Napoli Queer Festival
A festival of queer culture and performing arts in the Quartieri Spagnoli
About Napoli Queer Festival
A queer festival in the heart of the Quartieri Spagnoli
The Napoli Queer Festival is the first Neapolitan event entirely dedicated to queer culture and performing arts. Launched in 2024 by Casa del Contemporaneo under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Affinito, it has made its home in the Quartieri Spagnoli, the maze of alleys that climbs from Via Toledo towards the Vomero district in Naples, the capital of the province and the Campania region. This is no coincidence: in a densely populated, vibrant neighborhood, the festival brings a discourse on identity, bodies, and the margins that finds a natural resonance here.
The heart of the event is the Sala Assoli Moscato, located at Vico Lungo Teatro Nuovo 110, and the Teatro Nuovo at Via Montecalvario 16, two historic venues for Neapolitan theatrical research. Around this axis, the program radiates to other city spaces: the FOQUS Foundation, the Körper dance production center, Libreria Tamu, La Santissima Community Hub, the Teatro Avanposto Numero 0, as well as bookstores and clubs hosting late-night DJ sets.
What to see at the festival
The programming is explicitly multidisciplinary, blending languages that rarely share the same bill. Over six days, dozens of events take place, distributed between the afternoon, early evening, and night:
- Theatre and performance: contemporary Italian and international productions, often national premieres, focusing on the body and autobiography.
- Dance: creations by international choreographers, with a special focus on new movement dramaturgy.
- Cinema: screenings of feature films, documentaries, and short film programs, almost always followed by a meeting with the authors.
- Music and DJ sets: concerts, listening sessions, and dance parties that keep the festival going until late at night.
- Books, talks, and round tables: editorial presentations and public discussions on language, rights, accessibility, and representation.
- Exhibitions and installations: visual and sound projects created in collaboration with the Naples Academy of Fine Arts.
- Training: masterclasses and workshops open to professionals and enthusiasts, hosted primarily at the Körper spaces.
Accessibility and safe spaces
Accessibility is not an optional detail but an explicit part of the project. The festival works with wheelchair-accessible venues, gender-neutral bathrooms, LIS (Italian Sign Language) interpretation for some events, and wearable devices that transmit sound vibrations to deaf audiences. Some meetings are specifically dedicated to discussing with activists how truly accessible culture is.
The three editions
The first edition was held from March 19 to 24, 2024, with the opening entrusted to drag queen Priscilla and two inaugural exhibitions at Sala Assoli. The second edition took place from April 1 to 6, 2025, expanding the perimeter to the Teatro Avanposto Numero Zero and the Quartiere Intelligente. The third edition, from April 14 to 19, 2026, adopted a programmatic title for the first time, Fuori Mondi. Cronache da mondi non autorizzati (Outside Worlds. Chronicles from unauthorized worlds), with about sixty artists and eleven venues involved.
Naples in spring
The festival falls in April, when the city is already warm but not yet as crowded as in mid-summer. It is the best time to combine evening shows with a day exploring the ancient center, the cloisters of Santa Chiara, the National Archaeological Museum, and the funicular ride up to the Vomero. The Quartieri Spagnoli, now crossed by thousands of visitors every day, remain the most convenient starting point: all main venues are just a few minutes' walk from each other.
Napoli Queer Festival — edition 2026
Fuori Mondi, the theme of the third edition
For the first time, the Napoli Queer Festival presented itself with a programmatic title: Fuori Mondi. Cronache da mondi non autorizzati (Outside Worlds. Chronicles from unauthorized worlds). The expression, explained by artistic director Giuseppe Affinito, summarizes the festival's line: giving space to worlds that remain on the margins, that do not find a place in official narratives but exist nonetheless, to rewrite together what can become the center.
The 2026 edition significantly expanded the map compared to previous years, moving beyond the Sala Assoli — Teatro Nuovo axis to reach the Körper dance production center, the FOQUS Foundation, Libreria Tamu, La Santissima Community Hub, Teatro Avanposto Numero 0, and several city clubs.
Between stage, screen, and dance floor
The program alternated international performances and shows — from Nigeria to Southern Europe and Portugal — with film screenings featuring guests, round tables on accessibility with LIS interpretation, editorial presentations, masterclasses for dancers, an installation created with the Naples Academy of Fine Arts, and a series of DJ sets that brought the festival into the Neapolitan night. The closing on Sunday, April 19, was entrusted to a solo concert, preceded in the afternoon by an event designed for younger audiences at the FOQUS Foundation.
