Prima d'Oc

The festival that opens the Occitan spring

Every year, in early May, the village of Demonte in the Stura Valley (Province of Cuneo, Piedmont) becomes the beating heart of Occitan culture with Prima d'Oc. The event is the first major gathering of the Occitan lands and officially launches the season of Occit'amo, the festival that brings music, dance, and traditions to the Occitan valleys of the Monviso area and over a hundred municipalities in the Cuneo and Turin regions throughout the summer.

Three days of music, dance, and craftsmanship

Prima d'Oc is a popular festival that blends tradition and innovation. The program spans a weekend and offers Occitan singing and dancing workshops, bagpipe concerts, large collective dances, documentary screenings, and a popular craft and luthier market. The Palatenda in Piazza Nuto Revelli and the Polveriera Amphitheatre are the two hubs of the festival, while on Sunday, music fills the streets and arcades of the village.

A bridge between the Alps and the Pyrenees

The artistic direction is entrusted to Sergio Berardo, founder of Lou Dalfin and a driving force behind the rediscovery of Occitan language and music for years. Under his guidance, Prima d'Oc has become an international crossroads: alongside musicians from the Piedmontese valleys, French artists from the Auvergne perform, and in recent editions, musicians and luthiers from the Catalan and Aragonese Pyrenees have joined, the result of educational exchanges between Italy and Catalonia.

Flavors and conviviality

The festival is not just about music: the Occitan dinner at the Palatenda and the Sunday lunch, organized with the Demonte Pro Loco, are moments of conviviality featuring traditional dishes from the Stura Valley. Mass accompanied by Occitan chants and a musical aperitif complete an experience that tells the story of a border territory's identity.

Why it's worth it

• Free admission to concerts, dances, and workshops.
• Authentic atmosphere in the alpine village of Demonte.
• A meeting point between the Occitan cultures of Piedmont and the Pyrenees.
• Luthier and craft market featuring traditional instruments.