Regional Carnival Farce Festival

Benestare · Benestare, Costa Viola, Calabria

8 August 2026 – 12 August 2026

Concluded event

Carnival farce takes centre stage in Benestare ’s cultural life with the first edition of the Regional Carnival Farce Festival. Scheduled to take place from 8 to 17 August 2026, the event celebrates one of the most distinctive expressions of Calabrian folk tradition through theatre, music, literature and cultural exploration. Characters, language, humour and collective participation tell the story of the communities and restore the farce’s theatrical, social and anthropological value. The events will take place at the Municipal Library and in various squares around the town. The programme: Saturday 8 August: at 7.00 pm, “Podcast with the author” at the Municipal Library.

Event details

At 10.00 pm, in Piazza della Memoria Civile, the literary introduction “Maschere senza tempo” by Maria Antonietta Cristarella precedes “U ceravellu non esti nenti”, a comedy by Luisa Longo performed by the I SognAttori theatre company from Ardore. Sunday 9 August: at 7.00 pm, another instalment of “Podcast with the Author” at the Municipal Library. At 10.00 pm, in Piazza della Memoria Civile, the Teatro fuoriSquadro theatre company from Caulonia presents “…E fuori nevica!”, a witty comedy by Vincenzo Salemme, preceded by “Maschere senza tempo” by Maria Antonietta Cristarella. Monday 10 August: at 10.00 pm, in Piazza della Memoria Civile, Paolo Sofia presents the concert “Four Friends at the Bar: The Dramaturgy of Song”. Tuesday 11 August: at 9.00 pm, in Piazza Ariapori, the unveiling of the mural “Farsa di Carnevale” and the conference “Socio-anthropology of the Carnival Farce”. Wednesday 12 August: at 7.00 pm, “Podcast with the author” at the Municipal Library. At 10.00 pm, in Piazza della Memoria Civile, the Yuppi du di Benestare Small Popular Theatre Company will stage “A storia ’i Carnalavari”, a carnival farce by Franco Belfari, preceded by a literary introduction by Maria Antonietta Cristarella. Friday 14 August: at 10.00 pm, in Piazza Dante, Cecè Barretta takes centre stage in the concert “La Festa in Scena!”. A project that recognises the carnival farce as a living heritage, capable of preserving collective memory and renewing itself through dialogue with contemporary theatre, music, literature, urban art and new narrative formats.

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