Pietrelcina Beer Festival

An end-of-summer festival in the heart of the Sannio region

The Pietrelcina Beer Festival is one of those village celebrations that captures the spirit of the Sannio Beneventano better than any guidebook. Launched by the Pro Loco of Pietrelcina, it has established itself over the years as the event that closes the summer season in the town of Pietrelcina, in the Province of Benevento, Campania. The stage is always the same: Parco Colesanti, a green space just a stone's throw from the town center, which transforms for a couple of evenings into a large open-air venue with beer taps, food stalls, and a stage for live music.

Draft craft beers and local cuisine

The heart of the event is the beer, served on tap with a selection that has increasingly focused on craft production. Alongside the taps, you will find food stalls run by local volunteers and vendors, offering traditional Sannio dishes and street food designed to be enjoyed while standing, between a pint and a concert. This is not a specialized fair for connoisseurs only: it is a popular festival where even those who don't drink beer will find plenty to eat and enjoy.

• Draft craft beers, served throughout the evenings
• Traditional Sannio dishes and street food at the food stalls
• Live music every night, featuring local bands and artists
• Free admission: you only pay for what you consume
• Open-air setting and shared tables in the greenery of Parco Colesanti

The stage: local bands and popular repertoires

The musical program is the festival's second soul. Over the years, the Pro Loco has chosen to focus on local groups and popular Southern Italian repertoires. In the 2024 edition, for example, the stage hosted AlmaTerra, I Bottari di Macerata Campania, and Free Rolling, with concerts starting late in the evening after the stalls opened at 8:00 PM. The 2025 edition, the sixth, was also animated by local bands and artists over its two-day program. The result is an evening that flows easily from aperitif to dancing, with an intergenerational crowd and families staying until late.

Pietrelcina, the home of Saint Pio

Attending the Beer Festival is also a great reason to discover (or revisit) Pietrelcina, a village known worldwide as the birthplace of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina. The historic center, with the Castello district and the sites linked to the saint's childhood, is a pilgrimage destination all year round. Visitors coming for the festival can easily combine an evening at Parco Colesanti with a stroll through the stone alleys. In the local event calendar, the Beer Festival joins other deeply felt community gatherings, from the Artichoke Festival in spring to the Living Nativity during the Christmas season.

Why it's worth visiting

Those looking for a massive international festival with dozens of breweries will find larger events elsewhere; here, the value lies in its scale. The festival is run by volunteers, prices remain affordable, admission is free, and the atmosphere is that of an authentic village coming together in the square. For international visitors or those arriving from outside the region, it is a concrete opportunity to understand how summer is experienced in the inland villages of Campania, where the sagra (food festival) and the village festival remain the true engine of social life.

The 2026 edition

At the time of writing, the Pro Loco of Pietrelcina has not yet announced the dates for the new edition. The last two took place between late August and early September—August 23–25, 2024, for the fifth edition, and September 5–6, 2025, for the sixth—so the most likely period remains the end of summer. Before traveling, it is advisable to check dates and the program on the official Pro Loco channels.