Sanza Welcome Festival
Three nights of street theatre, music, cinema, and light in a Cilento village
About Welcome Festival
A Cilento village turned into a stage
The Welcome Festival takes place in Sanza, a small mountain town in the heart of Cilento, in the province of Salerno, at the foot of Mount Cervati, the highest peak in Campania. From July 17th to 19th, 2026, the historic center hosted the first official edition of the event: for three evenings, starting at 6:00 PM, the village streets and squares welcomed street artists, musicians, actors, and performers. There is no single stage: the shows are spread across Piazza Plebiscito, La Torre, San Giovanni, Piazza Cavour, and Largo Marconi, with the audience moving from one location to another following the rhythm of the program.
The "Sanza — The Village of Welcome" project
The festival is the most visible part of a broader project, "Sanza — The Village of Welcome," promoted by the Municipality of Sanza together with the Campania Region and produced by the Fondazione Campania dei Festival, directed by Ruggero Cappuccio, with Scabec. The initiative is supported by PNRR — NextGenerationEU funds and is part of the regional program dedicated to pilot villages, designed to combat depopulation and isolation in inland areas through culture: Sanza was identified as a pilot village with regional council resolution no. 99 of March 1, 2022. The guiding idea is simple yet powerful: to make the village an open home, where — as the project describes — streets become domestic hallways and squares become rooms to be lived in together.
What to see at the festival
The program weaves together multiple languages, all with free admission:
- Street theatre and contemporary circus: the Buskers project, curated by the cultural association Kiklos under the artistic direction of Mario Barnaba, brings juggling, mime, comedy, and fire performances to four fixed locations in the historic center.
- Meet-and-greets with the public: interviews with well-known faces of Neapolitan theatre and cinema, conducted by journalist Silvio Martino in Piazza Cavour.
- Live music: evening concerts ranging from Neapolitan singer-songwriter music to experiments with instruments built from recycled materials.
- Dramatic readings and storytelling: literary performances entrusted to seasoned actors and actresses.
- Cinema: the final screening of a film made with and for the Sanza community.
PRIVAT, the illuminated village
Throughout the festival, visitors can explore PRIVAT, the urban light installation created by the Manovalanza association, conceived by Davide Scognamiglio and Francesca Capasso. Lamps, suspended lights, and household appliances emerge from homes and are arranged along alleys, facades, and open spaces, transforming the historic center into an artistic journey that plays on the boundary between public space and private life. It is the image that best summarizes the essence of the festival: the intimacy of a village offered to those arriving from outside.
"A Story for Sanza," the community film
The most defining moment of the first edition is the screening of "A Story for Sanza," a film directed by Renato Salvetti born from a long process of workshops open to residents: acting, singing, dancing, costume design, and set design involved over sixty participants, mostly minors. The screening, followed by a party with the film's stars and street artists, closes the festival by giving back to the community the work of months.
Why it's worth coming to Sanza
Sanza is not a town you just pass through: you reach it by traveling up into the inner Cilento, among woods, springs, and trails of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Precisely for this reason, the festival has a value that goes beyond the lineup: it is an invitation to discover a village of a few thousand inhabitants at the moment it opens up most, with the Cilento cuisine of the homes and few taverns, the fresh mountain air in summer, and a historic center that, for three nights, stays awake until late. For the Campania Region, it is also a model: quality culture brought consistently to inland areas, not just to large cities.
Welcome Festival — edition 2026
First official edition
After the prologue in August 2025, the Welcome Festival held its first full edition in 2026: three consecutive days, from July 17th to 19th, with the historic center of Sanza (province of Salerno, Campania) transformed into a performance route. The formula chosen is that of a decentralized festival: five locations in the village active in rotation, staggered times from 6:00 PM until night, and the public free to move around. Alongside the lineup, the PRIVAT light installation by Manovalanza illuminated alleys and facades for the entire duration of the event.
Organization
The edition was promoted by the Municipality of Sanza and the Campania Region as part of the "Sanza — The Village of Welcome" project, produced by the Fondazione Campania dei Festival directed by Ruggero Cappuccio with Scabec and funded with PNRR — NextGenerationEU resources. The street theatre and circus section was curated by the Kiklos association under the artistic direction of Mario Barnaba.
