Recanati is preparing to host the grand final event of the Art Festival, which on Saturday, July 11th, and Sunday, July 12th, will transform the historic center into a vast urban theater dedicated to the performing arts. This event represents the final act of a season that began on June 26th and will continue in the cities participating in the 2026 edition, thanks to the work of the Whats Art Association.
Recanati, the city where the Festival was born and raised, will host a special edition this year: the tenth anniversary. It was 2016 when an ambitious project took shape, built with passion, expertise, and a strong network of local collaborations. Over the past ten years, the Art Festival has established itself as one of the most innovative performing arts events in Central Italy, maintaining its inclusive vocation and ability to renew itself through experimentation and the discovery of new artistic languages.
This experience is made possible by a consolidated traveling organizational machine composed of volunteers and professionals, capable of setting up the necessary spaces in each city to host shows, installations, and performances.

Among the most anticipated new features of the 2026 edition is the Art Festival Creative Market, held at the “B. Gigli” Gardens and curated by Alice Canapa (Il Canapaio). More than a simple artisan market, it will be an immersive and participatory space, conceived as a natural extension of the Festival: a meeting place for artists and artisans, enriched by workshops, laboratories, and opportunities for creative exchange.
From 6:00 PM to midnight, the public will be able to enjoy a rich and varied experience thanks to 18 artistic stations distributed throughout the historic center, featuring contemporary circus, physical and puppet theater, clowning, street arts, urban dance, and live music. Special attention will be given to children and families, with free workshops, participatory activities, and numerous children’s shows.
Among the international guests, numerous companies and performers from Europe and Latin America stand out.
On Corso Persiani, a play area curated by Zagarà will be open, featuring games for children and adults and workshops dedicated to building DIY toys.
The music program will also be extensive, featuring Rolando Bruno y Su Orquesta Midi, accompanied by a vinyl DJ set by Rocco Nicolai and Johnny Walker, as well as concerts by English band Rival Karma with their 1803 Tour 2026 and Daiana Lou.
Ample space will be dedicated to contemporary circus, with performer Selvaggia Mezzapesa, acrobats from the Compagnia Intrepidas, clowning with Irina and Simone Romanò, and tightrope walkers from the Compagnia Ma.Re.

The ancient atmospheres of the Trovatrici will accompany the audience on a musical journey through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Baroque period, evoking universal themes such as love, desire, encounter, distance, care, and loss.
The magic of soap bubbles will also be present, with two exceptional performers: Yuri Bussi, a longtime friend of the Festival, who will present a show accompanied by a workshop open to all, and Gabriel Bubbles, an artist capable of transforming bubbles into a symbol of freedom and shared wonder.
For dance, Rana Teatro will be present, a company that combines physical theater, dance, music, and visual dramaturgy in poetic and immersive creations, centered on the dialogue between body, space, and imagination.
Eccentrici Dadarò will also be performing their award-winning show Operativi, tackling the theme of war through a language of poetry, comedy, and emotion.

Special events include α (ALFA), a cross-media performance created by Marco Bragaglia specifically for Art Festival Recanati. The work combines live digital drawing, music, and acting in a visually striking artistic experience.
Numerous initiatives are also being promoted by local cultural institutions. On Via Cavour, Giaconi Editore will offer readings and book presentations, while on Via Roma, on Saturday, July 11, Transparent Mass will be held, an exhibition featuring an electronic music DJ set curated by Alessandro Bracalente in collaboration with Rubber Galleria d’Arte.
The photography exhibition “Fabio Mariani,” dedicated to the historical memory of the Festival, will be held in the loggia of the town hall.
Large graphic panels created by students from class 3F of the IIS “Podesti–Calzecchi Onesti” in Ancona will be displayed at the main entrances to the event. A project born during the school year that allowed students to take on a real professional role, dealing with real briefs, deadlines, and commissions, while the Festival was able to enrich its visual identity through a youthful and contemporary perspective.

The collaboration with the Poliarte Design Academy of Ancona is also renewed. On Sunday, July 12th, in Piazza Giacomo Leopardi, instructors Andrea Santini and Sergio Giantomassi, along with several students, will create a live scenography performance, allowing the audience to witness the creative process in real time.
Completing the Festival experience will be a large Food & Drink area, spread throughout the historic center and designed as a meeting place for conviviality between events.
Two days of performances, meetings, music, and creativity will celebrate a decade-long history and look to the future of an event that continues to use art as a tool for participation, inclusion, and sharing.
The 10th Anniversary Celebration
One of the most anticipated moments will be the 10th Anniversary Celebration, scheduled for the night of Saturday, July 11th, in the courtyard of Palazzo Venieri. Starting at 11:00 PM, the public will be able to celebrate the Festival’s tenth anniversary with a live performance by Rolando Bruno and a DJ set by Surfin Love.