Vesuvian Villas Festival (Portici stops)
Theatre, music, and dance in the 18th-century mansions of the Golden Mile, between Villa Mascolo and the Secret Garden of the Royal Palace of Portici
About Vesuvian Villas Festival
A historic festival in the heart of the Golden Mile
The Vesuvian Villas Festival is the major summer event that brings the 18th-century mansions of the Golden Mile to life every July—the famous sequence of noble villas built on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius along the royal road to Calabria. Promoted by the Fondazione Ente Ville Vesuviane, the festival is itinerant by nature: it travels through several municipalities of the Metropolitan City of Naples—Portici, Ercolano, Torre del Greco, San Giorgio a Cremano, and Naples-Barra—transforming courtyards, gardens, and monumental halls into open-air stages.
The formula has remained unchanged over the years: bringing high-quality live performances into an extraordinary architectural heritage, often little-known even to locals, at accessible prices. The artistic direction is led by Bruno Tabacchini, while the Foundation is presided over by Gennaro Miranda.
The Portici stops: Villa Mascolo and the Secret Garden of the Royal Palace
In Portici, in the province of Naples (Campania), the festival focuses on two charming locations. The first is Villa Mascolo, a two-level Vesuvian mansion with an asymmetrical facade, stucco decorations, and a staircase in piperno stone and wrought iron, set within a park of about 30,000 square meters—the second largest in Portici after the Royal Palace.
The second is the Secret Garden of the Royal Palace of Portici, a secluded corner of the Bourbon complex commissioned by Charles of Bourbon, now home to the Department of Agriculture of the University of Naples Federico II and the Botanical Garden. Here, performances take place in the early evening, as the sunset light over the Gulf accompanies the actors' voices.
Theatre, music, and dance: the soul of the programme
The lineup alternates between drama, concerts, and dance performances, with a recognizable common thread: Neapolitan culture and its ability to tell its own story. Over the various editions, great names of the Neapolitan and national scene have performed, alongside national premieres, reinterpretations of the repertoire of Eduardo Scarpetta and Eduardo De Filippo, tributes to classic Neapolitan song, and original productions dedicated to literary figures such as Matilde Serao or Luisa Sanfelice.
- Drama — one-act plays, monologues, and contemporary plays with a Neapolitan inspiration
- Music — auteur concerts, Neapolitan song, string ensembles, and symphonic orchestras
- Dance — contemporary creations designed for the open spaces of the villas
- Exhibitions and tours — exhibition paths that complement the evening programme
The Vesuvian villas, a heritage to rediscover
The over 120 villas of the Golden Mile were built in the 18th century by the Neapolitan aristocracy who followed the Bourbon court after the construction of the Royal Palace of Portici. This created an architectural system unique in Europe, where late Baroque architecture dialogues with the volcanic landscape and the sea. Many of these mansions have experienced decades of neglect: the festival also serves as a tool for valorization, as every evening reopens spaces to the public that would otherwise remain closed.
An accessible summer of culture
One of the festival's hallmarks is its pricing policy: tickets remain intentionally affordable, with discounts for under-25s and over-65s, and some evenings featuring symbolic entry fees. The stated goal is to welcome a wide audience into the villas, including families and residents of the Vesuvian municipalities.
Portici and Mount Vesuvius
Overlooking the Gulf of Naples and nestled between the sea and the volcano, Portici is one of the most densely populated cities in Italy and preserves a significant Bourbon heritage. Attending a festival performance is also an opportunity to discover the Royal Palace, the Vesuvius National Park just a few kilometres away, and the nearby archaeological site of Ercolano, all reachable in a few minutes along the Vesuvian coast.
Vesuvian Villas Festival — edition 2026
37th edition: «Lava Stones and Golden Crystals»
Presented at Villa Campolieto, the 2026 edition of the Vesuvian Villas Festival bears the signature of artistic director Bruno Tabacchini and runs from 3 to 29 July 2026 in six monumental venues of the Golden Mile. The chosen title, «The Age of the Golden Mile – Lava Stones and Golden Crystals», evokes the contrast between the volcanic material of the territory and the refinement of the 18th-century mansions.
The programme includes over twenty appointments, including drama, concerts, dance performances, and exhibitions, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Campania Region. The Fondazione Ente Ville Vesuviane is presided over by Gennaro Miranda, with Roberto Chianese as general manager.
