It's Great to Be Small: the theatre, music and circus festival at the Teatro dei Piccoli starting September 11th.

È Grande Essere Piccoli , the contemporary theatre, music and circus festival promoted and co-financed by the Municipality of Naples as part of the 2026/2027 cultural programme, curated by Casa del Contemporaneo in collaboration with Mostra d'Oltremare , Teatro dei Piccoli , i Teatrini and Progetto Sonora , kicks off on 11 September.

For over a month, the theater spaces and gardens of the Mostra d'Oltremare become a meeting place for entertainment, music, circus, workshops, and interaction. It begins with a performance in the historic center and continues on weekends until October 25th , with admission starting at €5.

What is It's Big to Be Small

The event is among the 55 projects selected by Action Line 2 of the Cultura Napoli 2026 call for proposals, which envisages a total investment of approximately 2 million euros to animate all the city's municipalities until March 2027. This plan was promoted by the municipal administration to support the quality of projects and strengthen the role of cultural operators.

The festival previews the Teatro dei Piccoli 's new season with a special project that expands the offerings for children and younger generations , transforming the theater into a permanent cultural center, an educational space, and a creative hub open to the city. To find your way around this month's events, it's also worth checking out our guide to what to do in Naples in September.

The program of the review

Opening in the historic center: Bubble Rickshaw

On Friday 11 September the show starts from the historic centre of Naples with Bubble Risciò , the soap bubble sound machine created by Michele Cafaggi (Studio TA-DAA!, Milan), repeated on Saturday 12 September in the pedestrian areas of the Municipality X.

The inauguration party at the Teatro dei Piccoli

From the afternoon of Saturday, September 12th, the program moves to the Teatro dei Piccoli , with weekend events until October 25th . The inauguration is a celebration of clowning, soap bubbles, and circus theater with Fish&Bubble by Michele Cafaggi, CircoLetto by La Baracca dei Buffoni with the Morks of Arzano, and the music workshop by Progetto Sonora.

The shows on the billboard

• The Tour of the Square di Madame Rebinè: tribute to cycling champions Bartali, Coppi and Pantani and to the issues of sustainable mobility.
• Sonora Junior Sax: the concert with seventy very young saxophonists.
• A scary snack di Theatre (Lamezia Terme/Catanzaro).
• Human Voices of the ensemble Future Orpheus from Bari: ancient music, electronic music and the words of Pasolini and Calvino.
• The concert of the emerging guitarist Nino D'Amico.
• Cerini Circus di Creme&Brulè Show (Rome).
• The Fables of Wisdom de the little theatres.
• Close Encounters with the People of the Forest, Elfolandia of Company of Puffs from Castellammare di Stabia, traveling show.
• Children's concerts of the Sonora Chamber Ensemble.
• Closing Vesumeus, Antidotum Tarantulae, dedicated to the musical heritage of the Medieval and Renaissance Naples.

Workshops for children and families

Alongside the shows, there will be reading and creative writing workshops , musical experimentation courses and theatrical activities dedicated to the construction of masks and puppets , which on some days precede the performances.

Info

Place: Teatro dei Piccoli, Via Usodimare, Mostra d'Oltremare, Naples (opening September 11 in the historic center)
Order date: From September 11th to October 25th 2026, weekend performances
Working time: appointments at 17:00 pm, 19:00 pm and 20:00 pm
Entrance: 5 €
Booking: info on casadelcontemporaneo.it and teatrodeipiccoli.it

The program is subject to change. The complete schedule and updates are available on the official websites of Casa del Contemporaneo and Teatro dei Piccoli and on their social media pages.

FAQ

Where does It's Great to Be Small take place?
The exhibition is held at Theater of the Little, in the spaces and gardens of the Mostra d'Oltremare of Naples. The opening on September 11th is instead scheduled for Old Town of the city.

How much is the ticket?
The entrance ticket costs 5 €.

When are the shows held?
The appointments take place in weekend from September 12th to October 25th, with times at 17:00 pm, 19:00 pm and 20:00 pm.

Is this a child-friendly event?
Yes, the review is designed for childhood and new generations, with theatre, music and circus shows and workshops suitable for families.