PeM! Festival – Words and Music in Monferrato
Music, words, and encounters in the villages of Monferrato
About PeM! Festival
A widespread festival in the heart of Monferrato
The PeM! Festival – Words and Music in Monferrato is one of the longest-running and most original cultural festivals in south-eastern Piedmont. Founded in 2006 in San Salvatore Monferrato, in the province of Alessandria, the festival has made this hillside village its hub, gradually expanding to a network of municipalities across the Monferrato area, a recognized UNESCO World Heritage site. Every year, between late August and autumn, the squares, theaters, and iconic landmarks of the region transform into open-air stages.
The formula: music and words together
What makes PeM! unique is its format: not just a simple concert lineup, but a continuous encounter between music and words. The stage hosts singer-songwriters, musicians, writers, journalists, comedians, and directors, often interviewed live in a form of live journalism enriched by musical performances. It is a dialogue between the art of sound and the art of storytelling, designed for a curious and attentive audience.
A widespread territory
Over the years, the festival has involved numerous Monferrato municipalities surrounding San Salvatore: including Lu and Cuccaro Monferrato, Balzola, Valenza, Mirabello Monferrato, Alessandria, Pontestura, Rive, Fubine Monferrato, and Cella Monte. This widespread dimension makes PeM! a tool for regional promotion, capable of bringing culture and audiences to smaller villages and showcasing the food, wine, and landscape excellence of the Monferrato hills, just an hour from Turin, Milan, and Genoa.
Guests and young talent
Throughout its editions, PeM! has hosted leading names from the Italian musical and cultural scene, from singer-songwriters to intellectuals, comedians, and journalists. Alongside established artists, the festival dedicates space to young people with the PeM Music Contest, a showcase for new voices and emerging bands. The artistic direction is led by Enrico Deregibus.
A free festival open to all
A choice that has characterized the PeM! Festival since its inception is that all events are free of charge: every event has free admission, a sign of a popular and inclusive vocation that has helped root the event in the fabric of Monferrato and the province of Alessandria.
PeM! Festival — edition 2026
PeM! Festival 2026 — the 21st edition
In 2026, the PeM! Festival – Words and Music in Monferrato turns twenty-one. The edition is confirmed by the organization for the period of August–October 2026, continuing the widespread format that has always characterized the event: concerts, interviews with artists and intellectuals, literature, and performances between San Salvatore Monferrato and the villages of Monferrato, in the province of Alessandria.
Precise dates and the full guest lineup have not yet been published at the time of writing. As every year, the program will be communicated by the organization in the weeks preceding the opening. For 2026 as well, all events will be free to attend.
Programme PeM! Festival 2026
The detailed program for the 21st edition of the PeM! Festival has not yet been published. Exact dates and the full list of guests will be announced by the organization in the weeks prior to the event, tentatively during the summer of 2026. All events will be free to attend. To stay updated, we recommend following the official website pemfestival.it and the festival's social media channels.
Highlights PeM! Festival 2026
The festival's historic formula is confirmed: live music, interviews with singer-songwriters, writers, and journalists, and the PeM Music Contest dedicated to emerging young talent.
Prices PeM! Festival 2026
Practical information — PeM! Festival
Where
The festival takes place in San Salvatore Monferrato (AL), the hub of the event, and in a dozen other municipalities in the Monferrato area, in the province of Alessandria. Events in San Salvatore are often held at the Teatro Comunale on Via Cavalli 13 and in the town squares.
How to get there
San Salvatore Monferrato is located a few kilometers from Alessandria, on the Turin–Milan–Genoa axis (about an hour from each city). By car, it can be reached via the A26 motorway (Casale Monferrato Sud exit) or the A21. The reference railway station is Alessandria.
Tickets
All PeM! Festival events have free admission.
Information
Phone: +39 0131 233122 — Email: [email protected]. Updates on dates and the program are available on the official website and the festival's social media channels.
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Where does it take place — PeM! Festival
Teatro Comunale e piazze del Monferrato