Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts
Classical music, jazz, dance, and literature in Vietri sul Mare
About Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts
A historic festival overlooking the Gulf of Salerno
The Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts have been a staple of the summer season in Vietri sul Mare for nearly thirty years. This town in the province of Salerno serves as the gateway to the Amalfi Coast and is world-renowned for its traditional ceramics. Launched in 1998 as an intimate chamber music series, the festival has evolved into a multidisciplinary event that gathers dozens of musicians, actors, and dancers by the sea every July.
The winning formula remains unchanged: open-air evening concerts, a repertoire spanning from the 18th century to contemporary music, and a strong commitment to young performers—particularly those from the «Giuseppe Martucci» State Conservatory of Salerno, a long-standing partner of the festival.
Villa Guariglia, the home of the festival
The festival takes its name from Villa Guariglia in Raito, a hillside hamlet of Vietri sul Mare. The estate—comprising the villa, an ancient chapel, the Belvedere Tower, and a vast park overlooking the sea—was donated to the Province of Salerno in 1970 by Raffaele Guariglia, a former ambassador and Foreign Minister. During World War II, the villa famously hosted King Victor Emmanuel III of Savoy. Today, the Belvedere Tower houses the Provincial Museum of Ceramics, inaugurated in 1981, which features local Vietri majolica, 19th-century utilitarian ceramics, and a celebrated section dedicated to the «German period».
Performing on that terrace, with the Gulf of Salerno opening up beneath the stage, is what made the festival iconic. In 2026, for logistical reasons, the program moved to the Municipal Villa of Vietri sul Mare and the Due Fratelli Belvedere in Piazza Max e Flora Melamerson, while maintaining the identity built over twenty-eight editions.
A multidisciplinary program
Each edition features around twenty evening events covering various artistic disciplines:
- Classical and chamber music: soloists, trios, string quartets, and ensembles from the «Martucci» Conservatory.
- Jazz, featuring nationally acclaimed artists and tributes to 20th-century legends.
- Singer-songwriter and pop music, often presented as tributes or chamber arrangements.
- Dance and musical theatre, featuring companies from the Campania region and multisensory projects.
- Literature: book presentations and meet-the-author sessions in the late afternoon, preceding the concerts.
The festival is conceived and directed by Antonia Willburger, with organization by CTA Salerno APS, supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Province of Salerno, the Salerno Chamber of Commerce, and the Carisal, Saccone, Coldiretti Salerno, and provincial ACLI foundations.
Vietri sul Mare, the gateway to the Coast
Vietri sul Mare is the first town on the Amalfi Coast when arriving from Salerno: colorful houses clinging to the hillside, the majolica-tiled dome of the church of San Giovanni Battista, ceramic workshops lining the streets, and the Marina beaches dominated by the Due Fratelli sea stacks. Attending a concert here means pairing music with a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, perhaps stopping before or after for a stroll through the ceramic factories or a dinner featuring Cetara anchovies and the local sfusato amalfitano lemon.
How to participate
Performances usually begin at 9:00 PM, while literary events are scheduled for 7:30 PM. Many evenings offer free admission—typically the opening night, book presentations, and the final concert. For other events, tickets are affordably priced between 5 and 13 euros, available online and on-site. It is advisable to arrive early: seating is limited, and the sunset view over the gulf is worth the wait.
Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts — edition 2026
«Mutations… the rhythms of time»
The twenty-ninth edition, presented on July 3, 2026, at Palazzo Sant'Agostino, chooses mutation as its central theme: the mutation of languages, genres, and spaces. This is indeed the edition of the move, from the historic terrace of Villa Guariglia in Raito to the Municipal Villa of Vietri sul Mare and the Due Fratelli Belvedere in Piazza Max e Flora Melamerson, with an off-site stop on August 2 in San Giovanni a Piro, in the Cilento region.
The program alternates between classical, jazz, singer-songwriter music, dance, and book presentations, under the artistic direction of Antonia Willburger and organized by CTA Salerno APS. Highly anticipated names include Karima with «Lifetime», trumpeter Flavio Boltro with the Leo Aniceto Quintet, violinist Maria Safaryants, the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, and saxophonist Marco Zurzolo, who closes the festival.
Open-air evenings and free admission
Performances almost all take place at 9:00 PM, while literary meetings open the evening at 7:30 PM. Many dates are free—the opening on July 8, book presentations, the Beatles tribute on July 16, the Cilento stop on August 2, and the finale on August 5—; for others, tickets range from 5 to 13 euros.
Programme Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts 2026
July 2026
- Wednesday, July 8, 9:00 PM — Opening night: screening of the short film «Divina» by the Sabatini-Menna Art High School, followed by «Narrating Rhythms» with the percussion ensemble of the «Giuseppe Martucci» State Conservatory of Salerno, featuring Carla Genovese, body percussion, and a string quartet. Free admission.
