Suoni sul Lago Folk Festival

A folk music festival in the heart of the National Park

The Suoni sul Lago Folk Festival is a celebration of folk and traditional music held every late August in the three villages overlooking Lake Barrea, in the province of L'Aquila: Barrea, Civitella Alfedena, and Villetta Barrea. Immersed in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, the festival transforms these small mountain communities for a full week into a vibrant laboratory of sounds, dances, and encounters, where music engages with the landscape, nature, and the traditions of the Abruzzo hinterland.

History and philosophy

The event began in 2001 in Civitella Alfedena under the name Civitella Alfedena Folk Festival, conceived by Tiziana Spini and Marco Delfino of the Mantice Association. Over the years, the festival has grown to include the municipalities of Barrea and Villetta Barrea, adopting its current name, Suoni sul Lago. Described by its organizers as the "festival of affections," the event has always prioritized a sense of community over large crowds: the capacity of the venues reflects the scale of the villages, and music often continues informally through the streets of the town, with jam sessions animating the festival's summer nights.

Music and programming

The program spans folk music, world music, and traditional repertoires: Italian folk songs, Mediterranean and Balkan sounds, dances and instruments of the rural tradition, alongside contemporary reinterpretations of folk heritage. Throughout its editions, the festival has featured evening concerts in the squares of the three villages, the evocative Night of the Drums with processions and percussion, and evenings dedicated to serenades and oral tradition music. All concerts are free of charge.

Workshops and dances

Alongside the concerts, Suoni sul Lago offers a rich program of educational workshops dedicated to the instruments and dances of folk tradition: percussion and frame drums, mandolin, organetto, and accordion, folk singing, as well as traditional dance masterclasses. Historically, the festival has also hosted Irish and Celtic dance workshops, with the participation of academies and specialized instructors, offering musicians, dancers, and curious visitors the chance to experience the roots of folk music firsthand.

The territory: the villages of Lake Barrea

The festival is set against the backdrop of three of the most picturesque villages in the mountainous Abruzzo region. Civitella Alfedena, perched on the slopes of Monte Sterpi d'Alto, is famous as a gateway to the Park and for observing Apennine wildlife; Barrea overlooks the lake from above with its medieval old town; Villetta Barrea stretches along the banks of the Sangro river. Participating in Suoni sul Lago means experiencing not only music but also hiking, pristine nature, and the genuine hospitality of these towns in the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park.