CALABRIA to EXPERIENCE in FESTIVALS

Some of the Traditional & Religious Festivals among hundreds:

⛪ I Vattienti di Nocera Terinese (Easter Week, Nocera Terinese)

A dramatic Good Friday ritual where barefoot penitents known as Vattienti self-flagellate with a wooden disk wrapped in thorns as an act of faith.

🚶‍♂️ La Festa della Madonna della Consolazione (2nd Saturday in September, Reggio C.)

The largest religious festival in Calabria. A grand procession of the Virgin Mary moves through the streets, accompanied by prayers, music, and fireworks.

🏹 Festa di San Giorgio (April 23, Cittanova & San Giorgio Morgeto)

A festival honoring Saint George with historical reenactments, parades, and feasting.

🔥 Festa della Candelora (February 2, Bagnara Calabra)

A pre-Christian festival mixed with Catholic tradition, where candles are lit to bless the new year, and processions and feasts fill the town.

🍷 Food & Wine Festivals

🌶️ Peperoncino Festival (Early September, Diamante)

A spicy festival dedicated to Calabria’s famous chili pepper, featuring cooking shows, pepper-eating contests, and traditional Calabrian cuisine.

🍷 Sagra del Vino, dei funghi e della Castagna (October, Serra San Bruno)

A celebration of local wine and chestnuts, featuring live music, street food, and tastings of Calabria’s best autumnal products.

🍊 Bergamot Festival (Winter, Reggio Calabria & Locri area)

A tribute to Calabria’s rare citrus fruit, featuring bergamot-infused foods, perfumes, and liqueurs.

🐟 Sagra del Pesce Spada (July, Bagnara Calabra & Scilla)

A swordfish festival where locals gather for grilled pesce spada, fresh from the Tyrrhenian Sea.

🎶 Music & Cultural Festivals

🪕 Tarantella Festival (August, Caulonia)

A week-long festival celebrating Calabria’s famous Tarantella dance, with live folk music, dance performances, and workshops.

📚 Festival delle Serre (September, Cerisano)

A cultural festival featuring classical music, jazz, art exhibitions, and theater performances.

🎸 Roccella Jazz Festival (August, Roccella Ionica)

One of the most important jazz festivals in Italy, attracting international jazz musicians to Calabria’s Ionian coast.