Nuovi Mondi Festival

A widespread festival in the heart of Messapia

The Nuovi Mondi Festival is one of the most original cultural events of the Apulian summer, hosted in Manduria, in the province of Taranto, in the heart of Salento. For more than a month, between July and August, the festival lights up the iconic landmarks of the ancient Messapian city, turning them into open-air stages. Rather than a concentrated event, it is a long, widespread journey that accompanies residents and visitors through evenings of music, theatre, dance, and storytelling, almost always with free admission.

Travel as a common thread

Every edition revolves around a theme that unifies the programme. Travel, understood as a practice of crossing boundaries, discovery, and awareness, is the poetic heart of the festival: an invitation to explore new worlds, both geographical and internal, through the languages of the performing arts. The festival weaves together big names in culture, journalism, and entertainment with research-based proposals and site-specific projects designed specifically for the historic spaces of Manduria.

Disciplines: music, theatre, dance, and words

The programme is explicitly multidisciplinary. It ranges from string music concerts and early and medieval music ensembles to narrative theatre, baroque dance, contemporary dance, meetings with authors and reporters, and photographic exhibitions. Alongside the main bill, a rich OFF programme offers walks, guided tours, meetings, and installations that enhance the historical and landscape heritage of the area.

The festival venues

The strength of the Nuovi Mondi Festival lies in its choice of venues. Performances are held in the evocative Chiostro degli Agostiniani, at the Fonte Pliniano — the famous underground well described by Pliny the Elder — and in Piazza Scegnu, as well as other cloisters and squares in the historic centre. It is a way to rediscover Manduria and its Messapian identity through art, under the stars of the Salento summer.

Who organises the festival

The Nuovi Mondi Festival is promoted by the ContaminAzioni Association, under the artistic direction of Tiziana Magrì, and is supported by the Municipality of Manduria and the Apulia Region, in collaboration with local cultural entities such as Popularia OdV and the Paisiello Conservatory of Taranto. Not to be confused with the mountain-themed Nuovi Mondi Festival held in Piedmont: the Manduria event is an independent initiative rooted in the culture of Salento.

The 2026 edition

The dates for the 2026 edition have not yet been officially announced. As per tradition, the festival is expected to return between July and August, with a programme of evening events spread across the historic sites of Manduria. To stay updated on the programme, it is advisable to follow the organisers' channels in the weeks leading up to the summer.