Outsider Festival

A poetry festival in the White City

The Outsider Festival is an international event dedicated primarily to poetry, which every September brings life to Ostuni, the famous White City in the province of Brindisi, alongside the nearby town of Cisternino in the heart of the Itria Valley in Apulia. Established in 2023, the festival gathers poets, musicians, actors, photographers, and visual artists from across Europe and various Latin American countries, with a special focus on contemporary poetry and its intersections with music, theater, and dance.

Ostuni, the festival's organizational heart

The entire event comes to life in Ostuni: the festival is promoted by the Casa della Poesia Norah Zapata-Prill association, based right here in the White City. The inaugural evening is traditionally held at the Casa della Musica in Ostuni (Via Gabriele Rossetti), featuring institutional greetings, opening poetry readings, and concerts. In the following days, the festival spreads through the whitewashed alleys of the historic center and the villages of the Itria Valley in a nomadic, widespread format.

Poetry without borders

Each edition brings international voices to Ostuni: Italian and foreign poets take turns in often bilingual readings, accompanied by soprano, piano, and accordion. The program includes poetic walks in historic centers, cycling routes along the Apulian Aqueduct, meetings with independent publishers, theater and dance performances, and sensory experiences. The artistic direction is led by Adele Nacci and Dario Lacitignola.

Organizers

In addition to the Casa della Poesia Norah Zapata-Prill, the festival collaborates with numerous local entities such as Teatro Folletti e Folli, Teatro In Pineta, Studio Colizzi, the Meteo Valle d'Itria Association, FIAB CicloAmici, and the Amici della Musica, with the patronage of the Municipalities of Ostuni and Cisternino.

Why it's worth attending

• An authentic and unconventional poetry festival, far from major commercial circuits.
• The unique setting of Ostuni, the White City, and the villages of the Itria Valley.
• An international scope with poets and artists from Europe and Latin America.
• A rare blend of poetry, live music, theater, dance, and slow travel through the Apulian landscape.
• Free admission to most events.

For those who love the poetic word and are looking for an intimate, unconventional cultural experience, the Outsider Festival is an unmissable event at the end of the Ostuni summer.