The 25 most important events in Sardinia in 2026

Just by pronouncing the word Sardinia we can imagine beautiful nature, breathtaking landscapes, crystal clear seas and heavenly beaches. Sardinia, however, has much more to offer than its natural beauty: the culture, history and traditions have ancient origins, deep-rooted in its territory.

Every corner of this beautiful island, from inland to coastal villages, preserves unique and precious creeds and customs that cannot wait to be discovered. Let's explore the heart of this land in order to discover the local wonders and the 25 most important events in Sardinia: from music to food, from tradition to folklore, from art to natural heritage, from religious to sport events.

Salude & Trigu means 'health and grain': it is a traditional wish for well-being and abundance. It’s a rich program made up of no fewer than 100 events spread throughout 2025, offered by the Sassari Chamber of Commerce, that includes the territories of the two northern Sardinian provinces: Sassari and Olbia-Tempio. It is the best way to discover the most important events in Sardinia in an authentic and fantastic way.  

From this wish, the brand of Salude & Trigu originated as the main programme of events in Sardinia: a cultural thread that unites the places of North Sardinia and the people that here dwell and travel, enclosed within one excellent plot.

The concepts of union, interweaving, gratitude and exchange are essential in the Sardinian culture: the Sardinian basket, a symbol of an ancient tradition, represents the container par excellence. Still, it is also made up of weaves of beautiful colors and designs.

And so that basket has become the symbol of Salude & Trigu: a container for events in Sardinia, traditions, souls, places and people, but also a place for the exchange of knowledge and experiences.

Some sing to tell a story, some to preserve memory, others to search for new harmonies. Estudi Polifònic 2026 brings all of this to life, turning polyphony into a thread that links Sardinia to the rest of the world.

Held from April in Alghero, the festival unfolds as a journey that changes shape at every stop—through cathedrals, rural churches, and cityscapes. Historic choirs and young ensembles take turns performing sacred music, experimental pieces, and ancient chants, in a calendar that follows both seasons and voices of this wonderful territory.

In the beautiful city of Alghero, the so-called "Sardinian Barceloneta", you can attend a series of amazing concerts organized within the musical event Jazz Alguer, one of the most appreciated events in the Italian jazz scene, taking place from May to October. 

Performances are held in evocative locations such as wineries, clubs, archaeological sites, and squares, offering a unique opportunity to discover the territory through music. Among the highlights of this edition are minority languages, poetry, the voice of women, and much more.

In addition to great music, you’ll have the chance to discover this wonderful fortress city that offers Catalan suggestions in architecture and urban features. 

Chenamos in Carrela, which in Sardinian means “let’s walk along the street,” is an invitation to experience community through a shared journey, celebrating conviviality and local traditions. Now in its 17th edition, this event offers a series of captivating, sustainable, and immersive experiences.

The program for the 2026 edition is currently being finalized.

An invitation to explore and experience Alghero and the Porto Conte Park from a different perspective, surrounded by nature, traditions, and authentic flavours. Naturalmente in Riviera offers a slow and immersive journey, placing encounters with nature, local culture, and the most authentic traditions of Northern Sardinia at its heart.

From trails winding through the Mediterranean maquis to fascinating archaeological sites, you can enjoy scenic hikes, sunset aperitifs, tastings, cultural experiences, and events celebrating the region’s finest local products.

Art Meets Nature is an event that enlivens the summer across some of the most enchanting corners of Northern Sardinia. This festival creates a dialogue between theatre, environment and imagination, offering not just open-air performances, but unique moments that transform parks and natural areas into charming spaces where art and landscape come together, and where the audience takes part in an immersive and collective experience.

The project stands out for its ability to take theatre beyond traditional venues, opening new perspectives on Sardinia’s environmental heritage. It offers performances that engage all ages, locals and visitors alike, in a journey of wonder, awareness, and deep connection with the natural world.

It's an event involving almost all the municipalities of Gallura that enhances the regional, archaeological, agribusiness, artisanal traditions and everything related to rural culture through activities and events organized by local players. 

Primavera in Gallura (Spring in Gallura) attracts many tourists from all over the world, truly connecting Gallura’s global spirit to the value of local culture.

Among the most evocative moments of the event stands the reenactment of the wedding in traditional Gallurese costume, offering spectators a journey into the past through two key moments: the pricunta, the official request for the bride’s hand, and the coiu, the wedding ceremony in traditional attire.

Each year, the Municipality of Santa Teresa Gallura selects a couple through a public call, keeping this extraordinary custom alive.

