicilian roots

Over the years, the festival has hosted prominent figures from the Italian arts scene alongside folk music ensembles, storytellers, and bards. In addition to concerts and theatrical shows, the schedule includes book presentations with authors and journalists, civic discussion forums, and itinerant performances dedicated to ancient Sicilian musical arts, featuring traditional bagpipe makers, flutists, and pipers.

An event for the village

Designed to enhance the social and cultural fabric of the town, the festival attracts audiences from across the Nebrodi region and the Tyrrhenian coast of Messina. The open-air evenings, mostly free or affordably priced, make Montagnareale a focal point of the summer cultural calendar in the province of Messina. The setting of the square, in the heart of the historic center, creates an intimate and familiar atmosphere where the audience can experience the artists and guests up close.

When and where

Music and Theatre under the Stars takes place every year between June and August in Montagnareale, in the province of Messina, with events concentrated in Piazza Indipendenza. The full program is announced progressively throughout the spring and summer, edition after edition, via the official channels of the Municipality and the APS Banca della Speranza.