Rioni in Festa

Rioni in Festa: The ancient heart of Vibonati lights up

In the first half of August, the historic center of Vibonati, in the province of Salerno, Campania, becomes the stage for Rioni in Festa, a widespread event dedicated to local participation and traditions. This is not an event concentrated in a single square: it is the rioni—the historic districts of the village—that come to life one after another, turning alleys, stairways, and small squares into shared celebration spaces.

The initiative is part of the summer program promoted by the municipal administration and serves as a terrestrial counterpoint to the seaside evenings in the hamlet of Villammare. While the waterfront hosts major gastronomic events, the hilltop village rediscovers its most intimate and communal dimension. It follows a typically Southern Italian formula: the neighborhood festival, where each district brings its own energy, recipes, and desire to gather together.

A Cilento village overlooking the Gulf of Policastro

Vibonati is one of the hilltop villages of Southern Cilento, located just a few kilometers from Sapri and the border with Basilicata, in a position that allows visitors to move in minutes from the tranquility of the hinterland to the beaches of the Gulf of Policastro. The town preserves a historic layout of narrow streets and panoramic viewpoints, dominated by the Sanctuary of Sant'Antonio Abate, which dates back to the 11th century.

In the town center, you will also find the Museum of Peasant Civilization, which preserves the memory of the Cilento rural world: tools, objects, and customs of an agricultural economy that has shaped the identity of this community for centuries. The seaside hamlet of Villammare, with its Spanish viceroy-era watchtower and the chapel of Maria Santissima di Portosalvo, is one of the most popular seaside destinations in the gulf.

What to expect during the evenings

• Open-air evenings in the historic center's districts, with music and entertainment
• Convivial moments and flavors of Cilento cuisine
• Direct involvement of local residents and associations
• Evening strolls through illuminated alleys and squares
• A family-friendly atmosphere, suitable for children

Visitors from outside will find something here that cannot be bought with a ticket: the chance to walk through a living village, where doors remain open and the celebration is created by the people who live there all year round.

The 2026 edition: August 6th to 16th

For 2026, the Municipality of Vibonati has scheduled Rioni in Festa from August 6th to 16th, in parallel with Gusto Italia in Tour, the festival dedicated to street food and Italian gastronomic excellence hosted on the Villammare waterfront during the same dates. Eleven days where the municipal area offers two complementary itineraries: the sea and the food route on one side, the village and its traditions on the other.

A summer full of events

Rioni in Festa is part of a particularly dense summer program presented by the Administration at the beginning of July. Among the names announced for 2026 are a concert by singer-songwriter Irene Grandi, a live performance by maestro Enzo Avitabile with Mimmo Cavallaro, and the dance show Febbre Italiana, alongside evenings dedicated to local artists.

The historic Il Protagonista award also returns, which the Municipality has been presenting for about forty years to personalities who have distinguished themselves in art, music, culture, and professional fields: for 2026, it is awarded to Irene Grandi and Dr. Tommaso Pellegrino. The picture is completed by the Premio Petrosa 2026, the presentation of the book Una mattina gloriosa by Antonio Monda, six evenings of open-air cinema between Vibonati and Villammare, and the Villammare Film Festival & Friends.

"We have built a program capable of meeting the needs of both residents and tourists, with events that enhance culture, entertainment, and territorial identity," explained Mayor Manuel Borrelli while presenting the summer calendar.

Why it is worth climbing up to the village

Many visitors to the Gulf of Policastro stop at the coastline and do not imagine that, just a few hairpin bends up, there is a village experiencing its most beautiful evenings in August. Rioni in Festa is the perfect opportunity to change course: leave the beach umbrella at sunset, head up to Vibonati, and discover a Cilento made of community, peasant memory, and spontaneous hospitality. A simple and sincere way to understand what the identity of this corner of Campania means today.