Napoli Fringe Festival 2025, shows and workshops throughout the city

With the title "Naples 2500“, the capital of Campania celebrates the 2500th anniversary of its foundation with a calendar of extraordinary events. Among these, the Naples Fringe Festival, a widespread review dedicated to contemporary languages ​​of live performance, designed to transform the city into a open-air stageThe festival will start on 28 May 2025 and will end in December, with artistic stages spread over several months and territories. A months-long celebration that enhances local identities and creative networks, inspired by the famous Edinburgh Fringe but with an original and Neapolitan look.

A format that enhances the city and its suburbs

Il Naples Fringe Festival It is not limited to the city centre: it embraces the entire city, from historic districts including Fork e Porta Capuana, Up to Secondigliano, Bagnoli e San Giovanni a TeduccioThe goal is to build a model polycentric and inclusive, capable of uniting show, participation and urban regeneration. Beyond 350 project proposals came from local, national and international artists. A clear sign of the cultural vivacity of Naples and the appeal of the project.

The disciplines involved and the symbolic places

The program will involve theatre, dance, music, street art, literature, visual and digital arts. The performances will come to life in unconventional spaces including parks, courtyards, beaches, metro stops (like Toledo) and historical places:

• Real Albergo dei Poveri
• Santa Maria delle Anime of Purgatory in Arco
• Vergilian Park in Piedigrotta
• Palazzo Donn'Anna
• Monte Echia

A strategic choice to promote accessibility and public involvement, even in contexts usually on the margins of the cultural circuit.

Numbers, vision and collaborations

With 72 curtain raisers, 8 months of workshops, 280 artists and over 330 professional figures involved, the Naples Fringe Festival is configured as one of the most ambitious cultural projects of 2025. The artistic direction, entrusted to Laura Valente, highlighted the importance of creating a review modular and replicable, capable of generating contaminations between generations and languages. The twinning with the Fringe of Milan and Turin, who have already been participating since this first edition, opens up to the construction of a national network of the independent scene.

The program of events

Il Naples Fringe Festival, scheduled from May 29 to December 21, 2025, offers a program heterogeneous of contemporary shows. Between psite-specific performance such as “Razze di mare” and immersive itineraries such as “Chiano chiano” and “Dance Invasion”, we highlight multidisciplinary projects (“Neve”, “Anna. insana passio”) and reinterpretations of tradition (“Filosofarti”, “Anime pezzentelle”, “Guarattelle”).

The suites explore myths and local identities (“Queen Bidet”, “That Day”, “Janara”), while the Village Off involves communities and urban spaces with participatory workshops. There is also the exciting trial of the last king of Naples and visual installations such as “Naples, body, light for a pirate story”, which blend innovation and city memory.

May 29–December 21, 2025 – Naples Fringe Festival
International review curated by Laura Valente.

December 6, 2025 (20:00 p.m.) – Extra fringe: snow
Immersive piece about Sarah Kane, explores identity, memory and scenic innovation.

October 25–26, 2025 (19:00 p.m.) – Extra fringe: anna. insane passion
Multidisciplinary study on Neapolitan love-death, tribute to Donn'Anna Carafa.

July 26, 2025 (20:30 p.m.) – Extra fringe: the body of Naples
Performances and workshops on body identity as a symbol of social regeneration.

July 24–25, 2025 (20:00 p.m.) – Extra fringe: mermaids
Dance and workshops inspired by local mythology with site-specific performances.

July 24, 2025 (20:30 p.m.) – Suite: The Cruelest Man – Return of Vlad Tapes
Site-specific theatrical adaptation of Dracula, sound installation and original music.

July 24, 2025 (20:00 p.m.) – Village off: dance invasion
Popular-contemporary dance itinerary in four stages for urban spaces.

July 20, 2025 (20:30 p.m.) – Suite: janara – the story of the evil
Female monologue on mourning and women's strength, intense dramaturgy.

July 20, 2025 (11:00 p.m.) – Suite: guarattelle – a journey into the heart of Neapolitan tradition
Traveling puppet show with live music for all ages.

July 19–20, 2025 (19:00 p.m.) – Suite: that day
Lovers come back to life invite to the wedding, inspired by Neapolitan Croce.

July 19–20, 2025 (21:00 p.m.) – Village off: a'ferrovia
Community-led theatre; explores identity and territory through performance.

July 19, 2025 (20:30 p.m.) – Suite: queen bidet
Ironic portrait of Queen Maria Carolina, throne-bidet symbol of freedom.

July 18, 2025 (20:30 p.m.) – Village off: in the circle of neapolis
Body painting, dance and music to celebrate Neapolitan memory and migrations.

July 18, 2025 (18:00–21:00, departures) – Village off: chiano chiano
Site-specific treasure hunt with monologues in headphones in the Parco Vergiliano.

July 17, 2025 (21:30 p.m.) – Village off: becoming Neapolitan
Participatory reflection on passions and perspectives of Piazza Garibaldi and community.

July 17, 2025 (20:30 p.m.) – Village off: the city song – Napoli sessions
Contemporary audiovisual experience about the city, curated by Belgian and local artists.

July 17, 2025 (19:00 p.m.) – Village off: Naples 'ncopp 'o battering ram
Community workshop on traditional songs and dances focused on the drum.

July 16, 2025 (20:30 p.m.) – A laugh – a laugh pink and a butterfly
Migrant journey between Naples and New York through song and entertainment.

16–18 luglio 2025 (16:00–19:00) – Site specific: sea stingrays
Dance performance inspired by Toscani, combining visual art and collective movements.

July 1–2, 2025 (21:00 p.m.) – Extra fringe: work in transition – dirty-faced, rag-tag souls
Popular theatre on the Souls Pezzentelle with young actors from the Bellini Factory.

May 29–30, 2025 (19:00 p.m.) – Extra fringe: philosophizing
Philosophical-musical dialogue past and present with Cacciari, Candela and the public.

The Municipality website has the following information: presentation and the program PDF complete with any updates.

An open and constantly evolving project

The calendar provides events until July, with a fall sequel and the final chapter shortly before the 21th December, a symbolic date chosen for the “birthday” of Neapolis. The festival also offers artistic residencies and local workshops, involving schools, associations and citizens in a shared creative process.

Visual communication is handled by Resli Tale, artist and illustrator known for her collaborations with Il Corriere della Sera, La Stampa and Penguin Books.