The four evenings in Portici
In Portici, the festival is divided between Villa Mascolo, which hosts two major evenings at 9:00 PM, and the Secret Garden of the Royal Palace, where performances begin at 7:30 PM in a more intimate setting. Two out of four appointments are national premieres or reinterpretations of the classic Neapolitan repertoire.
The rest of the programme
Outside Portici, the 2026 edition features, among others, Serena Rossi with «SereNATA a Napoli», Giampaolo Morelli at Villa Bruno in San Giorgio a Cremano, the national premiere «Le verità di Luisa Sanfelice» at Villa Campolieto, and the grand finale on 29 July with the «Carmina Burana» by the Teatro di San Carlo.
Programme Vesuvian Villas Festival 2026
Stops in Portici — Vesuvian Villas Festival 2026
- Saturday 11 July, 9:00 PM — Villa Mascolo: Massimiliano Gallo in «Lettera ad Eduardo». Tickets €15 full / €10 reduced.
- Saturday 18 July, 9:00 PM — Villa Mascolo: Lina Sastri in «Voce 'e notte… La mia musica», dramaturgy and direction by Lina Sastri, with Adriano Pennino on piano. Tickets €15 full / €10 reduced.
- Tuesday 21 July, 7:30 PM — Royal Palace of Portici, Secret Garden: «La Scarpettiana nel Giardino Segreto», three one-act plays by Eduardo Scarpetta with Sergio Savastano, Vincenzo Vecchione, Vincenzo Bove, Vincenzo Sabatino, and Serena Cino. Tickets €5 full / €3 reduced.
- Saturday 25 July, 7:30 PM — Royal Palace of Portici, Secret Garden: «Leggende Napoletane» based on Matilde Serao, national premiere curated by Marco Prosperini. Tickets €5 full / €3 reduced.
Other stops of the 2026 edition
- 8 July — Serena Rossi, «SereNATA a Napoli»
- 22 July, 9:00 PM — Villa Bruno, San Giorgio a Cremano: Giampaolo Morelli, «Scomode verità e 3 storie vere»
- 23 July, 9:00 PM — Villa Campolieto, Ercolano: «Le verità di Luisa Sanfelice», national premiere with Ingrid Sansone
- 24 July — «Parthenope… Napoli è nata femmina», Aplomb company
- 29 July — Grand finale with «Carmina Burana» by the Teatro di San Carlo
Venues involved: Villa Campolieto (Ercolano), Palazzo Vallelonga and Villa delle Ginestre (Torre del Greco), Villa Mascolo and Royal Palace of Portici (Portici), Palazzo Bisignano and Villa Spinelli (Naples-Barra), Villa Bruno (San Giorgio a Cremano).
Highlights Vesuvian Villas Festival 2026
- Massimiliano Gallo with «Lettera ad Eduardo» at Villa Mascolo, 11 July
- Lina Sastri and Adriano Pennino in «Voce 'e notte… La mia musica», 18 July
- One-act plays by Eduardo Scarpetta in the Secret Garden of the Royal Palace of Portici
- National premiere «Leggende Napoletane» based on Matilde Serao
- Sunset performances in a Bourbon garden not normally accessible
Prices Vesuvian Villas Festival 2026
Practical information — Vesuvian Villas Festival
How to get there
By train: Portici-Ercolano station on the Naples-Salerno line (Trenitalia) or the Portici stop on the EAV Circumvesuviana line, both a short distance from the centre. By car: Portici exit from the A3 Naples-Salerno motorway; parking is limited near the villas, so it is better to travel on foot or by public transport. By plane: Naples-Capodichino Airport, about 15 km away.
Tickets
Online presale on the Etes.it circuit and the official website of the Fondazione Ente Ville Vesuviane. The box office at the performance venues opens at 6:00 PM on the days of the shows. Discounts are available for under-25s and over-65s.
Tips
Performances are held outdoors: it is useful to bring a light jacket for the evening. Arriving a little early allows you to visit the gardens before the start. For events in the Secret Garden of the Royal Palace, the time is early evening (7:30 PM) and capacity is limited: booking is highly recommended.
Where to stay
Portici offers B&B and hotel options along the Vesuvian coast; Naples is about twenty minutes away by train and remains the most convenient base for those combining the festival with visits to Ercolano and Pompeii.
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Where does it take place — Vesuvian Villas Festival
Villa Mascolo e Giardino Segreto della Reggia di Portici