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Primavera dei Teatri 2026 Opens with Melancholic Tone

festival-fair · 2026-06-05

The Primavera dei Teatri festival, which has been running for 26 years thanks to Scena Verticale in a part of Italy without theaters, carries a heavy mood in its 2026 iteration. This feeling of sadness is amplified by tributes to three late thinkers: Laura Palmieri of Radio 3, Goffredo Fofi, and Giancarlo Cauteruccio, who has recently returned to Calabria. The festival's program notes, written in poetic form, reflect this sentiment: "Dark times / Times of raised screens and lowered gazes / Times when you wonder what the purpose is / of making theater, of creating culture […]." Saverio la Ruina and Dario De Luca are now the sole leaders of the festival following Settimio's departure.

Key facts

  • Primavera dei Teatri 2026 is characterized by melancholy.
  • The festival was founded 26 years ago by Scena Verticale.
  • The edition is dedicated to Laura Palmieri, Goffredo Fofi, and Giancarlo Cauteruccio.
  • Laura Palmieri worked for Radio 3.
  • Giancarlo Cauteruccio was a director who worked in Calabria.
  • The festival's notes are written in verse.
  • Directors are now Saverio la Ruina and Dario De Luca.
  • Settimio is no longer a director.

Entities

Artists

  • Giancarlo Cauteruccio
  • Saverio la Ruina
  • Dario De Luca

Institutions

  • Scena Verticale
  • Radio 3

Locations

  • Calabria
  • Italy

Sources