FESTA ITALIA 2022
The brainchild of Bruno Buccelli of Buccelli’s Café and Osteria, who organised the first Festa Italia in 2018 with fellow entrepreneur Paul Cusimano of Joseph+Co, the festival takes full advantage of Lancaster’s beautiful historic backdrop. In fact, it is the perfect location for an Italian event – after all, Lancaster was ruled by the Romans for over four hundred years. Visitors will love its stunning architecture, culture, ease of access and retail and hospitality offerings, with around 70% of the latter being independently owned!
Festa Italia is a week to celebrate all things Italian, right in the heart of Lancaster. With its food stalls, supercars, Ducati bikes, live music, and entertainment in the streets, the popular event attracts crowds to the city centre every time.
Food and drink
Many of Lancaster’s fantastic hospitality venues will be offering special Italian-themed food and drink, so why not treat yourself and book one of the many fantastic rooms available for the night. It’s sure to be a spectacular event, so make sure you don’t miss out!
Best Actor Award
This year, the event will include the presentation of a ‘Best Actor’ Award to none other than Alessio Vassallo, best known in the UK for his role as Mimì Augello in the series Young Montalbano, broadcast on BBC 4. The ceremony will take place in The Storey auditorium on Friday 27 May at 3 pm. The award is organised by ‘Totally Local Lancaster’ with the support of the online newspaper cinemaitaliano.info.
The award will become a permanent fixture of the Festa and will be expanded upon in subsequent editions, with showings of films and series that are strictly ’made in Italy’.
Tribute to Italy performance
On 24 May, the beautiful old Grand Theatre will host an evening of Italian music and dance with a concert by players from Lancaster’s very own Haffner symphony orchestra and a performance by Turning Point Theatre Arts. The Haffner quintet will play famous pieces such as Nessun Dorma and other popular all-Italian pieces.
And these are just the highlights. As usual, there will be a surprise around every corner.
Keen to find out more? Then head on over to the Festa Italia Facebook page. Andiamo!
Has this event whetted your appetite? Fear not, there is plenty more happening in the North West this year (you might want to cancel that holiday!):
- Taste Liverpool
- Morecambe Vegan Festival
- A Taste of Chorley
- Africa Oye
- Altrincham Festival
- Lytham Festival
- Tatton Park Foodies Festival
- The Garstang Show
- The Cartmel Show
- Kendal Calling
- Clitheroe Food Festival
- Fylde Coast Food and Drink Festival
- Manchester Reggae Festival
- Bolton Food and Drink Festival
- Creamfields North
- Wirral Food, Drink and Music Festival
- Festa Italiana Manchester
- Manchester Food and Drink Festival
- We Invented the Weekend, Salford, 10/11 September. More info coming soon.
- The Great British Food Festival
And much, much more. I challenge anyone to get bored over the next few months!
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