P/ATTO – Poetry in Action
The performance poetry festival in Palermo
About P/ATTO
A festival that puts poetry into action
P/ATTO – Poetry in Action is an event dedicated to performance poetry that brings Palermo, the capital of Sicily, to life every spring. Established in 2022 and organized by Teatro Atlante, the festival stems from a simple yet radical idea: poetry is not just a written page, but a living gesture, a voice, a body, and a community. For three days, words become movement, encounter, and resistance, inhabiting the theater stage and various cultural spaces throughout the city.
Between theater, music, and the word
Under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Di Vincenzo and Preziosa Salatino, P/ATTO builds a multidisciplinary program where readings, theatrical performances, concerts, writing workshops, and poetic games alternate seamlessly. The festival hosts poets, actors, musicians, and artists who explore the many ways poetry can come to life before an audience, from intimate readings to choral performances, from author meet-and-greets to shows designed for families and children.
The festival venues in Palermo
The heart of the event is Teatro Atlante, a multifunctional space in the center of Palermo founded in 2006, which hosts evening appointments, foyer exhibitions, and moments of discussion. However, the festival extends to the entire city: from the Orbita spaces on Via Alloro to the Cantieri Culturali alla Zisa, up to Piazza Verdi, in front of the majestic Teatro Massimo, where poetry reaches passersby and citizens with open-air, free events.
Poetry for everyone
A distinctive feature of P/ATTO is its participatory and independent nature. Entirely grassroots-funded, thanks to the passion of those who believe in the power of poetry, the festival offers most events with free admission, with only a few ticketed shows. It is an open invitation to experience the poetic word as a shared experience, capable of creating bonds and restoring a common language to the city.
Why attend
- Three days of poetry, theater, and music in the center of Palermo
- Author readings, performances, concerts, workshops, and poetic games
- Events spread between Teatro Atlante and the city's cultural spaces
- Almost all events are free of charge
- An independent and community-driven event, funded from the ground up
Included in the cultural calendar of the City of Palermo and the Province of Palermo, P/ATTO – Poetry in Action is now one of the most vibrant events dedicated to contemporary poetry in Sicily.
P/ATTO — edition 2026
P/ATTO 2026 – The fifth edition
The fifth edition of P/ATTO – Poetry in Action was held in Palermo from March 20 to 22, 2026, confirming the festival as one of the most anticipated events dedicated to performance poetry in Sicily.
The program
On Friday, March 20, the festival opened at Teatro Atlante with Il verbo di fronte. Una lettura by poet Roberta Dapunt, followed by La lingua disobbediente, an evening of games, readings, and sharing curated by the Corpi Poetici group. The exhibition Derelictio by Roberto Modafferi remained on display in the foyer throughout the festival.
On Saturday, March 21, after the community writing workshop New Book Club at the Orbita spaces, the stage featured Falaria – il mormorio che rigenera il mondo by Bruno Tognolini and the show L'anima mia magnifica le tue mani by Benedetto Galifi.
On Sunday, March 22, the family show Il tamburo fatato by Bruno Tognolini at the Cantieri Culturali, the 13th edition of Poesie Gratis in Piazza Verdi in front of the Teatro Massimo, and the closing concert D'Amore by Banduri concluded the event.
Programme P/ATTO 2026
Friday, March 20 – Teatro Atlante
- 7:00 PM – Il verbo di fronte. Una lettura, with Roberta Dapunt (free admission)
- 9:00 PM – La lingua disobbediente, games and readings by the Corpi Poetici group (free admission)
- Throughout the festival – Derelictio exhibition by Roberto Modafferi (foyer)
Saturday, March 21
- 10:30 AM-1:30 PM – New Book Club, community writing workshop (Orbita, via Alloro 95)
- 5:00 PM – Falaria – il mormorio che rigenera il mondo by Bruno Tognolini (Teatro Atlante)
- 9:00 PM – L'anima mia magnifica le tue mani by Benedetto Galifi, directed by Valeria Sara Lo Bue (Teatro Atlante)
Sunday, March 22
- 10:30 AM – Il tamburo fatato by Bruno Tognolini, for ages 7+ (NOZ, Cantieri Culturali)
- 5:00 PM-6:00 PM – Poesie Gratis edition #13 (Piazza Verdi, Teatro Massimo)
- 7:30 PM – D'Amore, concert by Banduri (Teatro Atlante)
Highlights P/ATTO 2026
- The reading by poet Roberta Dapunt
- Shows based on texts by Bruno Tognolini, for adults and families
- Poesie Gratis #13 in Piazza Verdi, in front of the Teatro Massimo
- The closing concert D'Amore by Banduri
Prices P/ATTO 2026
Practical information — P/ATTO
How to get there
Teatro Atlante is located at Via della Vetriera 21/23, in the historic center of Palermo, within walking distance of the Teatro Massimo and Piazza Verdi area. Those arriving by train can get off at Palermo Centrale station; from the Falcone-Borsellino airport in Punta Raisi, the city center is connected by train and shuttle bus.
Tickets
Most events are free to attend. The few paid shows have tickets that can be purchased online through the ticketing platforms indicated by the organization. For information: tel. +39 366 5010982.
Tips
We recommend arriving early for evening events at Teatro Atlante, where seating is limited, and checking the updated program on the Teatro Atlante website and the festival's social media channels.
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Where does it take place — P/ATTO
Teatro Atlante
Via della Vetriera 21/23, 90133 Palermo