Notte delle Lampare
Cetara Experience, the Sea and Traditions Festival of the Amalfi Coast
About Notte delle Lampare
Notte delle Lampare: Cetara's Sea Ritual
In Cetara, a small fishing village overlooking the Gulf of Salerno and nestled on the Amalfi Coast, the Notte delle Lampare is much more than a summer festival: it is how the community tells its own story. Every year, between late July and early August, the Municipality of Cetara—in the province of Salerno, Campania—along with the Amici del Forum dei Giovani Association and the Pro Loco Cetara-Costa d'Amalfi APS, celebrates the ancient night-fishing technique for anchovies, which for generations has provided work, cuisine, and identity to this seaside town.
What is a 'lampara'?
A 'lampara' is the powerful lamp mounted on a boat that, on moonless nights, illuminates a wide stretch of water to draw schools of anchovies to the surface, where they are then gathered in nets. From the shore, you can see the lights flickering a few miles out: a silent, almost hypnotic spectacle that is the origin of Cetara's gastronomic fortune and its D.O.P. anchovy colatura, the amber-colored condiment that is the heir to the Roman garum. The date of the event is never random: it is chosen based on lunar phases, as 'lampara' fishing requires darkness.
From a local village festival to Cetara Experience
In recent years, the Notte delle Lampare has grown into the Cetara Experience — Sea and Traditions Festival, a four-night program that weaves together gastronomy, collective memory, and live performance. The theme of the 2026 edition, the 49th, is "The sea that unites us": a common thread linking the Cetara community, its fishermen, and the visitors who fill the village alleys every year.
- The Children's Sea — creative workshops and playful activities in Piazzetta Grotta, dedicated to the marine environment.
- Flavors Challenge — the Pro Loco culinary competition in Piazza San Francesco, featuring the tapping of the D.O.P. anchovy colatura.
- Land and Sea Traditions — the historical re-enactment parade with participants in traditional peasant and fisherman attire, from Piazza Europa to Largo Marina.
- All About Tuna — a day dedicated to red tuna, with guided tours of the historic Tonnara and tasting menus on the pier.
- Notte delle Lampare — the closing night, featuring the fishing expedition visible from the sea and the grand celebration on the waterfront.
The Taste: Anchovies, Colatura, and Red Tuna
Cetara is one of the gastronomic capitals of the coastal Campania region. Here, anchovies are eaten marinated, fried, stuffed, and above all, transformed into 'colatura', obtained from the slow maturation of fish under salt in wooden terzigni barrels. Alongside the anchovies is the tuna: the Cetara fleet is historically linked to red tuna fishing, and the "All About Tuna" event, which was interrupted in the nineties, has been revived to bring this chapter of the local economy back to the center. During the festival, tasting menus are served on the Molo Madonnina, just a few meters from the boats.
Heading out to sea with the fishermen
The most sought-after experience is the Fishing Expedition Tour: you board a boat and head to the stretch of sea where the 'lampare' are working to witness the casting of the nets up close. Departures take place on the night of the Notte delle Lampare, with different options—a full tour departing from Salerno and a shorter tour with boarding in Cetara. Places are limited and booking is mandatory.
An event recognized far beyond the Coast
The Notte delle Lampare has long outgrown its local roots: the 2014 edition was filmed by the cameras of "Linea Blu" on Rai 1, the 2015 edition was a finalist for the national Italive award, and in 2016, Poste Italiane dedicated a special philatelic cancellation to the event. Today, the festival attracts thousands of visitors from all over Italy every year.
What atmosphere to expect
Those arriving in Cetara during these days will find a village that lives outdoors: the scent of fried food, tables on the pier, the illuminated viceregal tower, and narrow alleys descending toward the beach. The shows are free and continue until late at night, while videomapping transforms the facades overlooking Largo Marina into a story of light about the relationship between the town and the sea. It is a popular festival, not an event built for tourism: and you can feel it.
Notte delle Lampare — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of the Notte delle Lampare — the 49th — spans four evenings, from August 5th to 8th, 2026, with the theme "The sea that unites us". The formula is that of the Cetara Experience: each day has a precise identity, from the opening dedicated to children to the final night when the 'lampare' actually head out to sea.
This year's novelties mainly concern red tuna: the "All About Tuna" event, interrupted in the nineties, returns on August 7th with free guided tours of the historic Tonnara Genevieve and a tasting menu served on the Molo Madonnina. Videomapping on the facades of Largo Marina and evening concerts are confirmed, all with free admission.
