Radici Music Festival

A festival rooted in local talent

The Radici Music Festival was born in San Salvatore Telesino, a small town in the Province of Benevento overlooking the Telesina Valley, with a simple yet effective vision: to provide a real stage for those who truly create music—the bands and singer-songwriters honing their craft in garages, local rehearsal rooms, and social clubs. Organized by the Pro Loco San Salvatore Telesino APS, the festival reached its third edition in 2025, carving out a distinct space in the Sannio musical calendar in Campania as a June event entirely focused on emerging talent.

The contest for bands and singer-songwriters

The heart of the event is the Radici Music Festival Live Band Contest. Participation is free and open to bands and solo artists without any record label or contractual obligations. Applications arrive from across the region and beyond, with a preliminary selection identifying the ten acts that will perform live before a jury of industry professionals. It is not merely a prize competition, but an opportunity for growth: performers receive technical feedback, and the audience discovers ten different ways of interpreting music in a single evening, ranging from rock and folk to experimental sounds.

Three nights, three musical languages

The festival program is designed to be inclusive. One night is reserved for younger audiences and dance music fans, featuring a silent disco format and DJ sets alternating between commercial hits and electronic research. The central night is dedicated to the contest, hosted and judged by industry experts. The closing night features a more narrative format: a live radio show built around timeless records, with guests and audience participation—songs that, as the organizers say, remain true lifelines that transcend time and generations.

The Benedictine Abbey, a unique stage

The setting makes all the difference. The festival takes place in the garden of the Benedictine Abbey of Santo Salvatore, a medieval monastic complex that serves as the town's landmark and one of the most evocative spots in the Telesina Valley. Listening to an emerging band with the ancient stones of the abbey as a backdrop, outdoors on a June evening, gives the event a value no club could replicate: new music enters into a dialogue with ancient heritage, perfectly embodying the meaning behind the festival's name.

Food areas and the flavors of Sannio

As with all events curated by the Pro Loco, the culinary aspect is far from an afterthought. During the evenings, food and beverage areas are active, offering local specialties and regional products. The Telesina Valley is a land of fine wines, vegetables, olive oil, and traditional desserts, allowing festival-goers to naturally transition from the concert to the table. It is the simplest way to introduce the town to visitors from afar.

San Salvatore Telesino and the Telesina Valley

The Municipality of San Salvatore Telesino has just over three thousand inhabitants and is located a short distance from Telese Terme, in a hilly area dominated by the Matese massif and crossed by the Calore River. It is a territory defined by agriculture, thermal spas, and an archaeological and monastic heritage still largely untouched by mass tourism. A music festival organized by volunteers here carries a significance that goes beyond entertainment: it keeps young people in the town, creates meeting opportunities, and connects associations, businesses, and the local administration in one of the so-called "inner areas" of Southern Italy.

2026 Edition: What we know

At the moment, no official dates or program have been released for the 2026 edition of the Radici Music Festival. The previous three editions took place in the second half of June, and the call for band applications opened in the spring, closing at the end of May. Musicians wishing to apply should keep an eye on the Pro Loco's social media channels throughout April and May. Updates are shared via the association's pages, the Municipality's website, and local Sannio press.