Sottencoppa – Neapolitan Sonic Carnival
The sonic carnival of Piazza Mercato: world music, guarattelle, children's workshops, and urban parades
About Sottencoppa
A carnival that turns the city «sottencoppa»
Sottencoppa – Neapolitan Sonic Carnival is the festival dedicated to the carnival season by the Municipality of Naples: not a parade of floats, but a sonic overturning of the city. The name itself, in Neapolitan, says it all: to be sottencoppa means to turn things upside down or scramble the order of things. This is exactly what this event does; born in 2023, it has quickly become one of the most recognizable fixtures of the Neapolitan cultural winter in Campania.
The formula blends musical research with popular celebration: electro-acoustic avant-garde alongside village bands, ancient instruments alongside invented sound machines, and Arabic poetry alongside tammorre. All this takes place in spaces that are not concert halls, but squares, historic churches, and a large circus tent set up in the heart of the city.
Piazza Mercato, the city's popular heart
The Mercato district is the center of gravity for the event. Piazza Mercato, one of the most historic squares in Naples, hosts the circus tent that features concerts and shows until late at night. Surrounding this, events move to the Church of Sant'Eligio Maggiore (via Sant'Eligio 1), the Church of Santa Croce e Purgatorio al Mercato, and the Le Muse Educational Center. This choice is not accidental: bringing experimental music and international artists to a working-class neighborhood, free of charge, is part of the festival's cultural project.
World music and sonic avant-garde
The artistic direction is entrusted to Giulio Nocera. Each edition creates a dialogue between Neapolitan and Campanian musicians and artists from all over the world: the 2026 edition featured over eighty musicians and performers from twelve countries. Bagpipes, trombones, strings, ancient instruments, invented instruments, zampogne, and oriental percussion coexist in the same program, alongside original productions created specifically for the festival.
- Concerts and performances in churches, with fascinating natural acoustics.
- Evening and late-night sets under the tent, featuring improvisation, electronic music, and folk traditions.
- Original productions signed by Sottencoppa, bringing together Italian and international musicians.
Guarattelle, shadows, and children's workshops
A significant part of the program is designed for families and children, particularly on the weekend. Activities include shadow theater workshops, the creation of carnival flags and banners, traditional wooden games, circus arts, juggling, and reading areas for picture books. There is also traditional Neapolitan puppetry: the guarattelle of Pulcinella, a heritage of the city's tradition, are included in the program alongside electro-acoustic music, following the logic of contamination that characterizes the festival. Workshops are free but have limited spots, requiring email reservation.
The grand finale of Shrove Tuesday
The festival closes on Shrove Tuesday with a large collective urban action: dozens of musicians, bands, paranze, performers, and operatic voices stage the symbolic death of the Carnival, an ancient rite with deep roots in Naples. It is the most participatory and spectacular moment of the entire event, taking place in a monumental square in the city center.
How to participate
Admission to all events is free, subject to availability. The project is promoted by the Municipality of Naples and funded by the Metropolitan City of Naples as part of the metropolitan events calendar. Reservations are required for workshops dedicated to children and families. The full program, including times and venues, is published every year on the Municipality of Naples website in the weeks leading up to Carnival.
Sottencoppa — edition 2026
The 4th edition
From February 13 to 17, 2026, Naples hosted the fourth edition of Sottencoppa – Neapolitan Sonic Carnival, promoted by the Municipality of Naples and funded by the Metropolitan City of Naples as part of the 25/26 metropolitan events calendar, under the artistic direction of Giulio Nocera.
Four days of programming spanned the Mercato district: the Church of Sant'Eligio for the inauguration, the circus tent set up in Piazza Mercato for evening concerts, the Church of Santa Croce e Purgatorio al Mercato and the Le Muse Educational Center for spaces dedicated to children, and finally Piazza Municipio, in front of the Fountain of Neptune, for the grand Shrove Tuesday finale.
The lineup brought together over eighty musicians and performers from twelve countries, from the Persian santur of Alireza Mortazavi to the voice of Keeley Forsyth, from the poetry of Abdullah Miniawy to the rap of Aunty Rayzor, alongside two original productions signed by Sottencoppa: Ubi Fracassorum, with the guarattelle of Bruno Leone, and the Ensemble Festa Immobile. Admission to all events was free, subject to availability.
