Ottati Etnomusic Festival

A world music festival in the heart of the Alburni

The Ottati Etnomusic Festival is the ethnic and world music event hosted by the Municipality of Ottati, a village of a few hundred inhabitants perched on the slopes of the Alburni Mountains, in the province of Salerno, Campania. Every year, around mid-August, the stage is set up in the square in front of the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Cardoneto, in the green area known as the Oasi Mariana: one of the most evocative settings in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, just a few minutes from the town center and the Fasanella valley.

From the seventh edition to the 2020 comeback

The history of the Etnomusic Festival was interrupted after its seventh edition and remained dormant for about ten years. In 2020, the municipal administration led by Mayor Elio Guadagno revived the festival with its eighth edition, thanks in part to co-financing from the POC Campania 2014-2020. Since then, the festival has not stopped: the tenth edition was held on August 9-10, 2022, the eleventh on August 8-9, 2023, while in 2025 the event returned to the Cardoneto on August 12-13. For such a small town, this restart represented a true cultural challenge.

More than just concerts: workshops, dance, and multicultural aperitifs

The hallmark of the Etnomusic Festival is its format, which pairs evening musical programming with an entire afternoon of activities open to everyone, almost always free of charge. Over the various editions, the public has been able to participate in:

• dance and traditional instrument workshops, led by masters of folk schools;
• creative workshops for children at the Oasi Mariana del Cardoneto;
• afro-fitness and dance sessions inspired by West African rhythms in Piazza Umberto I;
• multicultural aperitifs prepared by citizens of foreign origin welcomed in Ottati, who bring the specialties of their home countries to the table;
• ethnic and reggae DJ sets until late at night.

This structure perfectly captures the project's identity: music as a tool for cultural exchange in an inland village that has made hospitality and integration a concrete choice, involving local entities dedicated to hospitality and social work.

Artists who have graced the Cardoneto stage

Recent editions have featured a diverse range of names, from folk singer-songwriters to reggae, rap, and Neapolitan song. In 2020, the lineup included Compagnia Daltrocanto, Zibba, Mario Venuti, and Avion Travel; in 2022, Giufà, Valerio Jovine, Barone Lamberto, and Mondo Marcio; in 2023, I Malamente, Zeketam, and Briga, with DJ sets by Sassmen and SirXSamba. The 2025 edition featured Tommaso Primo, Compagnia Daltrocanto, and Bandabardò, alongside a juggling and fire performance by Mela.

Ottati and its August

The festival is the highlight of a summer calendar that animates the village throughout the month: the Veal Festival at the Panormo Refuge, the Fasanella Motorbike Rally in the Cardoneto area, theatrical performances in the squares, and the celebrations of the Madonna del Cardoneto on August 14 and 15, with a solemn mass and procession. Those arriving for the concerts will find a village already in celebration mode, amidst stone alleys, panoramic views of the Alburni, and a Cilento gastronomy revolving around sfrionzola, local sausage, and mountain products.

An entirely free event

The Etnomusic Festival is promoted by the Municipality of Ottati, with the patronage of the Campania Region and the Province of Salerno, and is organized in collaboration with the Pro Loco of Ottati, the Youth Forum, the parish of San Biagio, and various local associations. All evenings have always been free admission: a choice defended by the organizers, who consider the festival a cultural service for the community and an invitation to those spending their summer in the Alburni and Cilento regions.