Scheduled from June 14 to September 13, 2026 across various locations in Northern Sardinia — with confirmed stops in Sassari, Tissi, Porto Torres and Ossi — ARIA is an international festival dedicated to performing and visual arts, including theatre, dance, contemporary circus, music and other captivating installations.

The format offers immersive experiences that turn both everyday places and unusual settings into true hubs of creativity, aiming to enhance the region’s heritage by fostering a dialogue between art, landscape and local communities.

Domos Abbeltas is the most important event in the village of Luras, Gallura. It’s similar to the famous Cortes Apertas in Barbagia. It sees various 'domos' (houses) in the centre of the village open their doors to host a two-day event dedicated to local culture and traditions.

The  main highlights are food and wine and the best of handicrafts and art. There will also be side events, including musical performances and traditional folk shows. The festival takes place every year in the middle of June, between the end of the spring and the beginning of summertime.

The Ciogghitta d'Oro is one of the most representative events of Sassari's folklore: for more than ten years this extremely original event attracts tourists and locals in the city squares to witness the "sucking of snails".

During these days, you can attend competitions of "succidatura" (sucking) of the delicious gastropod and taste the traditional dishes in a context of popular festival with dialect music and theatre performances.

The Ittiri Folk Festa is an international festival of traditional dances from all over the world: folk music, art and dance group come together to create a riot of colours and notes that can excite all the tourists who flock to the beautiful town of Ittiri every year to attend this event.

The Sagra della Cipolla (Onion Festival) of Banari is an event that goes beyond a simple food festival: a complete experience that combines great food, culture, and entertainment in an eco-sustainable setting, highlighting local products and traditions.

Through the streets of the village, you can taste typical onion-based dishes (and more!), attend show cooking sessions and exclusive tastings, enjoy folkloric musical performances, and take part in cultural and sports events. The event engages the whole family with activities designed for all ages.

The golden onions of Banari, large, sweet, and flavorful, are the stars of this unique festival, enriched by awards and special guests.

The town of Uri isn’t far from Alghero and from the famous tourist location Porto Torres, is a delightful settlement rich in charm and history.

Since 1700 Uri has been known for its artichoke production and today the Sagra del Carciofo (Artichoke Festival) generates a sense of belonging in the community and also an important tourist attraction that allows the village to show up all over the word for its enogastronomic traditions.

During the event, you can attend dances and songs of the Urese tradition, folk groups, parades in traditional clothes and guided tours to discover historical wonders such as the Nuraghe of Santa Cadrina and the ancient washhouse.

From the union between Jazz, Green, Music and Landscape originates one of the most famous music events in Europe, the Musica sulle Bocche Festival (Music on the Mouths).

This outstanding event, first held in 2001, stands out for its unique blend of great music and environmental awareness. It takes the form of a true "sound caravan" that travels across Northern Sardinia, bringing life to villages, archaeological sites, and breathtaking natural landscapes.

Musica sulle Bocche bridges the local and the global, hosting world-renowned artists and taking part in major European jazz networks.

An event celebrating one of Gallura’s most iconic symbols: myrtle.

The Myrtle Festival transforms the streets of Telti into a vibrant gathering place, featuring tastings of local specialties, folk performances, live music, and moments dedicated to local culture and traditions.

It's the perfect opportunity to discover the area’s most authentic identity, with traditional costumes and artistic performances bringing the village to life and creating a lively, welcoming atmosphere.

Every year is celebrated the Festa della Montagna (Mountain Festival) on the slopes of Mount Limbara, under the majestic sequoias, organized by the Pro Loco (association for the enhancement of the territory).

Hikers, onlookers, tourists and locals gather under the leafy trees to listen to folk music played on the traditional accordion, taste delicious local food such as malloreddus, porcetto allo spiedo (pig in spit), seadas (sweet) and "frisjoli longhi" (fried sweet) in an atmosphere of community celebration that forward inclusion and friendship

The Festival Internazionale delle Isole che Parlano (International Festival of Talking Islands) takes place mainly in Palau with some other events in adjacent locations. This is an event dedicated to tradition and innovation where you will see expressions of contemporary culture combined with native productions.

You’ll be able to attend various photographic exhibitions, workshops for children, reportages and music events, all located in sites of great scenic impact such as the Tombs of the Giants and the Bear Rock: the Islands will speak to you through a language of art and beauty you’ll never forget.

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The Premio Maria Carta (Maria Carta Award) intends to enhance not only the value of local artists, but also of scholars, researchers, associations, companies and all kinds of excellence in the territory.

