Santarcangelo Festival 2026: Deep Pressures explores the body as political space
The 56th Santarcangelo Festival, named Deep Pressures, is set to take place from July 3 to 12, 2026, in Santarcangelo, Italy, and will be the last edition curated by artistic director Tomasz Kirenczuk. This year’s festival will showcase more than 100 events that delve into themes of political, social, economic, and emotional pressures, with a strong emphasis on feminist, queer, anti-racist, and decolonial perspectives. Notable performances will include contributions from Marah Haj Hussein, Nur Garabli, Ali Chahrour, Yuck Miranda, among others. Following a decline in its artistic quality rating, the festival will broaden its reach to Forlì-Cesena and San Marino. Additionally, the town council has acknowledged the artistic village of Mutonia as a 'good of prevailing public and cultural interest.'
Key facts
- Santarcangelo Festival 2026 is titled Deep Pressures.
- The festival runs from July 3 to 12, 2026.
- It is the final edition under artistic director Tomasz Kirenczuk.
- Over 100 events are planned in the town of Santarcangelo, Italy.
- The program focuses on feminist, queer, anti-racist, and decolonial practices.
- Key artists include Marah Haj Hussein, Nur Garabli, Ali Chahrour, Yuck Miranda, Wissal Houbabi, Jana Jacuka, Liquid Loft, Bast Hippocrate, Gaetano Palermo, Michele Petrosino, and Wojciech Grudziński.
- The festival faced an unjustified cut in its ministerial artistic quality score last year.
- The festival expanded its social base to include Forlì-Cesena province and San Marino.
- Mutonia artistic village was declared a 'good of prevailing public and cultural interest' by the town council.
Entities
Artists
- Tomasz Kirenczuk
- Marah Haj Hussein
- Nur Garabli
- Ali Chahrour
- Agnietė Lisičkinaitė
- Igor Shugaleev
- Yuck Miranda
- Wissal Houbabi
- Jana Jacuka
- Liquid Loft
- Bast Hippocrate
- Gaetano Palermo
- Michele Petrosino
- Wojciech Grudziński
- Noemi Ruggeri
Institutions
- Santarcangelo Festival
- Mambo Bologna
- Albergo Zaghini
- Bloom network
- Festival Spa
- Kem
- Centrale Fies
- Artribune
Locations
- Santarcangelo
- Italy
- Romagna
- Bologna
- Mozambique
- Lebanon
- Palestine
- Lithuania
- Belarus
- Ukraine
- Latvia
- Austria
- Morocco
- Poland
- Forlì-Cesena
- San Marino
- Piazza Ganganelli
- Baden Powell Park
- Mutonia