# Valdemone Festival in Pollina

> The Valdemone Festival brings street theatre and circus to Pollina: three days of free shows in Finale and the village. In 2026, 31 July to 2 August.

- Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/valdemone-festival/
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/eventi/valdemone-festival.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/eventos/valdemone-festival.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/evenements/valdemone-festival-pollina.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/veranstaltungen/valdemone-festival.md)

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| 2026 edition | 31 July – 2 August 2026 |
| Where | Lungomare Marco Polo in Finale, squares of Pollina's old town (Piazza San Giuliano, Piazza Duomo, Piazza San Pietro) and Teatro Pietra Rosa, [Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/) |
| Category | Culture |
| Recurrence | Every year, late July-early August, three days (in 2023 and 2024 at the end of August) |
| Organiser | Comune di Pollina |
| Price | In 2025 and 2026 all shows were free, including the evening ones at the Teatro Pietra Rosa. |
| Source | https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/07/20/pollina-torna-capitale-del-teatro-di-strada-il-valdemone-festival-celebra-la-xvii-edizione/ (checked on 2026-10-19) |

## Programme

17th edition, free shows. Friday 31 July opening on the Lungomare Marco Polo in Finale with Artemakìa; Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August in the squares of Pollina with Heromacro, Mundo Costrini, Rašid Nikolić and street bands, evening shows at 9:30 pm at the Teatro Pietra Rosa and the Artists' Gala on Sunday.

The Valdemone Festival is Pollina's international street theatre and contemporary circus festival. For three days, between late July and early August, acrobats, clowns, jugglers, puppeteers and street bands perform on the Finale seafront, in the village squares and at the Teatro Pietra Rosa, the open-air theatre carved into the rock. The shows are free and designed for all ages. In 2026 the 17th edition ran from 31 July to 2 August.

## When is it held?

In the last two editions the festival moved to the turn of July and August: from 1 to 3 August 2025 and from 31 July to 2 August 2026. In 2023 and 2024 it had been held at the end of August, over two days. The 2027 dates haven't come out yet.

## A typical programme: the 2026 edition

The festival opens on Friday by the sea, in Finale, then moves up to the village for the weekend ([Madonie Press](https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/07/20/pollina-torna-capitale-del-teatro-di-strada-il-valdemone-festival-celebra-la-xvii-edizione/)):

| When (2026) | Where | What |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 31 July, 6:30 pm | Lungomare Marco Polo, Finale | Artemakìa (Italy), "Alice nel vortice delle meraviglie", roving show |
| Saturday 1 August, 5:30 pm | Piazza Duomo | Coolsound Street Band |
| Saturday 1 August, 6:15 pm | Piazza San Giuliano | Heromacro (Japan), "Ninja Geisha Show" |
| Saturday 1 August, 7 pm | Piazza San Giuliano | Mundo Costrini (Argentina/France), "Humanus Comicus" |
| Saturday 1 August, 9:30 pm | Teatro Pietra Rosa | Artemakìa, "Amanti di paglia" |
| Sunday 2 August, 5:30 pm | Piazza San Giuliano | Artemakìa, "Jumpin' Jacks" |
| Sunday 2 August, 6:15 pm | Piazza San Pietro | Rašid Nikolić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), "The Gipsy Marionettist" |
| Sunday 2 August, 7:15 pm | Piazza San Giuliano | Mundo Costrini, "Crazy Mozart" |
| Sunday 2 August, 9:30 pm | Teatro Pietra Rosa | Artists' Gala |

## The artists

The common thread is theatre that needs no words, made of body, music and play with the audience. In 2026 the most awaited guest was Artemakìa, the company of director and acrobat Milo Scotton, a Cirque du Soleil veteran, with three shows: the roving piece inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice, "Amanti di paglia" among scarecrows and wind, and "Jumpin' Jacks", acrobatics built on the game of tag.

The others were Mundo Costrini, the clown company founded by Argentine artist Sebastián Guz, with a comic concert about Mozart; the Japanese duo Heromacro, acrobatics and balancing inspired by ninjas and geishas; and Rašid Nikolić, a Bosnian Roma puppeteer, with the autobiographical story told by his wooden marionettes.