This major cultural event is all the more significant as it takes place in Siligo, the artist’s hometown, serving as a meeting point between tradition and innovation, memory and the future. Over the years, the Prize has involved international participants as well, yet it remains firmly rooted in the community that gave birth to Maria Carta.

If you want to attend a real traditional Sardinian religious event you cannot miss the Festa della Beata Vergine della Difesa (Feast of the Blessed Virgin of Défense): a procession will carry the simulacrum of Holy Mary to the sea, which will be loaded onto a fleet of boats of Stintino fishermen. They will lay a laurel wreath at sea in honor of those killed at sea during the Second World War. 

During this event, each inhabitant of the village will become a spokesperson for an ancient religious tradition closely linked to the area's identity.

The Premio Eno-Letterario Vermentino (Vermentino Enoliterary Prize) is one of the most eagerly awaited cultural events in Northern Sardinia. Scheduled for October in Olbia, it's a prize conceived by the Sassari Chamber of Commerce that feature Italian novels and short stories regarding the world of wine. 

Born in 2017, this remarkable contest has gained national recognition for its original connection between wine and literature, turning Vermentino into a source of literary inspiration. Providing the backdrop is the true identity of Gallura: a land of ancient vineyards, rural wisdom, and authentic passions waiting to be told.

In Anglona, from May to October, Dae Rocca in Rocca leads you into a landscape that is both a journey and a tale.

This is no ordinary event: it’s a unique way to cross through nature with intention, to slow down, look around, and listen. You might climb limestone hills, explore a cave, or discover a Romanesque church tucked between vineyards.

Or you might wander through small villages, where museums and local flavors tell stories carved in stone, seasoned with wine and memory. Every stop offers something to do with your body and something to carry in your thoughts: climbing, zip-lining, yoga, hiking—but also caving, archaeology, and scientific talks.

There’s no need to choose between nature and culture, sport and discovery: Dae Rocca in Rocca brings it all together, in a path that follows the rhythm of the seasons and the taste of authenticity.

The Festival del Turismo Itinerante (Festival of Itinerant Tourism) is a wonderful example of experiential tourism: the whole area of Northwest Sardinia turns into a vast open-air stage, where visitors become the protagonists of a wide range of recreational, sporting, and nature-based activities.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of Sardinia’s autumn colors, you can enjoy experiences such as trekking, cycle tourism, archery, and kayaking, along with educational and food & wine workshops, tastings of local products, and much more.

In its dual denomination 'di Gallura DOCG' and 'di Sardegna', Vermentino represents one of the most extraordinary excellences among local productions.

To celebrate it, Olbia hosts a truly special event every year that enlivens the city center with guided tastings, meetings between producers and wine lovers, cultural moments, and live music: Benvenuto Vermentino (Welcome Vermentino)

This initiative aims to promote Vermentino not only as a high-quality product but also as a symbol of a land where winemaking tradition, identity, and sustainable tourism come together. Local wineries meet buyers, tourists, and industry experts in an open and vibrant atmosphere, where food and wine blend with culture and the promotion of the Gallura region. 

The gastronomic tradition of Sassari is expressed in all its delicious variety during the Weekend dei Gusti (Weekend of Tastes), an exceptional event that fully enhances the culture of street food in the Sardinian tradition with appointments located in different streets and squares of the city.

Restaurants, trattorias, bars, bakeries, pizzerias, wine bars and delicatessens will collaborate to make this event unique and particularly delicious. Furthermore, the event includes interesting cultural initiatives to learn more about the professional skills related to local food tradition.

Ajò a Ippuntare is an original event that involves various topics related to folklore and traditions of the Usini area. It was created with the intent to enhance the value of wine productions of the region so there will be a wide range of wineries, which will offer their best products.

You’ll be able to participate in several educational workshops, taste typical products of the territory such as traditional Sardinian pastries and sweets, attend guided tours of different historical buildings, churches and monuments, and enjoy the various music events organized throughout the territory.

Pasca di Natali is one of the most evocative winter events in Gallura, bringing the atmosphere, traditions, and crafts of the past back to life.

In the historic center of Calangianus, narrow streets and squares are transformed into a large open-air nativity scene, animated by performers, artisans, and everyday scenes inspired by Christmas traditions.

Surrounded by traditional music, singing, local markets, and regional flavours, you can immerse yourself in the area's fascinating culture as you follow a route through ancient houses and workshops, in an atmosphere that blends folklore and community spirit. It's a unique opportunity to discover Gallura’s Christmas traditions through some of its most cherished customs.