Pizza Festival

A village festival dedicated to pizza

The Pizza Festival is the culinary highlight of the summer in San Sossio Baronia, a village of just over 1,400 inhabitants perched at an altitude of 650 meters in the Baronia, the eastern area of the province of Avellino, in Campania. For two consecutive evenings in August, the town square transforms into a large open-air kitchen: the wood-fired oven runs non-stop, tables fill with families and locals returning home for the holidays, and music accompanies dinner until late into the night.

Pizza as the star

The iconic dish of Neapolitan and Campanian cuisine is served here in various styles, baked fresh and served directly in the square. Alongside classic pizza, past editions have featured other traditional Irpinian street food staples that always accompany summer festivals: fried pizza, sausage sandwiches, draft beer, local wine, and cocktails prepared at the stands. It is authentic festival-style dining—unpretentious and designed to bring different generations together at the same table at an affordable price.

Live music and DJ sets

The festival format alternates a concert with an after-party each night. In the 2024 edition, held on August 19th and 20th, the program featured a percussion concert by Ciccio Merolla on the first night, followed by a cocktail party with DJ Nicola Coppola and Toni LB Voice. The second night showcased the cover band Gli Anni d'Oro, a tribute to 883 and 90s Italian music, with the after-party led by DJ Omar CI. On both days, starting at 6 PM, the festival area hosted inflatables and entertainment for children. In previous years, the event has featured popular names from the neomelodic and Southern Italian music scenes: in 2023, the evening at the Piano di Zona featured a concert by Gigione, followed by a DJ set by Vinyl Gianpy.

Organizers

• Pro Loco Sossiana, the local territorial promotion association
• GeCo Pizzeria in San Sossio Baronia, which manages the culinary side and the wood-fired oven
• The Municipality of San Sossio Baronia, which provides official patronage

Previous editions also involved the local Festival Committee, following the typical logic of small Irpinian town festivals, where volunteer work is the true engine of the event.

The Baronia and its festival calendar

San Sossio Baronia is not defined by a single event: the town's calendar is marked by religious and civil celebrations, from the St. Joseph bonfires in March to the carnival parade, from the Feast of Saint Roch in August to the celebrations for Saint Leonard in September, and finally the Christmas markets. The Pizza Festival fits into this fabric as the most secular and youthful event, bringing back those who have moved away and opening the village to visitors from the neighboring towns of the Baronia and Ufita areas.

What to see nearby

Visitors to the village can take the opportunity to discover an area rarely touched by mass tourism. Within the municipal territory, you can find the Sanctuary of San Michele, built in the late 1920s at an altitude of 716 meters and still a pilgrimage destination; the small lake in the Molara area surrounded by pine forests; the remains of a Roman bridge along the Fiumarella stream, evidence of the ancient road that connected to Aeclanum; and the sulfur spring in the Civita area, once frequented for the therapeutic properties of its waters. The historic center also preserves the so-called Holy Staircase, a stone staircase that tradition says should be climbed three times while reciting a prayer on each step.

The 2026 edition

At the moment, the Pro Loco Sossiana has not yet released the dates and program for the 2026 edition of the Pizza Festival. Given the consistency of the event in recent years, it is expected to take place as usual in the second half of August: it is advisable to follow the social media channels of the Pro Loco and the Municipality of San Sossio Baronia for the final calendar and musical guests.