Sacred Heart of Jesus Festival
The Sant'Agostino parish festival in Giovinazzo: a blend of faith, brass bands, and fireworks over the sea
About Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Festival in Giovinazzo
Every summer, the community of Giovinazzo, an Adriatic town in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Puglia, gathers around the Sant'Agostino parish to celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus Festival. It is one of the most heartfelt traditions in the city's calendar, seamlessly blending the intimate dimension of devotion with the choral atmosphere of a public square festival.
The event is organized by the Sacred Heart of Jesus Association, led by president Michele Depalo, under the spiritual guidance of Father Cesare Pisani. The spiritual heart of the festival is the novena, which marks the days with morning and evening masses, the Holy Rosary, and moments of communal prayer.
Between Devotion and Popular Celebration
Alongside religious rites, the program reserves ample space for civil events that enliven Piazza Sant'Agostino: sacred and chamber music concerts, musical performances, and free evening entertainment open to the entire city. The sounds of the brass bands—from the Bassa Musica "L'Armonia Molfettese" to the "Filippo Cortese" band of Giovinazzo—accompany the highlights and transform the streets into a widespread stage.
The External Festival and the Procession
The climax is the external festival, which begins at dawn with the traditional firing of rockets from the picturesque Molo di Levante. In the evening, following the mass, the sacred effigy of the Sacred Heart is carried in procession through the streets of the historic center and the city, accompanied by the faithful and the bands. The day concludes late at night with a grand fireworks display over the sea, illuminating the seafront and the port of Giovinazzo.
The Bontà Award
In recent years, the festival has been enriched by a civil and charitable moment: the Sacred Heart of Jesus Bontà Award, presented during the final mass to individuals or local organizations that have distinguished themselves through acts of generosity and social commitment. It is a way to give the religious observance a tangible impact, rooted in the life of the Giovinazzo community.
Sacred Heart of Jesus — edition 2026
The 2026 edition confirms the traditional structure of the festival: nine days of novena at the Sant'Agostino parish, civil entertainment in the square, the external festival on Sunday, July 5, and the final mass on July 6 with the presentation of the 3rd Sacred Heart of Jesus Bontà Award, this year awarded to Vito Renna, a Giovinazzo entrepreneur committed to supporting research into spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The two bands—Bassa Musica "L'Armonia Molfettese" and the "Filippo Cortese" ensemble—are confirmed, along with the grand nighttime fireworks display over the Molo di Levante.
Programme Sacred Heart of Jesus 2026
Novena — from June 25 to July 3
- 8:00 AM — Holy Mass and Novena
- 6:15 PM — Meditated Holy Rosary
- 6:45 PM — Novena
- 7:00 PM — Holy Mass (with different celebrants each evening)
Opening Wednesday, June 25: 6:00 PM the "L'Armonia Molfettese" band tours the city; 7:00 PM mass presided over by Father Ignazio De Nichilo.
Friday, July 4
- 7:00 PM — Solemn Holy Mass (Father Michele Berardi)
- 9:00 PM — Piazza Sant'Agostino: musical "Okiko The Drama Company" with the "Filippo Cortese" Wind Orchestra
Sunday, July 5 — External Festival
- 8:00 AM — Firing of rockets from Molo di Levante
- 8:30 AM — Holy Mass
- 9:30 AM — Tour of the city by the "L'Armonia Molfettese" band
- 10:30 AM — Solemn Mass presided over by Father Cesare Pisani
- 7:00 PM — Holy Mass and solemn procession of the sacred effigy through the city streets, accompanied by the bands
- 11:00 PM — Grand fireworks display at Molo di Levante
Monday, July 6
- 7:00 PM — Thanksgiving Holy Mass and presentation of the 3rd Sacred Heart of Jesus Bontà Award
Highlights Sacred Heart of Jesus 2026
Prices Sacred Heart of Jesus 2026
Practical information — Sacred Heart of Jesus
Location
The heart of the festival is the Sant'Agostino Parish and its namesake square in the center of Giovinazzo. The firing of rockets and the fireworks display take place at the Molo di Levante, on the city's seafront.
How to get there
By train: the Giovinazzo station is served by the Adriatic line (Bari-Barletta). By car: take the Giovinazzo exit from the SS16 Adriatic highway, a few kilometers north of Bari. The nearest airport is Bari Karol Wojtyła.
Admission
All religious and civil events are free and open to the public.
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Where does it take place — Sacred Heart of Jesus
Parrocchia Sant'Agostino
Piazza Sant'Agostino, 70054 Giovinazzo