Programme Sottencoppa 2026
Friday, February 13, 2026
Church of Sant'Eligio
- 18:15 — Alireza Mortazavi (Iran), santur
- 19:00 — Keeley Forsyth (UK) presents Hand To Mouth, Italian premiere, in collaboration with Wakeupandream
- 20:00 — Ensemble Festa Immobile (France-Italy), Sottencoppa26 original production, with Didier Petit (cello), Alfredo Maddaluno (portative organ and clavicytherium), Renato Grieco (viola da gamba), Anais Drago (violin), Peppe Frana (oud)
Tent, Piazza Mercato
- 21:00 — Cardillo/Carraro (Italy), Circo Entomologico
- 21:40 — Abdullah Miniawy (Egypt-France), Peacock Dreams
- 22:35 — Jazz Lambaux (Scotland-France), in collaboration with KLANG and Kadmonia
- 23:25 — Aunty Rayzor (Nigeria-Italy) + lutrasedotus on the decks
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Le Muse Educational Center
- 11:00 — Cardillo-Carraro, L'Araldica del mondo al rovescio, carnival flag-making workshop (0-99 years, max 20 participants)
- 16:00 — Carlotta Campobasso, Cara Ombra, shadow theater short (all ages)
- 16:45 — Carlotta Campobasso and Noemi Lama, shadow theater workshop (6-10 years, max 20 participants)
Tent, Piazza Mercato
- 18:00 — Didier Petit, cello solo (France)
- 19:00 — Ubi Fracassorum, Sottencoppa26 original production, with Bruno Leone (Pulcinella and other guarattelle), Valerio Tricoli (electro-acoustic music), Maria Balzano Barbò (vocals and percussion), Minni Carbone (percussion)
- 19:45 — Nowacka – Grieco – La Foresta (Poland-Italy)
- 20:35 — Bernard Massuir (Belgium)
- 21:30 — Sara Gioielli (Italy)
- 22:10 — BITOI (Denmark-Norway), in collaboration with Wakeupandream
- 23:10 — Valentina Magaletti and Nìdia (Italy-Portugal)
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Church of Santa Croce e Purgatorio al Mercato
- 11:00 — Arakatà circoludobus, play area, juggling workshops, and picture book reading area
Tent, Piazza Mercato
- 12:45 — Il Circo di Rudinì (UK)
- 13:30 — Il Conte Bollicin (France-Italy), soap bubble show by the Circolarte association
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 — Shrove Tuesday
Piazza Municipio, Fountain of Neptune
- 18:00 — Carnevale a morte!, a prank for bands, figures, and the city, Sottencoppa26 original production by coschebecchi. Dramaturgy and vision by Chiara Menchise and Giulio Nocera, musical direction by Chiara Mallozzi. With the Banda Città di Sessa Aurunca (23 members), the Piccola Orchestra Improvvisa, the Paranza Popolo Vascio, and soprano Chiara Turiello.
Highlights Sottencoppa 2026
- Over eighty musicians and performers from twelve countries, alongside artists from Naples and Campania.
- Inauguration at the Church of Sant'Eligio with the santur of Alireza Mortazavi and the Italian premiere of Hand To Mouth by Keeley Forsyth.
- Two original Sottencoppa26 productions: the Ensemble Festa Immobile and Ubi Fracassorum, with the guarattelle of Bruno Leone.
- The large circus tent set up in Piazza Mercato, open until late at night.
- Weekend dedicated to children: shadow theater, carnival flag-making, traditional wooden games, and circus arts.
- Grand finale on Shrove Tuesday at Piazza Municipio with Carnevale a morte! and over fifty musicians.
Prices Sottencoppa 2026
Practical information — Sottencoppa
Getting there
Piazza Mercato is located in the historic center of Naples, a few minutes' walk from Piazza Garibaldi and the Napoli Centrale train station (regional and high-speed trains, Circumvesuviana, Metro Line 2). From Metro Line 1, the most convenient stops are Università and Duomo. By car, it is advisable to leave the vehicle in city center parking lots: the area is heavily trafficked with limited parking.
Admission and reservations
Free admission to concerts, performances, and parades, subject to availability. For workshops dedicated to children and families, reservation is mandatory by writing to the address indicated by the organizers on the Municipality of Naples website.
Useful tips
- Arrive early for concerts in churches: capacity is limited.
- Dress in layers: events take place in February, between outdoor spaces and the tent.
- Take advantage of the day to visit the Mercato district, the Church of Sant'Eligio Maggiore, and the nearby Cathedral.
- Costumes are welcome: it is Carnival, after all.
Information
Municipality of Naples – Culture Department, tel. +39 081 7955262, [email protected]
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Sottencoppa
Piazza Mercato
Piazza Mercato, 80142 Napoli