Un tuffo al cuore

A singing competition in the heart of the Nettuno summer

Un tuffo al cuore is one of the most popular events in the summer calendar of Nettuno, a seaside town in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. It is an amateur singing competition open to non-professional singers, designed to give a voice to enthusiasts from the local area and the nearby Roman and Pontine coast. The formula is simple and well-tested: a long selection phase spread across summer evenings, followed by a final in the main square that concludes the journey in front of the largest audience of the season.

How the competition works

The competition consists of eight selection evenings in July, during which a total of about one hundred participants perform. Each evening features a showcase of Italian and international song interpretations, with an audience that attends for free and cheers on the contestants. The best performers advance to the final, traditionally scheduled for Ferragosto, on August 15th, in Piazza Cesare Battisti, Nettuno's open-air living room overlooking the city center.

• Amateur competition, open to emerging voices of all ages
• Eight selection evenings in July
• Approximately one hundred total participants
• Final on Ferragosto in Piazza Cesare Battisti
• Artistic direction by Elsa Casano

Who organizes it

The event is promoted by the Pro Loco Nettuno, in collaboration with the Municipality of Nettuno, and is part of the Estate nettunese (Nettuno Summer) program, which enlivens the city from June to September with concerts, open-air cinema, shows, sports events, and festivals. The artistic direction of the competition is curated by Elsa Casano. The return of the event, after several years of absence, has been welcomed as a sign of the recovery of the city's cultural programming.

The setting: Nettuno and its summer

Overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea just over sixty kilometers from Rome, Nettuno preserves a medieval village enclosed within the Sangallo walls, the Forte Sangallo, and a seafront that becomes the center of city life in summer. The city is also known for the Sanctuary of Santa Maria Goretti, a destination for pilgrims from all over Italy, and for its long tradition linked to baseball, a sport that has a practically unique history here in the Italian landscape. In this context, an open-air singing competition represents a deeply popular form of entertainment, bringing together residents and vacationers on the warmest evenings of the year.

Atmosphere and audience

The evenings have the convivial tone of summer festivals on the Lazio coast: an open-air stage, chairs arranged in the square, families, groups of friends, and curious passersby. There are no big names on the bill, but the direct participation of the community: the value of the event lies precisely in showcasing local voices. The Ferragosto final, which coincides with the peak of tourist season, is the night to mark on the calendar.

Tips for your visit

Those arriving for the final can combine the evening with a day at the beach and a walk through the medieval village, which is particularly evocative at sunset. During the same weeks, the Estate nettunese program offers numerous other free events, from open-air cinema in the neighborhoods to shows in the square, making it easy to put together a rich weekend without spending much.