Programme Napoli Queer Festival 2026
Tuesday, April 14
- 18:00 — Sala Assoli Moscato: opening of the exhibition-installation Fuori Mondi, created with the Naples Academy of Fine Arts, with the sound installation Bytes Ardenti by Banda Mutanda
- 19:00 — Sala Assoli Moscato: performance Binary Mutilation by DESIRA, followed by stand-up comedy by Laura Pusceddu
- 21:00 — Teatro Nuovo: Drag Ring, lip sync battle hosted by Priscilla
Wednesday, April 15
- 17:00 — Libreria Tamu: presentation of the book Trans. Una poetica del paradosso with Sandra Cane
- 19:00 — Sala Assoli Moscato: Blurring Identities & Short Movies, short film program
- 21:00 — Teatro Nuovo: Traces of Ecstasy by Emmanuel Ndefo
- 23:00 — Rootz Café: DJ set by Kinjiki
Thursday, April 16
- 11:00 — Körper: masterclass E-motion with Emmanuel Ndefo
- 17:00 — Teatro Nuovo: screening of Orlando, ma biographie politique and meeting with Paul B. Preciado
- 21:00 — Sala Assoli Moscato: Atlas da Boca by Gaya de Medeiros
- 23:00 — Mamamu: live set Queerinale
Friday, April 17
- 10:00 — Körper: masterclass Me for dinner with Gaya de Medeiros
- 17:00 — Feltrinelli: presentation of the book Indifesi sotto la notte
- 18:30 — Sala Assoli Moscato: performance Mostre e fiere by Filomena Filosottile and book presentation
- 21:00 — Teatro Nuovo: Sadboi by Panos Malactos
- 23:00 — Mamamu: DJ set by Pink Trauma
Saturday, April 18
- 17:00 — Sala Assoli Moscato: round table Militanti per forza on accessibility, with LIS interpretation
- 21:00 — Teatro Nuovo: Pas Moi by Diana Anselmo
- 22:00 — La Santissima Community Hub: Safffo takeover with Magic Dyke and Luma
Sunday, April 19
- 15:00 — FOQUS: Storytime with Priscilla
- 16:00 — Sala Assoli Moscato: workshop Memorie da sottopelle
- 19:00 — listening session Raiva by Mistura Queer
- 21:00 — solo concert by Any Other, closing event
Highlights Napoli Queer Festival 2026
- Edition title: Fuori Mondi. Cronache da mondi non autorizzati, third edition
- About 60 artists over 6 days and 11 venues involved in the city
- Drag Ring, the lip sync battle hosted by Priscilla at Teatro Nuovo
- Meeting with philosopher Paul B. Preciado after the screening of Orlando, ma biographie politique
- Italian premieres of Traces of Ecstasy (Emmanuel Ndefo), Atlas da Boca (Gaya de Medeiros), Sadboi (Panos Malactos), and Pas Moi (Diana Anselmo)
- Exhibition-installation Fuori Mondi with the Naples Academy of Fine Arts
- Dance masterclasses at Körper and round table on accessibility with LIS interpretation
- Closing with a solo concert by Any Other
Prices Napoli Queer Festival 2026
Practical information — Napoli Queer Festival
How to get there
The main venues are located in the Quartieri Spagnoli, a short walk from Via Toledo. By metro, take Line 1 to the Toledo or Dante stops; by funicular, take the Centrale line to the Augusteo stop. From the Naples Centrale train station, it is just a few stops on Line 1. By car, it is best to leave your vehicle in parking lots along Via Toledo or towards Molo Beverello, as the alleys of the Quartieri are narrow and largely restricted to traffic. From Capodichino Airport, the Alibus service connects to Piazza Garibaldi and Piazza Municipio.
Tickets
Full price ticket 15 euros, reduced 10 euros, film screenings 6 euros. Numerous events — inaugurations, talks, book presentations, and DJ sets — are free of charge. Online pre-sale on azzurroservice.net and at the box offices of the two main venues.
Contacts
Sala Assoli Moscato, Vico Lungo Teatro Nuovo 110, tel. +39 345 4679142. Teatro Nuovo, Via Montecalvario 16, tel. +39 081 4976267. Full program and updates at napoliqueer.it.
Tips
The venues are small and some shows sell out: it is advisable to book a few days in advance. For those arriving from out of town, staying between Via Toledo, Piazza Dante, and the ancient center allows you to reach all venues on foot and return easily after the late-night DJ sets.
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Where does it take place — Napoli Queer Festival
Sala Assoli Moscato e Teatro Nuovo, Quartieri Spagnoli
Vico Lungo Teatro Nuovo 110, 80134 Napoli