Programme Welcome Festival 2026
Friday, July 17th, 2026
- 6:00 PM — Piazza Plebiscito: "It's Not My Fault," juggling, mime, and comedy with Mike Rollins (45 minutes)
- 7:00 PM — La Torre: "Naples Strolling," music, theatre, and storytelling with Michele Roscica (45 minutes)
- 8:00 PM — San Giovanni: "Tiptap Poum," theatre, comedy, and music with Rolando Rondinelli (40 minutes)
- 8:00 PM — Piazza Cavour: meeting with actor Massimiliano Gallo, interviewed by Silvio Martino
- 9:00 PM — Largo Marconi: "Saman," dance, theatre, and fire with Shedan Fire Theater (30 minutes)
- 10:00 PM — Piazza Cavour: "The Multiple Calvino," reading-performance with Cloris Brosca
Saturday, July 18th, 2026
- 6:00 PM — Piazza Plebiscito: "It's Not My Fault" with Mike Rollins
- 7:00 PM — La Torre: "Naples Strolling" with Michele Roscica
- 8:00 PM — San Giovanni: "Tiptap Poum" with Rolando Rondinelli
- 8:00 PM — Piazza Cavour: meeting with actress Cristina Donadio, interviewed by Silvio Martino
- 9:00 PM — Largo Marconi: "Saman" with Shedan Fire Theater
- 10:00 PM — Piazza Cavour: "Anime pezzentelle" concert with Myriam Lattanzio, followed by "Electro Junk" by Maurizio Capone & BungtBangt
Sunday, July 19th, 2026
- 6:00 PM — Piazza Plebiscito: "It's Not My Fault" with Mike Rollins
- 7:00 PM — La Torre: "Naples Strolling" with Michele Roscica
- 7:45 PM — San Giovanni: "Tiptap Poum" with Rolando Rondinelli
- 8:30 PM — Largo Marconi: "Saman" with Shedan Fire Theater
- 9:00 PM — Piazza Cavour: screening of the film "A Story for Sanza" by Renato Salvetti, followed by a party with the film's cast and street artists
Throughout the festival
PRIVAT — urban light installation by the Manovalanza association, conceived by Davide Scognamiglio and Francesca Capasso, along the alleys, facades, and squares of the historic center.
Highlights Welcome Festival 2026
- First official edition of the festival, following the 2025 prologue
- Meetings with Massimiliano Gallo (July 17th) and Cristina Donadio (July 18th)
- "The Multiple Calvino," reading-performance by Cloris Brosca
- "Anime pezzentelle" concert by Myriam Lattanzio and "Electro Junk" by Maurizio Capone & BungtBangt, featuring instruments built from recycled materials
- "Saman," dance and fire performance by Shedan Fire Theater
- The PRIVAT light installation in the historic center
- Screening of "A Story for Sanza," a film made with over sixty village residents
Prices Welcome Festival 2026
Practical information — Welcome Festival
How to get there
By car: take the Padula-Buonabitacolo exit on the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, then local provincial roads towards Sanza (about 20 minutes). From Salerno, take the A2 south for about an hour and a half. By train: the most convenient stations are Sapri (about 30 km, Tyrrhenian line) and Sicignano-Buonabitacolo; from the station, you must continue by car, taxi, or local bus. Nearest airport: Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi, followed by Naples-Capodichino.
Admission and times
All festival shows are free of charge, subject to availability in the squares. Performances begin around 6:00 PM and continue until late at night; the PRIVAT light installation can be visited freely throughout the event.
Practical tips
- The historic center is hilly with stone paving: comfortable shoes are recommended.
- Sanza is at an altitude of about 600 meters; summer evenings can be cool: a light jacket is useful.
- Park in the areas outside the center and reach the squares on foot.
- For accommodation: B&Bs and farmhouses in Sanza and neighboring towns (Buonabitacolo, Casalbuono, Padula, Sapri on the coast).
- Information: Municipality of Sanza, Piazza XXIV Maggio 1, tel. +39 0975 322536.
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Where does it take place — Welcome Festival
Centro storico di Sanza — Piazza Plebiscito, La Torre, San Giovanni, Piazza Cavour, Largo Marconi
Centro storico, 84030 Sanza