Ethnos: the grand finale is here. The 30th edition of the International World Music Festival, conceived and directed by Gigi Di Luca, will reach Vesuvius and then Naples starting tomorrow, September 26th.
Since September 6th, the festival has toured the municipalities of San Giorgio a Cremano, Ercolano, Portici, Torre del Greco, and Castellammare di Stabia, hosting concerts and workshops in iconic Campanian heritage sites such as Villa Favorita, Villa Bruno, the Baronial Palace, and the Royal Palace of Portici. Now comes the final sprint, with the women of world music taking center stage between Vesuvius and Naples.
On Vesuvius between music and nature
From September 26th to 28th, Ethnos will be among the Vesuvian towns with three days of events.
Friday, September 26 (Arena of the Vesuvius National Park Museum, Boscoreale, 21 p.m.) Hysterrae concert – at the Vesuvius National Park Museum in Boscoreale, the Hysterrae quartet will present a fascinating fusion of styles. Three women from different ethnic and musical backgrounds, three prominent artists of Italian world music: Cinzia Marzo, Irene Lungo, and Silvia Gallone, will be on stage with producer and multi-instrumentalist Pejman Tadayon.
From Iran to Campania, from the Itria Valley to Salento and beyond. Through a process of abstraction from the original elements of their respective traditions, Hysterrae creates a hypnotic journey in which voices, percussion, and melodies blend seamlessly. Before the concert, starting at 7:00 PM, a free visit to the Vesuvius National Park Museum in Boscoreale is available.
On Saturday, September 27, Ethnos invites you to experience Vesuvius to the fullest: in the morning, a nature trail along the volcano's trails with guides and volcanologists (10:00 a.m.), and in the afternoon, a workshop entitled "Gusto Popolare" (Popular Taste) with artists (Auditorium Irene De Risi, 6:30 p.m., free admission with reservations). In the evening, at 9:00 p.m., a concert by Stefano Saletti & Banda Ikona: with Mediterranima, the ensemble offers a musical journey along the routes of the Mare Nostrum, exploring dialects and ancient languages, in search of the common soul that unites the peoples of the Mediterranean.
On Sunday, September 28 (Villa Vannucchi Arena, San Giorgio a Cremano, 20 pm), the spotlight will be on Ethnos Generazioni, the final of the contest that highlights emerging talent in ethnic music.
Ethnos Generazioni, an Italian workshop. Founded seven years ago, Ethnos Generazioni is a unique chapter in the international festival landscape: a competition open to all, which this year attracted over 150 submissions from all over Italy.
Six bands, representing a country in musical ferment, made it to the finals. The winner, chosen by a panel of judges and the public, will perform not only at the 2026 edition of Ethnos, but also at the 6th edition of Folkest, and will receive a €10 grant to fund a tour.
Taking turns on stage: the Nubras Ensemble, the Lindal duo, the Trevize project, the Senduki group, the Toranj Quartet, and the Violoncelli Itinerant trio. The evening will be hosted by speaker and journalist Giuliana Galasso.
Over the course of seven years, the contest has highlighted not only promising young talents, but also established artists who, thanks to Ethnos, have reached a wider audience: Davide Ambrogio and Luisa Briguglio, among the most popular voices on the Italian music scene today, are just some of the artists who have emerged. Ethnos Generazioni is supported by Nuovo Imaie.
Grand Finale in Naples from October 2nd to 5th. Starting October 2nd, the festival arrives in Naples, at the Church of Santa Maria Donnalbina, with four days of music and cinema. On Thursday, October 2nd (19 pm), Ethnos Cinema will present Mohsen Makhmalbaf's "The Silence," followed by a concert by the Ensemble Chakâm (21 pm).
Made up of three musicians – Sogol Mirzaei (Iran, târ), Farah Fersi (Tunisia, qanun), Marie-Suzanne de Loye (France, viola da gamba) – the trio intertwines Persian, Arabic and Baroque musical codes, giving life to an original language that blends tradition and improvisation, roots and contemporaneity.
On Friday the 3rd (19 pm), a meeting with journalist and photographer Valerio Corzani will feature his visual journey, "Corzani Airlines – La musica in posa," followed by a concert by Galician band Caamaño & Ameixeiras (21 pm), among the most important names on the new Iberian music scene. These two women, endowed with extraordinary technical and instrumental expertise, have revisited the traditional folk repertoire.
On Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th the curtain falls on cinema: Soundtrack to a Coup d'État by Johan Grimonprez and Buena Vista Social Club by Wim Wenders.
The 30th edition of Ethnos confirms the festival's mission to bring peoples and cultures into dialogue through music, the discovery of the region, and diverse media such as film and photography. A journey that begins on Vesuvius and ends in Naples, blending tradition and modernity.
Organized by La Bazzarra, the 2025 edition of the Ethnos festival is promoted and funded by the Campania Region through Scabec, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Nuovo Imaie, and the Vesuvius National Park Authority, with the contribution of the municipalities involved in the project, the Banca di Credito Popolare, the patronage of the Metropolitan City of Naples, and the collaboration of the Department of Agriculture of the University of Naples Federico II.
In short
The 30th edition of the International World Music Festival, conceived and directed by Gigi Di Luca, will reach Vesuvius and then Naples starting tomorrow, September 26th.
- Since September 6th, the festival has reached the municipalities of San Giorgio a Cremano, Ercolano, Portici, Torre del Greco, Castellammare…
- Now comes the final sprint, between Vesuvius and Naples the protagonists are in particular the women of world music.
- On Vesuvius between music and nature From September 26th to 28th, Ethnos is among the Vesuvian towns with three days…
Key questions
What is the main point of the news?
The 30th edition of the International World Music Festival, conceived and directed by Gigi Di Luca, will reach Vesuvius and then Naples starting tomorrow, September 26th.
Why is this news relevant?
Since September 6th, the festival has reached the municipalities of San Giorgio a Cremano, Ercolano, Portici, Torre del Greco, Castellammare…
Which detail helps us understand the case better?
Now comes the final sprint, between Vesuvius and Naples the protagonists are in particular the women of world music.
The Ethnos festival seems like a great initiative to promote music and culture. I wonder if there will be events for younger audiences as well, and if emerging bands will be given space to showcase new talent.