Sannicolese Carnival

The Sannicolese Carnival, the Shrove Tuesday festival in Sannio

The Sannicolese Carnival is the signature Carnival event of the Municipality of San Nicola Manfredi, in the Province of Benevento, in the heart of the Sannio region of Campania. Originally a neighborhood party, it has quickly become one of the town's most anticipated winter events: in 2026, it reached its fifth edition, confirming the successful formula of a large, open-air afternoon party dedicated to families, featuring a guest well-known to television audiences.

Iannassi District, the heart of the festival

The center of the celebrations is the square in front of the school in the Iannassi district, one of the most vibrant areas of the municipality. Here, in the early afternoon of Shrove Tuesday, children and teenagers in costume gather with their families, turning the square into a large open-air playground. The formula is simple and proven:

• Bouncy castles and attractions for the little ones;
• Entertainment, music, and costume games hosted by showman Antonio Calabrese;
• Open parade of costumes and masks made at home;
• Reception of the guest of honor at the Town Hall, with a meeting between the television personality and the citizens.

This is not a carnival of allegorical floats like those in other parts of Campania: here, the focus is on community participation and children, in a day designed to be completely free and accessible to everyone.

Carnival in Pagliara, the second hub of the day

Alongside the Iannassi festival, the parallel Carnival in Pagliara event takes place, organized by the Padre Vincenzo Del Re ANSPI Circle in Piazza della Madonnina, in the Pagliara district. The program occupies the second part of the day, from late afternoon until evening: first, activities dedicated to children reserved for circle members, followed by an evening social moment with local authorities and the event's guest. The choice of two distinct hubs reflects the geography of the municipality, a territory divided into districts where distances matter and each area takes pride in its own celebration.

Guests of recent editions

One of the recognizable features of the Sannicolese Carnival is the presence of a well-known face from Italian television as the patron of the day. In 2025, for the fourth edition, Matilde Brandi and Manila Nazzaro arrived in San Nicola Manfredi, where they were received at the Town Hall before taking part in the afternoon entertainment. In 2026, the face of the Carnival was the actor and television personality Walter Nudo, welcomed by Mayor Arturo Leone Vernillo and municipal administrators.

A festival supported by the municipal administration

The Sannicolese Carnival is promoted and funded directly by the municipal administration, which allocated a total budget of 7,000 euros for the 2026 edition, covering the guest, entertainment, and attractions. This is an explicit political choice: to distribute events across the different districts to enhance all parts of the town and offer families a quality, free alternative without having to travel to Benevento or the larger carnivals in the area.

Carnival in the Sannio area of Benevento

Shrove Tuesday is a deeply felt date throughout the Province of Benevento: on the same day, parades of allegorical floats, costume parties, and ancient folk rituals multiply in Benevento, Ponte, Colle Sannita, Cusano Mutri, Cerreto Sannita, San Giorgio del Sannio, Apice, Morcone, Pietrelcina, and dozens of other centers. In this rich landscape, the Sannicolese Carnival occupies a precise and recognizable niche: not a parade, but a community festival, the school square full of masked children, and the meeting between the town and a guest from outside. For those visiting Sannio during this period, it is an opportunity to see how Carnival is experienced in a small municipality in the interior of Campania, far from the usual tourist circuits.