WakEUp — European Union Festival

A festival entirely dedicated to Europe

WakEUp is the festival that brings Lavis, a municipality in the Autonomous Province of Trento in Trentino-Alto Adige, to life every May with a precise and ambitious theme: understanding the European Union. The initiative was started by a group of local young people eager to bring the debate on the past, present, and future of the European project to their town, and it is now organized by the Municipality of Lavis through its youth policy department.

A think-tank on the future of Europe

WakEUp is more than just a local event: it is a true laboratory for thinking about international politics. Through conferences, participatory workshops, exhibitions, and discussions, the festival promotes high-level dialogue on European institutions and, more broadly, on the spirit that drove the continent's peoples to unite after the horrors of the two world wars. Over the years, thanks to international exchanges, it has brought young people from various countries to Lavis.

Europe Day at the Urban Park

The beating heart of the festival is Europe Day, celebrated around May 9th, the anniversary of the famous speech by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, who in 1950 called for greater cooperation in Europe. In Lavis, the day comes to life at the Urban Park Amphitheatre with an afternoon packed with activities designed to celebrate cultural diversity and European values in a festive, participatory way.

• Five-a-side football tournament (Eurocalcetto) and games
• Language tables to discover Europe's many tongues
• "Create your own flag" workshop and Euroquiz
• Face painting (Eurotrucchi) for the little ones
• Live music, themed debates, and food

Workshops, exhibitions, and conferences

The program spans the entire month of May with events scattered throughout the town. The library hosts participatory workshops and exhibitions dedicated to the history of European integration, while Palazzo de Maffei hosts conferences featuring scholars and experts discussing current geopolitical and economic issues. It is a journey that weaves together education, historical memory, and a focus on the present.

An event for the whole community

WakEUp is designed for a wide audience: adults, teenagers, families, and children. All events are free, transforming Lavis for a few weeks into a small observatory on Europe, where active citizenship meets celebration and fun. It is a model of youth participation that has become a benchmark in the Trentino region.