- Thursday, July 9 — Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina, tribute to Coldplay. Ticket 8 euros.
- Saturday, July 11 — Trio Mythos, 20th-century classical pieces. Ticket 8 euros.
- Tuesday, July 14 — «Days of Naples», narration, piano, and soprano voice. Ticket 8 euros.
- Wednesday, July 15, 7:30 PM — Presentation of the book «L'occasione Panzieri». Free admission.
- Wednesday, July 15, 9:00 PM — «Bawdy Black Pearls», multisensory project. Ticket 10 euros.
- Thursday, July 16, 7:30 PM — Presentation of the book «L'inferno dentro di me». Free admission.
- Thursday, July 16, 9:00 PM — «Come together!», from the Beatles to De Gregori. Free admission.
- Tuesday, July 21, 7:30 PM — Meeting with author Claudio Sestieri. Free admission.
- Tuesday, July 21, 9:00 PM — «Elogio del flauto». Ticket 8 euros.
- Wednesday, July 22 — «Emidio Cecchini» Arts Prize Gala, with pianist Gabriele Laura. Ticket 8 euros.
- Friday, July 24, 9:00 PM — «Life's Melody»: Flavio Boltro meets the Leo Aniceto Quintet (Leo Aniceto piano, Flavio Boltro trumpet, Jerry Popolo tenor sax/soprano sax/flute, Pierpaolo Bisogno vibraphone, Aldo Vigorito double bass, Lorenzo Tucci drums). Ticket 10 euros.
- Saturday, July 25, Due Fratelli Belvedere — «The Soul of the Violin», the great Russian violin school with Maria Safaryants. Ticket 8 euros.
- Monday, July 27 — Dance evening. Ticket 5 euros.
- Tuesday, July 28 — Tribute to Mango. Free admission.
- Wednesday, July 29, 9:00 PM — Karima in «Lifetime», accompanied on piano by Piero Frassi. Ticket 13 euros.
- Thursday, July 30 — «Imperium Animae» by Paolo Tortiglione, world premiere. Ticket 8 euros.
- Friday, July 31 — «The Art of the Piano Trio». Ticket 10 euros.
August 2026
- Saturday, August 1 — Tribute to saxophonist Larry Nocella. Ticket 8 euros.
- Sunday, August 2, 7:00 PM — Duo FiSax at the Cenobio di San Giovanni Battista, in San Giovanni a Piro (Cilento). Free admission.
- Tuesday, August 4 — Tribute to John Coltrane. Ticket 10 euros.
- Wednesday, August 5 — Grand finale with Marco Zurzolo, «The Sound of the Sea». Free admission.
The program is subject to change: updates are published on the festival's official channels.
Highlights Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts 2026
- Karima in «Lifetime» with Piero Frassi, Wednesday, July 29 at 9:00 PM on the Municipal Villa terrace.
- Jazz by Flavio Boltro and the Leo Aniceto Quintet in «Life's Melody», Friday, July 24.
- «The Soul of the Violin» with Maria Safaryants at the Due Fratelli Belvedere, Saturday, July 25.
- World premiere of «Imperium Animae» by Paolo Tortiglione, Thursday, July 30.
- Free finale on August 5 with Marco Zurzolo and «The Sound of the Sea».
- Off-site stop on August 2 at the Cenobio di San Giovanni Battista, in San Giovanni a Piro.
Prices Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts 2026
Practical information — Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts
Getting there
By train: Salerno station (Naples-Reggio Calabria line), then local bus or taxi to Vietri sul Mare, about 4 km away. Vietri also has a small train station on the local line.
By car: Take the Vietri sul Mare exit on the A3 Naples-Salerno motorway, then follow the SS163 Amalfitana. Note: parking in the town center is limited and summer traffic toward the coast is heavy; it is best to use paid parking lots and continue on foot.
By plane: Naples-Capodichino Airport (approx. 70 km) or Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi Airport in Pontecagnano (approx. 25 km).
Tickets
Many evenings are free to attend. For ticketed events, prices range from 5 to 13 euros and can be purchased online via the PostoRiservato platform or directly at the venue before the start of the show.
Tips
- Arrive at least half an hour early: capacity is limited and seating is unassigned for free events.
- Bring a light jacket: open-air evenings by the sea can be breezy.
- Program changes due to bad weather are announced on the festival's official channels.
- For accommodation, Vietri sul Mare offers B&Bs and guesthouses; alternatively, Salerno is just a few minutes away and offers a wider selection of hotels.
Information
CTA Salerno APS, Corso Garibaldi 142, Salerno — phone +39 089 226979 or +39 329 4158640 — [email protected]
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Where does it take place — Villa Guariglia Summer Concerts
Villa Comunale di Vietri sul Mare