Piccole Serenate Notturne
Vallerano's summer music festival, featuring everything from world music and early music to the magic of the Notte delle Candele
About Serenate Notturne
A festival that brings the Tuscia summer to life
The Piccole Serenate Notturne is the music festival that has accompanied the summer evenings of Vallerano—a village in the Tuscia region of the Viterbo province, Lazio—for over twenty-five years. Originally conceived as a series of intimate concerts, the event has grown with each edition to become one of the most anticipated cultural highlights of the Viterbo summer. In 2025, the festival celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary, cementing its status as a beloved end-of-August tradition.
Piazza dell'Oratorio, a stage under the stars
The heart of the festival is Piazza dell'Oratorio, located in the historic center of Vallerano. This cozy and evocative space transforms into an open-air theater every festival evening at 9:30 PM. The concerts are free to attend, a policy the Vallerano Department of Culture has maintained for years to ensure music remains a shared experience for both residents and visitors.
A musical journey between tradition and exploration
The programming of the Piccole Serenate Notturne favors high-quality musical projects, often far from mainstream commercial circuits. Recent editions have featured early music ensembles playing period instruments, Mediterranean world music groups, tributes to great Italian singer-songwriters like Fabrizio De André and Gianmaria Testa, Sephardic chants, and reinterpretations of Southern Italian folk traditions. The result is a sonic mosaic that blends memory with research, and roots with new influences.
The grand finale: the Notte delle Candele
Each year, the festival culminates in the Notte delle Candele, Vallerano's signature event. On the last Saturday of August, over one hundred thousand candles light up the alleys, squares, and vistas of the medieval village, while theatrical performances, concerts, audiovisual works, and art installations turn the historic center into an immersive nocturnal trail. Organized by the Associazione Notte delle Candele di Vallerano under the artistic direction of Maurizio Gregori, the evening attracts thousands of spectators annually and is considered one of the most enchanting nights in Lazio.
Vallerano and the Tuscia region
Attending the Piccole Serenate Notturne is also a perfect opportunity to discover Vallerano and the Tuscia, a land of medieval villages, forests, and rural traditions nestled between Rome and Viterbo. The festival perfectly captures the identity of this corner of Lazio: a small yet vibrant community capable of turning its town square into a stage and its historic center into a work of art made of light, memory, and music.
Serenate Notturne — edition 2026
The Piccole Serenate Notturne return in summer 2026
After celebrating the milestone of the twenty-fifth edition in 2025, the Vallerano music festival is preparing for its twenty-sixth summer. As per tradition, the concerts will be held on the evenings of late August in Piazza dell'Oratorio, with free admission: the detailed program will be announced by the Municipality of Vallerano in the weeks leading up to the event.
The finale is already set: Notte delle Candele, August 29, 2026
The date for the grand finale is already official: Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 6:00 PM until late at night, the historic center will host the 19th edition of the Notte delle Candele, this year dedicated to the theme «The Wonderful Four Seasons». Over 100,000 candles will accompany a symbolic journey through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with theatrical performances, concerts, audiovisual works, and installations scattered throughout the alleys and squares. The event is organized by the Associazione Notte delle Candele di Vallerano under the artistic direction of Maurizio Gregori; presales are open on nottedellecandele.eu and the i-ticket.it network.
Programme Serenate Notturne 2026
2026 Program
The concert calendar for the 2026 festival in Piazza dell'Oratorio has not yet been published: it will be announced in the weeks preceding the event on the channels of the Municipality of Vallerano and the festival.
Already confirmed
- Saturday, August 29, 2026, from 6:00 PM — Notte delle Candele, 19th edition, theme «The Wonderful Four Seasons»: theatrical performances, concerts, audiovisual works, and art installations in the historic center illuminated by over 100,000 candles.
Highlights Serenate Notturne 2026
- Twenty-sixth summer of the festival in the Tuscia village.
- Grand finale already official: Notte delle Candele 19th edition, Saturday, August 29, 2026.
- 2026 Theme: «The Wonderful Four Seasons», a symbolic journey through the seasons.
- Over 100,000 candles illuminating the alleys and squares of the historic center.
- Free admission to the serenata concerts in Piazza dell'Oratorio.
Prices Serenate Notturne 2026
Practical information — Serenate Notturne
Where and when
The festival concerts are held in Piazza dell'Oratorio, in the historic center of Vallerano (VT), at 9:30 PM, with free admission. The concluding Notte delle Candele takes place on the last Saturday of August from 6:00 PM until late at night and requires a paid ticket, available via online presale.
How to get there
Vallerano is located in the Tuscia region near Viterbo, between Rome and Viterbo, and is easily accessible by car. For the Notte delle Candele, designated parking areas are provided on the outskirts of the village; arriving early is recommended.
Tickets and contact
Concerts are free. For the Notte delle Candele, presales are available on nottedellecandele.eu and the i-ticket.it network. For information: [email protected], tel. +39 379 278 0186.
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Where does it take place — Serenate Notturne
Piazza dell'Oratorio
Piazza dell'Oratorio, 01030 Vallerano