Pavese Festival

A festival in the places of Cesare Pavese

The Pavese Festival is the major literary event that enlivens Santo Stefano Belbo every year at the end of June. Located in the Langhe area in the province of Cuneo, this is the town where Cesare Pavese, one of the greatest Italian writers of the 20th century, was born in 1908. Organized by the Fondazione Cesare Pavese, the festival brings the writer's words back to the hills and vineyards that fueled his imagination—from The Moon and the Bonfires to The Harvesters—creating a dialogue between his legacy and contemporary culture.

A widespread event across the hills

The Pavese Festival follows the format of a widespread festival: not a single stage, but a network of locations including the town's historic center, the writer's birthplace, the garden of Casa Cecilia, the Moncucco hill, and numerous other venues scattered throughout the town and its hamlets. Theatrical performances, monologues, concerts, poetry marathons, children's workshops, book presentations, and night-time readings take place from morning until evening, transforming the entire community into a natural stage set within the UNESCO World Heritage hilly landscape.

The 2026 edition: "Return to the Human"

The 26th edition takes place from June 22nd to 28th and is titled "Return to the Human", a theme taken from an article Cesare Pavese published in L'Unità in May 1945, dedicated to the power and truth of words. The program includes over sixty events in more than twenty venues, with a special stop outside the region in L'Aquila, the 2026 Italian Capital of Culture.

Guests and program

Guests for the 2026 edition include Neri Marcorè with Erica Boschiero in concert, Matteo Caccia, Iaia Forte, Vera Gheno, Omar Pedrini, and Andrea Pezzi. Numerous book presentations will feature authors such as Luca Bianchini, Diego De Silva, Antonella Lattanzi, Raffaella Romagnolo, and Elvira Seminara, alongside tributes to writers Alba De Céspedes and Bianca Garufi.

• Evening concerts and musical performances
• Theatrical monologues and readings
• Poetry marathon in Pavese's birthplace garden
• Workshops for children and families
• Celebratory night on Moncucco hill

The "suspended ticket"

Among the novelties of the 2026 edition is the suspended ticket, a solidarity initiative created in collaboration with the Alba-Langhe-Roero Socio-Assistential Consortium, which allows those in financial difficulty to attend events thanks to the support of other spectators.

Santo Stefano Belbo and the Langhe

Visiting the Pavese Festival also means discovering the Langhe, a land of famous wines like Moscato d'Asti and a hilly landscape recognized by UNESCO. The festival is an opportunity to combine culture, food and wine, and nature in the heart of Piedmont, following in the footsteps of one of the greatest storytellers of the 20th century.