## The Teatro Pietra Rosa and the village

The festival evenings end at the Teatro Pietra Rosa, an open-air theatre built on the lines of a Greek theatre by adapting the rocky slope at the foot of the Torre di Maurolico, with a view of the sea. It was inaugurated in 1979. The rest of the village, from the Chiesa Madre to the Manna Museum, is on the [Pollina page](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/).

## Practical tips

- **Getting there.** From Cefalù to Pollina it's about 24 km, half an hour: head towards Messina as far as Finale and climb up to the village from there. From Palermo it's about 90 km, just under an hour and a half on the A19 and A20; by train get off at Pollina-San Mauro Castelverde station, in Finale (see [getting to the Madonie by car](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/roads/)). Sources don't mention car parks or shuttles for the festival.
- **Which day.** Friday for the roving show on the seafront, Saturday and Sunday for the village and the evenings at the Teatro Pietra Rosa.
- **Sleeping and eating.** See [where to stay in Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/where-to-stay/) and [where to eat in Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/where-to-eat/), including Finale by the sea.
- **Weather.** The shows are outdoors: check the [Pollina weather](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/weather/pollina/).

## Past editions

| Edition | Year | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14th | 2023 | 25-26 August | Edition devoted to women performers, eight companies; evening shows at the Teatro Pietrarosa ticketed |
| 15th | 2024 | 24-25 August | Juggling, acrobatics, music and clowning in the squares |
| 16th | 2025 | 1-3 August | First edition under the town's artistic direction, all shows free, evening DJ sets |
| 17th | 2026 | 31 July-2 August | Companies from four continents, opening on the Finale seafront |

Pollina has other summer events: the [Sagra della Manna](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-della-manna-pollina/) in August and the [Festa di San Giuliano](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-di-san-giuliano-pollina/) in July. Other festivals are in the [Madonie cultural events](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/culture/) calendar.

## Frequently asked questions

### When is the Valdemone Festival held?

In the last two editions between late July and early August: the 17th from 31 July to 2 August 2026, the 16th from 1 to 3 August 2025. In 2023 and 2024 it was held at the end of August, most recently on 24 and 25 August. The 2027 dates haven't been announced by the town of Pollina yet.

### Are the shows free?

In 2026 the programme offered free shows in the squares, on the seafront and at the Teatro Pietra Rosa, and in 2025 too all shows were free. In 2023, however, the evening shows at the Teatro Pietrarosa were ticketed.

### What kind of shows are there?

Street theatre, contemporary circus, clowning, acrobatics, juggling, puppetry and street bands, designed to be understood without words and by all ages. In 2026 there were companies from Italy, Japan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Argentina and France, including Artemakìa, founded by Milo Scotton, a Cirque du Soleil veteran.

### Where are the shows held?

The opening Friday on the Lungomare Marco Polo in Finale, the seaside district; on Saturday and Sunday in the squares of Pollina's old town, especially Piazza San Giuliano, with evening shows at 9:30 pm at the Teatro Pietra Rosa, the open-air theatre carved into the rock below the Torre di Maurolico.

### Who organises the festival?

The town of Pollina, with funding from the Città Metropolitana di Palermo and the regional Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment. Since 2025 the artistic direction has been in the hands of the town itself, a change noted by Balarm at the 16th edition.

## Sources

- [Madonie Press, programma della XVII edizione (2026)](https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/07/20/pollina-torna-capitale-del-teatro-di-strada-il-valdemone-festival-celebra-la-xvii-edizione/)
- [Il Cefalino, XVII edizione e spettacoli gratuiti (2026)](https://www.ilcefalino.it/pollina-ospita-la-xvii-edizione-del-valdemone-festival-tre-giorni-dedicati-al-teatro-di-strada-e-al-circo-contemporaneo/)
- [Madoniedintorni, il Valdemone Festival 2026](https://madoniedintorni.com/2026/07/20/a-pollina-torna-il-valdemone-festival/)
- [Balarm, sedicesima edizione (2025)](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/valdemone-festival-circo-e-musica-gli-artisti-di-strada-colorano-il-borgo-di-pollina-138920)
- [Balarm, quindicesima edizione (2024)](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/festival-internazionale-di-teatro-di-strada-e-nuovo-circo-il-valdemone-a-pollina-133322)
- [Balarm, quattordicesima edizione (2023)](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/valdemone-il-festival-di-teatro-e-circo-di-strada-tutto-al-femminile-a-pollina-126962)

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Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/valdemone-festival/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.