402nd Festino di Santa Rosalia
402nd Festino di Santa Rosalia
Odd Agency once again leads the artistic direction and co-production of one of Italy’s most significant cultural and performing arts events: a centuries-old ritual that transforms Palermo into an international stage every year. The project reinterprets a heritage of faith, art and culture through contemporary forms of expression, renewing its imagery and extending its relevance far beyond the city’s borders.This edition weaves together two distinct eras — the Norman period and the story of Saint Rosalia — as part of a single journey: one that moves from conflict to coexistence, and from solitude to a shared sense of belonging.
Innovation and artistic vision
This edition carried forward an idea of beauty that is alive and rooted in the city’s history, yet expressed through contemporary languages: monumental video mapping on the Royal Palace and on the baroque façades of Quattro Canti, an original three-act dramaturgy, live music, choreography, drone swarms and newly conceived stage engineering. The triumphal float, designed by architect Mario Cucinella, was not only a powerful visual symbol — a living bio-float, an ascending botanical garden inspired by the Genoardo and the Arab-Norman gardens — but also the narrative device from which the new statue of Santa Rosalia, created by Filippo Sapienza and wrapped in around 300 luminous butterflies, emerged.
- Luca Pintacuda
- Nino Serafino
- Lidia Falletta
- Fabrizio Pedone
- Albert Julius Cabri
- Davide Silvestri
- Claudia Rago
- Caterina Saverino
#festino2026 #tradizione_innovation #videomapping #immersiveexperience #community #publicart
402nd Festino di Santa Rosalia
FROM DRAMA COMES RITUAL, FROM RITUAL COMES COMMUNITY
The event unfolded across the five traditional stages of the Cassaro — Palazzo dei Normanni, the Cathedral, Quattro Canti, Porta Felice and Foro Italico — preceded by a surprise opening kept confidential until the evening itself. Each stage combined theatrical performance, choreography, live music, architectural projections and moments of strong emotional impact, culminating in the collective greeting "Viva Palermo e Santa Rosalia" at Quattro Canti. Over 300 artists, technicians, performers, set designers, light designers, stage crew, actors, musicians, writers and designers, companies and professionals from the cultural industry took part in the production — a colophon that maps Palermo's creative talent, much of it recognised nationally and internationally as well.
DATA
402° Festino di Santa Rosalia
402nd Festino di Santa Rosalia A record turnout for the city of Palermo.
PALERMO
spectators
Over 400,000 spectators took part in the “Festino of records,” clearly surpassing the forecasts of the eve.
professionals
Over 300 artists, technicians, performers, set designers, light designers, stage crew, actors, musicians, writers and designers, companies and professionals from the cultural industry took part in the production.
stages
The five traditional stages of the Cassaro, preceded by a surprise opening with a cameo by the “Norman” players of Palermo F.C.
extraordinary performers
Dario Aita, Giusy Buscemi and Ester Pantano brought to life the original texts written by Odd Agency.
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The 402nd Festino confirmed and relaunched the quality standard set by previous editions, combining organisational rigour, creative freedom and a strong investment in the human and communal dimension of the event. The choice of a cross-media approach engaged audiences in an immersive, poetic and popular experience — a collective experience able to renew itself every year while staying true to its deepest identity. Likely the Festino with the greatest public turnout in recent history.
