3rd Aubergine Festival in Drosi di Rizziconi, 13 August 2026

Piazza San Martino, Drosi · Rizziconi, Costa Viola, Calabria

13 August 2026

On Thursday 13 August 2026, from 9 pm, piazza San Martino in Drosi hosts the third edition of the Aubergine Festival, organised by the Drosi Attiva association. The evening combines tasting and live music, with Martina Mattiani, Enzo Argirò and Alberto Catania on stage. The aubergine is one of the vegetables that best tells the story of the cooking in this part of Calabria: in the Gioia Tauro plain it turns up stuffed, alla parmigiana, preserved in oil, in fritters, and it is an August dish par excellence. Drosi is the most populous hamlet of Rizziconi, just over eight hundred inhabitants two kilometres from the centre, with an ancient history behind it: it was a Statio Romana along the Via Popilia, the consular road that ran down towards the crossing to Sicily. The festival opens two consecutive Drosi Attiva evenings, because on 14 August the same square hosts the Peppe Sapone concert.

The evening: 13 August, from 9 pm, piazza San Martino

The third edition of the Aubergine Festival takes place on Thursday 13 August 2026 from 9 pm, in piazza San Martino in Drosi, a hamlet of Rizziconi. It is organised by the Drosi Attiva association and forms part of the municipality's «Rizziconi Agosto 2026» programme.

It is a young festival — its third edition — but placed at the right point in the calendar: the eve of Ferragosto, when the town is full and those who emigrated have come home. Alongside the tasting there is live music, with Martina Mattiani, Enzo Argirò and Alberto Catania.

Why the aubergine

In Calabria the aubergine is not one vegetable among many: it is one of the leads of summer cooking. In the Gioia Tauro plain you find it stuffed, alla parmigiana, fried and preserved in oil, made into fritters, served as a side or as a main dish. August is its full month, the one when it arrives in the fields and on the table at the same time.

A festival dedicated to the aubergine in a farming town of the plain therefore makes precise sense: it puts at the centre a product that is genuinely grown and cooked here, not a theme chosen at a desk. Rizziconi is an entirely flat municipality, with citrus groves and centuries-old olive trees, and agriculture remains its main activity.

The poster does not specify the menu for the evening.

Drosi, where the festival takes place

Drosi is the most populous hamlet of Rizziconi: just over eight hundred inhabitants, two kilometres from the centre of town. Its ancient name was Drusium and the place has a longer history than its size suggests — it was a Statio Romana along the Via Popilia, the consular road that crossed Calabria and ran down towards the crossing point for Sicily.

Piazza San Martino is the centre of village life and is the square hosting both Drosi Attiva evenings: the festival on the 13th and the concert on 14 August.

The next day: Peppe Sapone in the square

The festival is not an isolated event. On Friday 14 August, at 9 pm and in the same piazza San Martino, Drosi Attiva presents the Peppe Sapone concert, a «mastro cantaturi» of the Calabrian popular tradition, for an evening of tarantella and traditional music.

Anyone spending a few days in the area can therefore line up two consecutive evenings in the same village: the first around the table, the second around the dance.

Getting there and what to know

Drosi is reached by car from Rizziconi, two kilometres from the centre; the reference motorway exit on the A2 is Gioia Tauro, and the municipal area is crossed by the SS 111 road from Gioia Tauro to Locri. It is a small village: on feast nights it is worth arriving early and parking at the entrance.

The «Rizziconi Agosto 2026» poster lists no prices, tasting tickets or advance sales for the evening.

For a meal or a stop on other days you can see where to eat in Rizziconi and the businesses in the town. The full summer programme is on the Summer in Rizziconi 2026 page, and other events are in the events section.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Aubergine Festival in Drosi?

Thursday 13 August 2026, from 9 pm, in piazza San Martino in Drosi, a hamlet of Rizziconi in the province of Reggio Calabria. It is the third edition.

Who organises the festival?

The Drosi Attiva association, which the same weekend also runs the Peppe Sapone concert on 14 August. The festival is part of the municipality's «Rizziconi Agosto 2026» programme.

Who performs during the evening?

Live music is provided by Martina Mattiani, Enzo Argirò and Alberto Catania, as listed on the programme poster.

Do I need a ticket or a tasting voucher?

The poster lists no prices, tasting tickets or advance sales. The festival takes place in piazza San Martino, a public space in the village.

Where is Drosi?

It is the most populous hamlet of Rizziconi, with just over eight hundred inhabitants, two kilometres from the town centre, in the Gioia Tauro plain. In Roman times it was a Statio along the Via Popilia.

Are there other events in Drosi in those days?

Yes: on 14 August at 9 pm, in the same piazza San Martino, the Peppe Sapone concert takes place, also curated by Drosi Attiva.

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