Vesuvio Food Fest

Vesuvio Food Fest in Torre Annunziata

The Vesuvio Food Fest is a food and wine event that every summer turns the Molo Crocelle, in the port of Torre Annunziata, into a long promenade of flavors overlooking the gulf. Four evenings of Campanian street food, with Mount Vesuvius behind you and the sea in front: this is the formula that has made the event one of the most popular summer gatherings in the Oplontis area, in the metropolitan city of Naples, Campania.

«Comm Coce!», the taste that burns

The 2025 edition featured a slogan in local dialect, «Comm Coce!», a play on words that evokes both the authentic heat of Vesuvius and the enthusiasm for great food. The festival's claim, «sizzling flavors», perfectly summarizes its spirit: dishes served hot, queues in front of the ovens, and the scent of frying mingling with the salty air of the port. There is nothing polished here, and that is exactly the charm: you eat standing up or sitting at long tables, stroll from one stall to the next, and come back for dessert.

What to eat

The festival features about twenty stalls dedicated to local and regional excellence—there were 21 in 2025—with a selection covering almost the entire repertoire of Neapolitan street food, from pizza and fried seafood to classic dishes reinterpreted by industry professionals.

• Pizza: well-known names throughout the Vesuvius area, such as Vincenzo Capuano and Na Pizza by Armando La Rocca;
• Fried pizza: De Figliole and Isabella De Cham, two historic names of the Neapolitan tradition;
• Seafood and frying: I Diamanti del Mare for fried fish and Fish Pako for mussel soup;
• Pasta dishes: Osteria Annunziata and Bottiglieria 76;
• Sandwiches and meat: Le Carni and Raffinato's;
• Sweets: Poppella and 21 Grammi;
• Fruit and refreshments: Chalet Van Gogh.

Molo Crocelle, a square by the sea

The choice of location is no coincidence. Molo Crocelle, along Via Caracciolo, is the part of the port that the locals enjoy most on summer evenings: wide, flat, breezy, with a view that embraces the gulf on one side and the cone of Vesuvius on the other. The stalls open at 6:00 PM, but the busiest time is after sunset, when the temperature drops and the quay fills with families, groups of young people, and visitors arriving from neighboring towns.

A format touring Campania

The Vesuvio Food Fest brand is not limited to the Oplontis stop: in 2026, the festival was organized into several regional events, from the seaside park in Ercolano to the Cilento Outlet Village in Eboli, in the province of Salerno, where the program included show cooking, live radio broadcasts, and DJ sets alongside the food stalls. This shows that the formula—quality vendors, free entry, and scenic locations—has truly found its audience.

Torre Annunziata, between Oplontis and Vesuvius

Overlooking the Gulf of Naples and nestled at the foot of the volcano, Torre Annunziata is best known for the Oplontis archaeological site, with the famous Villa of Poppaea, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list along with the Vesuvius areas of Pompeii and Ercolano. It is also a city with an ancient pasta-making heritage, with a milling tradition that has defined its economy for generations. This context explains well why a festival dedicated to popular food here is not just a simple gastronomic fair, but a way of telling its own story.

When it takes place

The event is traditionally held in the first few days of August, in the middle of the beach season and close to the city celebrations for the Madonna della Neve, the patron saint of the city. For the new edition, it is worth keeping an eye on the official social media channels of the event, which remain the most up-to-date reference for dates, times, and the list of exhibitors.