The Voice of Places – Music Festival
The summer solstice concert at the Capelli di Venere Waterfall Oasis, in the Cilento National Park
About Casaletto Spartano Music Festival
Music at sunset among the Cilento waterfalls
Every June 21st, on the day of the summer solstice, the Music Festival sweeps across Italy and Europe with thousands of free concerts. In Casaletto Spartano, a small town in the province of Salerno overlooking the inner side of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, the event takes the form of an open-air concert hosted in one of the most photographed spots in southern Campania: the Capelli di Venere Waterfall Oasis, where the Rio Casaletto flows through moss and ferns, creating the curtain of water that gave the site its name.
«The Voice of Places», the guiding theme
The title of the initiative reflects the theme chosen for the 2026 Music Festival: an invitation to tell the story of the cultural, landscape, and identity heritage of local territories through the universal language of music. For a mountain town in the Cilento hinterland, this is more than just a slogan: it means taking the stage out of concert halls and entrusting it to a natural setting that, for one evening, becomes a cultural space in its own right.
A shared project between Basilicata and Cilento
The event stems from the meeting of three entities. The Amici della Musica del Lagonegrese, an association active since 1975 in Lagonegro, Basilicata, and known primarily for the International Guitar Festival of Lagonegro, chose Casaletto Spartano as the inaugural stop of their concert season. Alongside them are the Compagnia Teatrale Casalettana, a local theatrical group, and the Municipality of Casaletto Spartano, which provides the oasis. The association's president, Pietro Cantisani, explained that opening the season in such a place means uniting the beauty of art with one of the country's most precious natural treasures, in a collaborative effort between entities and associations that transcends regional borders.
The Capelli di Venere Waterfall Oasis
The oasis is located just outside the town, along the Provincial Road 16, and is equipped with trails, a picnic area with tables and barbecue spots, restrooms, parking, and a children's play area. The waterfall owes its name to the maidenhair fern (capelvenere) that carpets the damp walls of the gorge: a cool environment even in June, with clear pools and wooden walkways that allow you to get close to the falls. It is one of the most visited sites in the Cilento hinterland and, for the concert, it transforms into a natural amphitheater.
What atmosphere to expect
No large stages or barriers: the audience listens while sitting on stone steps and lawns, often after having hiked the oasis trails in the afternoon. The timing, set for the late afternoon, allows you to enjoy the light fading through the chestnut trees and to extend the evening in the village. The format is that of the European Music Festival: free participation, eclectic repertoires alongside popular styles, and a focus on the location rather than the spectacle.
Casaletto Spartano and the Cilento hinterland
Casaletto Spartano has just over a thousand inhabitants and is one of the southernmost municipalities in the province of Salerno, bordering Basilicata: hence the natural bond with the Lagonegrese area. The town preserves a rural fabric made of hamlets, mills, and springs, and thrives on slow tourism consisting of hiking, rustic gastronomy, and visits to the oasis. The solstice concert is now one of the moments that best captures this vocation: widespread culture, community spirit, and landscape enhancement.
In brief
- When: June 21st, the day of the summer solstice and the Music Festival.
- Where: Capelli di Venere Waterfall Oasis, Casaletto Spartano (SA), Cilento National Park.
- Organizers: Amici della Musica del Lagonegrese, Compagnia Teatrale Casalettana, Municipality of Casaletto Spartano.
- Concert admission: Free.
- For whom: Live music lovers, families, hikers, and visitors to the Cilento region.
Casaletto Spartano Music Festival — edition 2026
The 2026 solstice at Capelli di Venere
The 2026 edition was held on Sunday, June 21, at 6:00 PM at the Capelli di Venere Waterfall Oasis, in the heart of the Cilento National Park. The event opened the concert season of the Amici della Musica del Lagonegrese, realized together with the Municipality of Casaletto Spartano and the Compagnia Teatrale Casalettana, with the collaboration of the International Guitar Festival of Lagonegro.
A bridge between Miles Davis and Neapolitan song
On the natural stage of the waterfall, the group Max Puglia & S(i)esta Napoletana Ensemble performed with an original project created for the centenary of Miles Davis's birth: the lyricism of «Siesta» meets Neapolitan folk singing and villanelle, in a work that weaves research, tradition, and experimentation.
The national theme
«The Voice of Places» is the theme chosen for the 2026 Music Festival throughout Italy: an invitation to enhance, through music, the cultural, landscape, and identity heritage of local territories. In Casaletto Spartano, the theme was taken literally, bringing the concert inside the oasis. The association's president, Pietro Cantisani, emphasized how opening the program in an extraordinary place like the Capelli di Venere Waterfalls means uniting the beauty of art with one of the country's most precious natural treasures.
Programme Casaletto Spartano Music Festival 2026
Sunday, June 21, 2026 — Capelli di Venere Waterfall Oasis
- 6:00 PM — Concert by Max Puglia & S(i)esta Napoletana Ensemble, an original project dedicated to Miles Davis on the centenary of his birth: the lyricism of «Siesta» meets Neapolitan folk singing and villanelle.
The ensemble
- Max Puglia — electric guitar
- Mario Sellitto — electric bass and effects
- Massimiliano Segatori — soprano sax
- Annamaria Bozza — vocals and effects
- Gianluca Salerno «Xango» — percussion
Inaugural event of the 2026 concert season of the Amici della Musica del Lagonegrese, in collaboration with the Municipality of Casaletto Spartano, the Compagnia Teatrale Casalettana, and the International Guitar Festival of Lagonegro.
Highlights Casaletto Spartano Music Festival 2026
- Sunset concert at the Capelli di Venere Waterfall Oasis, one of the most evocative natural spots in the Cilento.
- Max Puglia & S(i)esta Napoletana Ensemble: quintet with electric guitar, bass, soprano sax, vocals, and percussion.
- Tribute to Miles Davis on the centenary of his birth, intertwined with the Neapolitan folk repertoire and villanelle.
- Summer solstice evening as part of the European Music Festival, on the theme «The Voice of Places».
- Collaboration between Basilicata and Cilento: Lagonegro association, Municipality, and local theater company together.
Prices Casaletto Spartano Music Festival 2026
Practical information — Casaletto Spartano Music Festival
How to get there
By car: take the Buonabitacolo exit on the A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, then the fast-track road towards Caselle in Pittari and the provincial road to Casaletto Spartano; after passing the town center, the Capelli di Venere Waterfall Oasis can be reached in a few minutes along the SP16. Parking is available next to the entrance of the equipped area. The nearest train station is Sapri, on the Tyrrhenian line, from which you can continue by car.
Opening hours and access to the oasis
The equipped area is generally open from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM; access to the oasis requires an entrance fee of 3 euros per person, which includes the waterfalls, trails, picnic area, and facilities. The Music Festival concert, however, has free admission. Reservations are recommended for large groups.
Tips
Bring closed-toe shoes with non-slip soles: the walkways and rocks near the waterfall are often wet. Even in mid-summer, the gorge remains cool, so a light sweater for the evening is useful. The picnic area is equipped with barbecue points (charcoal must be brought from home). For information: Municipality of Casaletto Spartano, Via Nazionale 226, tel. +39 0973 374285.
Where to stay
Widespread accommodation including farmhouses (agriturismi) and B&Bs in Casaletto Spartano, Caselle in Pittari, Torraca, and Morigerati; the coast of Sapri and Policastro Bussentino, about twenty minutes away, offers hotels and seaside resorts.
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 — Casaletto Spartano Music Festival
Oasi Cascate Capelli di Venere
Oasi Cascate Capelli di Venere, Strada Provinciale 16, 84030 Casaletto Spartano