Notte Bianca (La Piaja district)

A night that never ends, overlooking the Gulf

The Notte Bianca of the La Piaja district has become one of the most anticipated events of the summer in Gaeta, in the province of Latina, in southern Lazio. Established in 2023 by the Golfo Eventi Cultural Association, the festival transforms the La Piaja marina area and the stretch of Lungomare Giovanni Caboto into a large open-air stage for one night, where music, gastronomy, and popular culture blend until late at night.

The district hosting the festival is no coincidence: La Piaja is the maritime heart of the city, the place where boats return at sunset and where local life has never ceased to flow alongside seaside tourism. It is this dual soul—both local and tourist-oriented—that gives the Notte Bianca its distinctive character.

Typical program: from the food village to fireworks over the sea

For several years, the evening has followed a well-tested format that alternates between social moments and live entertainment:

• Opening of the food village in the marina area, with stands dedicated to typical products of the Gulf of Gaeta and street food;
• Percussion school parade along the streets of La Piaja and Calègna, which officially kicks off the festivities;
• DJ sets and vintage car exhibition on Lungomare Caboto, a favorite among families;
• Guided tours of the Maritime Roman Tomb of Calègna, one of the city's most unique archaeological sites;
• Grand musical show on the main stage, featuring orchestras and guest artists;
• Final fireworks display over the marina waters.

In the 2025 edition, the central concert, titled From Naples to Costa Rica, combined Neapolitan melodic tradition with Latin American rhythms, featuring the bands of Micky Sepalone and Angela Piaf, the voice of Cecilia Gayle, and the dancers of Universo Danza Gaeta.

Two nights in one: the Notte Bianca and La Piaja in Festa

The Notte Bianca is not an isolated event. For several years, it has been paired with La Piaja in Festa, the historic district festival that takes place the following evening and reached its twelfth edition in 2025. The result is a long weekend, with the food village open for two consecutive nights and a musical program that renews itself each night until the second fireworks display.

What to expect as a visitor

First-time visitors will find a free festival, highly popular with locals and increasingly discovered by tourists crowding the beaches of Serapo and Arenauta. The atmosphere is that of a traditional Southern neighborhood festival: long tables, children running around late, music drifting in the distance, and a fireworks finale reflecting on the water. It is not a festival of international headliners, but an identity-driven event that perfectly captures how Gaeta experiences its summer.

Gaeta beyond the festival

It is worth arriving a few hours early to visit the medieval historic center, the Montagna Spaccata with the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity and the Turk's Cave, the Angevin-Aragonese Castle, and the Cathedral of Saint Erasmus. The Municipality of Gaeta supports the event together with the Lazio Region, which in recent years has recognized the event as a key attraction in the summer calendar of the Pontine coast.