Sturno Sport Festival
Four days of sports, champions, and entertainment in the heart of Irpinia
About Sturno Sport Festival
An open-air Olympic village
For four days in mid-August, the town of Sturno, a small center in the Province of Avellino in Campania, undergoes a transformation. The municipal «Il Castagneto» Sports Complex becomes a true sports village, where fields, mats, and demonstration areas share space with stages, food stands, and public areas. This is the Sturno Sport Festival, an event conceived and promoted by the Agape Sport association, which in just a few years has become one of the most recognizable fixtures of the Irpinian summer.
Over forty disciplines to try
The heart of the festival is the tangible opportunity to test yourself. The program offers the public more than forty sports disciplines, which can be observed up close but, more importantly, practiced, often guided by federal coaches and national-level athletes.
- Team sports: soccer, five-a-side soccer, volleyball, basketball
- Combat sports: fencing, judo, karate, taekwondo, martial arts
- Precision and outdoor sports: archery, horse riding, tennis
- Artistic and movement disciplines: rhythmic gymnastics, sports dance
This "participatory" approach explains why the festival has become a reference point for families and sports clubs throughout Irpinia: children and teenagers can try sports in just a few days that they would rarely find in the towns of the inland areas.
Champions, the public, and stories
Each edition brings Olympic athletes, past champions, and current stars to Sturno. Over the years, Olympic medalists in fencing, judo, archery, and rowing have taken turns, alongside representatives of Campanian clubs like Avellino soccer and local basketball teams. The meetings are not mere photo opportunities: they are structured as storytelling sessions, featuring talks, Q&A sessions, and technical demonstrations on the field.
SSF Village, SSF Arena, and Fair Play Awards
The festival is built on three pillars. The SSF Village is the daytime space that hosts activities, tournaments, demonstrations, music, and dining. The SSF Arena is the digital platform that accompanies the event: by scanning QR codes scattered throughout the village, visitors can register their activities, accumulate points, and unlock missions and goals, turning the spectator into an active participant. Finally, the Fair Play Awards reward those who distinguish themselves through fairness, respect, and team spirit, rather than just results.
Not just sports: health, culture, and music
Alongside the competitions, the program dedicates ample space to preventive healthcare, with free screenings and medical check-ups, and to culture, with book presentations and talks on regional promotion. The evenings conclude with concerts, DJ sets, and shows that attract audiences from all over the Ufita Valley and neighboring provinces, while the food and wine areas offer typical Irpinian products.
Sturno and Irpinia
Sturno is located in the hinterland of Campania, in a hilly area of vineyards and chestnut groves, a short distance from Grottaminarda and Gesualdo. The festival was also born as a response to the depopulation of inland areas: for the organizers, bringing thousands of people to a municipal sports facility for a few days means demonstrating that sport can be a tool for community growth and regional development. It is this dual soul — competitive and civic — that makes the Sturno Sport Festival an interesting case in the landscape of Campanian summer events.
Sturno Sport Festival — edition 2026
Sturno Sport Festival 2026: the seventh edition
From August 11th to 14th, 2026, the «Il Castagneto» Municipal Sports Center in Sturno hosts the seventh edition of the Sturno Sport Festival, organized by the Agape Sport association, chaired by Vincenzo Famiglietti. The area transforms into an open-air Olympic village, with more than forty disciplines that the public can observe and try: soccer, fencing, tennis, volleyball, martial arts, archery, horse riding, and many others.
The calendar alternates competitions and demonstrations with in-depth talks, shows, evening concerts, and food areas, with a space dedicated to prevention thanks to health screenings and free medical check-ups. The big news for the 2026 edition is the SSF Arena, the digital platform that integrates missions, paths, and educational content: participants scan QR codes found in the village, accumulate points, and unlock goals. The Fair Play Awards also debut, recognizing athletes who distinguish themselves through fairness, respect, and loyalty.
Programme Sturno Sport Festival 2026
Four days at the «Il Castagneto» Municipal Sports Center, from August 11th to 14th, 2026.
- Tuesday, August 11th — opening ceremony with Olympic fencing champion Valentina Vezzali; opening of the SSF Village, competition fields, and the SSF Arena platform.
- Wednesday, August 12th — evening with Alberto Zaccheroni, coach of the 1998/99 Scudetto-winning Milan team.
- Thursday, August 13th and Friday, August 14th — continuation of tournaments, technical demonstrations, local talks, and evening shows, concluding with the Fair Play Awards ceremony.
Confirmed guests include Italian national rhythmic gymnastics team members Laura Paris, Dana Mugurean, Martina Centofanti, Alessia Maurelli, and Agnese Duranti, 2026 Italian table tennis champion Gaia Monfardini, karateka Erminia Perfetto, and a delegation from U.S. Avellino. On the musical front, Principe (Sanremo Giovani 2025) and Santiago are announced. Detailed schedules and further guests will be published progressively on the official website and the festival's social media channels.
Highlights Sturno Sport Festival 2026
- Over 40 sports disciplines to observe and practice, from soccer to fencing, archery to horse riding.
- Opening ceremony on August 11th with Valentina Vezzali.
- Rhythmic gymnastics national team champions and Alberto Zaccheroni among the guests.
- SSF Arena: the digital platform with QR codes, missions, and points that makes the audience the protagonist.
- Fair Play Awards, the 2026 novelty dedicated to sports values.
- Health screenings and free medical check-ups.
- Concerts, DJ sets, and food areas in the SSF Village.
Prices Sturno Sport Festival 2026
Practical information — Sturno Sport Festival
Location
Municipal Sports Complex «Il Castagneto», SP 38, 83055 Sturno (AV), Campania.
How to get there
Traveling by car is the most convenient option: exit at Grottaminarda on the A16 Naples-Canosa motorway, just a few kilometers from Sturno, and continue along the provincial roads of the Ufita Valley. For those arriving by train or bus, the main reference points are the bus lines serving the Grottaminarda and Avellino area.
Registration and contacts
Activities can be booked through the SSF Arena platform (arena.sturnosportfestival.it/iscriviti). Information and an updated program are available on the official website sturnosportfestival.it and on the festival's social media channels; Agape Sport organizational office: [email protected].
Tips
In August, the days are hot and the evenings are cool: it is advisable to bring sportswear, comfortable shoes, a hat, and water for the daytime, and a light sweatshirt for the evening shows. Parking near the facility fills up quickly on peak evenings: it is better to arrive early.
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Where does it take place — Sturno Sport Festival
Complesso Sportivo Il Castagneto
SP 38, 211, 83055 Sturno