To reach Cetara on the evenings of the festival, Travelmar activates dedicated ferry connections from Salerno; the Fishing Expedition Tour on August 8th can be booked online at postoriservato.it.
Programme Notte delle Lampare 2026
Wednesday, August 5th — The Children's Sea and Flavors Challenge
- 6:00 PM, Piazzetta Grotta — "A Shell of Wonders", creative workshop for children by Libreria Cicciapelliccia, on environmental and marine themes.
- 8:30 PM, Piazza San Francesco — Flavors Challenge, Pro Loco Cetara culinary competition; tapping of the Cetara D.O.P. Anchovy Colatura; roundtable on fishing and maritime traditions; music by Domenico Giordano.
Thursday, August 6th — Land and Sea Traditions
- 8:30 PM, from Piazza Europa to Largo Marina — Historical re-enactment parade with participants in traditional peasant and fisherman attire.
- 9:30 PM, Largo Marina — Theatrical performance "The sea does not forget" with Lara Gallo and Giorgio Adamo; immersive videomapping; concert by Terramater.
Friday, August 7th — All About Tuna
- From 6:00 PM — Free guided tours of the Tonnara Genevieve (booking at +39 327 786 8381).
- 8:00 PM, Molo Madonnina — Tuna tasting menu by Pane Coccos'.
- 9:00 PM, Largo Marina — Videomapping dedicated to the sea.
- 10:00 PM, Largo Marina — Concert by "I Figli del Vesuvio".
Saturday, August 8th — Notte delle Lampare
- 8:00 PM, Molo Madonnina — Anchovy tasting menu by Pane Coccos'.
- 8:15 PM — Departure of the Fishing Expedition Tour from Salerno (expected return around 1:00 AM).
- 8:45 PM — Departure of the short tour with boarding in Cetara (duration approx. 1 hour 30 / 2 hours).
- 9:00 PM, Largo Marina — Final videomapping.
- 10:30 PM, Largo Marina — Final concert by Gabriele Esposito.
Highlights Notte delle Lampare 2026
- The anchovy fishing expedition with 'lampare' observed from the sea, on August 8th, with departures from Salerno and Cetara.
- The return of "All About Tuna", dedicated to red tuna, with free guided tours of the Tonnara Genevieve.
- The tapping of the Cetara D.O.P. Anchovy Colatura during the Flavors Challenge.
- The historical re-enactment parade in peasant and fisherman attire, from Piazza Europa to Largo Marina.
- Evening videomapping on the facades of Largo Marina and free concerts (Terramater, I Figli del Vesuvio, Gabriele Esposito).
- Tasting menus on the Molo Madonnina, just a stone's throw from the fishermen's boats.
Prices Notte delle Lampare 2026
Practical information — Notte delle Lampare
How to get there
By car: Cetara can be reached via the SS163 Amalfitana; take the A3 motorway exits for Vietri sul Mare or Cava de' Tirreni. During the festival, traffic is heavy; we recommend arriving in the afternoon.
By ferry: Travelmar operates dedicated connections between Salerno and Cetara on the evenings of the event. Ticket offices are in Piazza della Concordia / Via Mazzini in Salerno and at the Molo Madonnina in Cetara, or online at travelmar.it.
By train: Salerno or Vietri sul Mare station, then SITA bus along the coast.
Parking
- Cars: M. Nicoletti parking (port area), Sunfruit on Via Cannillo.
- Motorcycles: Piazza Vieschi, Corso Umberto I 78, Sunfruit on Via Cannillo.
Tickets and bookings
Shows, concerts, videomapping, and the historical parade are free. Gastronomic tastings (15-euro menu) and the Fishing Expedition Tour are paid, and can be booked exclusively online at postoriservato.it or at the ticket offices. Booking is mandatory for visits to the Tonnara.
Contacts
Pro Loco Cetara: +39 089 262951 (5:00 PM - 8:00 PM). Municipality of Cetara: +39 089 262911 (Monday-Friday, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM). E-mail: [email protected]. Official website: nottedellelampare.it
Tips
Bring a light sweater for the boat trip; even in August, the night breeze can be cool. There are few accommodation facilities in Cetara: consider Vietri sul Mare, Maiori, or Salerno, which are well connected by sea.
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Where does it take place — Notte delle Lampare
Molo Madonnina e Largo Marina
Molo Madonnina, 84010 Cetara