Contemporary Catania / FIC Festival 2026

From 29 April to 10 May 2026, Catania will host the seventh edition of Contemporary Catania / FIC Festival, a wide-ranging cultural project that transforms the city into an open laboratory dedicated to the contemporary arts.

Directed by Roberto Zappalà, the Festival marks the start of a new chapter based on a shared vision and a renewed organisational structure, thanks to the involvement of some of the region’s leading cultural organisations. At the heart of the 2026 programme is the theme of Kindness, interpreted as an artistic practice and a social value capable of fostering relationships, dialogue and community.

The Festival unfolds through a varied programme of events taking place across numerous venues throughout the city, from theatres to urban spaces, from parks to historic buildings, all transformed into performance venues. Dance, music, theatre, cinema, visual arts and critical thinking intertwine in a multidisciplinary programme that brings together international, national and local artists.

The opening, on 29 April to mark World Dance Day, features the Bloom’s Parade, a participatory procession that winds through the city centre to Piazza Duomo, culminating in a grand collective performance. Among the most significant events, on 1 May, Parco Gioeni is transformed into a vibrant, shared space featuring performances, music and activities designed for a broad, intergenerational audience.

The programme includes internationally acclaimed choreographic performances, site-specific productions, concerts, film screenings, talks and opportunities for public reflection, alongside workshops and educational activities that explore the dialogue between the performing arts and new technologies.

Contemporary Catania / FIC Festival thus confirms its status as a key event on the contemporary cultural scene, capable of forging connections between languages, spaces and communities, and of promoting the city as a dynamic hub for experimentation and participation.