Manchester's only free Italian food and drink festival 🇮🇹 22nd-24th August, 2025
27/08/2025
Festa 2025 - what a weekend 🇮🇹
Grazie mille to everyone who came, danced, ate, drank, and celebrated with us the Italian way. You brought unbelievable energy, love, and soul.
A massive thank you to all the incredible vendors, chefs, behind-the-scenes legends, and dream makers who helped bring the magic to life. You truly made it an unforgettable celebration.
Special shoutout to our amazing partners and , couldn’t have done it without you. 🍅
Until next year (CAN WE DO IT ALL AGAIN?)
21/08/2025
La dolce vita kicks off tomorrow as Festa Italiana 2025 begins in true Italian style.
Join us for a weekend full of flavour, fun and flair with our incredible Chef Masterclass Schedule.
From Carmela Hayes and Gennaro Contaldo to MUTTI’s mouthwatering demos, each session is packed with passion, tradition and delicious inspiration. Whether you’re a seasoned foodie or just love la cucina Italiana, there’s something for everyone.
See you under the sun with a spritz in hand and the scent of garlic in the air. Festa starts Friday. 🍋🍸🍕🇮🇹🍝
21/08/2025
The girls are taking over 💃🔥 Friday 22nd August is FESTA DELLA DONNA!
Valentina, Carmela, & Gabriella are bringing skill, passion & serious Italian flair to the stage. We are celebrating their success in a male-dominated industry. Come cheer them on at their chef demos at Festa Italiana UK!
See you TOMORROW. 🤌
19/08/2025
Salvi’s celebrities hit the Festa line-up! 🇮🇹🔥
Alongside our incredible celebrity chefs, some of our very own Salvi’s stars are joining the Demo Kitchen this weekend:
Nonna Anna- our pasta queen & the heart behind Salvi’s famous pasta classes!
Valentina- from KP to Head Chef, proof that passion, graft & a whole lot of talent take you straight to the top!
Maurizio- Salvi’s founder and Festa’s main man…
Catch them cooking, creating & causing chaos in the Demo Kitchen all weekend long! 🎉🍝
18/08/2025
THE FESTA FOOD LINE UP JUST GOT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS. Welcome to the fam 🍝
Starting out from their humble garden with a trailer during lockdown, Lucky Mama’s opened our first little shop in Chorlton in 2022 and a second site in Monton in 2024. Growing up in Italy taught them to love its culinary flavours and to appreciate its traditions: “this is why, at Festa Italiana we feel like home, where our popular pizza bowls will bring joy and where the spirit of Lucky Mama’s truly shines!”
Just four more sleeps until the chaos begins.
📍CATHEDRAL GARDENS. 22-24TH AUGUST.
16/08/2025
London One Radio is joining the Festa line up!🎙️
is the first and only official Italian radio station in the UK (BBC & RAI ITALIA Supplier), broadcasting 24/7 in both Italian and English. Based in London and available across the UK and Europe via streaming and DAB digital radio, it serves as a cultural bridge between Italy and the UK.
With over 500,000 monthly listeners, London One Radio offers a dynamic mix of news, music, entertainment, and exclusive interviews. Its mission is to promote Italian culture abroad while connecting Italian and international audiences through high-quality editorial content and innovative audio storytelling.
We can’t wait to join forces for one of the most exciting weekends of the year in MCR! 🇮🇹
15/08/2025
🎉 ONE WEEK TO FESTA! 🎉
We’re celebrating with the ULTIMATE FESTA PACKAGE and you could win it! 🙌
💥 What’s included:
🏨 A Friday night stay (22nd August) at + bottle of bubbles
👨🍳 2 x front row seats for ’s chef demo
🍝 Food tokens for your fave Festa stall
🍹 Drink tokens for a spritz (or two…)
🎁 A goody bag packed with + treats!
How to enter:
1️⃣ Follow
2️⃣ Comment who you’d bring 💃
3️⃣ Share this post to your stories
✨ Good luck- see you at Festa!
13/08/2025
THE LIMONCELLO GARDEN IS UNDERWAY (& we’re officially obsessed with our mood board).
We’ll be bringing all of the authentic Italian vibes and using our very own Salvi’s limoncello. Make sure you add to your Festa weekend plans and join us for a sip (or two). Salut! 🍋
12/08/2025
A NEW AND INCREDIBLE ADDITION TO THE FESTA LINE UP .uk 🇮🇹
Originally from Salerno, Chef Alfonso made the big leap across the channel to London in 2018, to chase his culinary dreams where he spent years mastering the art of seasonal, no-waste cooking and developing strong expertise in open-flame grilling. In 2023, he joined Big Mamma and has since been appointed to Head Chef, now managing one of the group’s largest trattorias to date, Circolo Popolare Manchester!
Step inside to be transported to a balmy alfresco evening on the island of seductive Sicilia. Filled with 280 seats, 5,000 bottles of vintage liquor and over 300 twinkling festoon lights scattered amongst a eucalyptus and wisteria filled canopy. You can find Alfonso’s amore and personality splashed across Circolo’s menu which is proudly dedicated to 170 Italian producers, suppliers, and artisans.
His ultimate comfort food is aubergine parmigiana, inspired by fond memories of his mum’s cooking. Alfonso is proud to share his own twist at Festa Italiana which you can also find on Circolo’s menu, his home-made ravioli filled with parmigiana and topped with a tomato coulis, basil sauce and grated ricotta salata. He’s from Salerno, after all.
09/08/2025
NEW TO THE LINE UP 🇮🇹
Angioletti is real Italian cider, made in the foothills of Trentino using 100% fresh-pressed apples never from concentrate. Crisp, refreshing, and crafted with the same passion Italy puts into its food, wine and family gatherings. 🍏
This year, Angioletti is proud to be the official cider partner of Festa Italiana 2025 & we can’t wait to have them.
08/08/2025
WELCOME TO THE FESTA FAMILY 🇮🇹🍝 We’re over the moon to announce yet another amazing chef to our weekend line up, Gabriella Margiotta.
Chef Gabriella brings over 17 years of hands-on experience to the kitchen, having begun her culinary journey at just 16. She grew up in a household deeply rooted in Italian hospitality, honing her skills working in different kitchens eventually leading her to opening her own Italian restaurant with her family. Gabriella has built a reputation for soulful Italian cooking that respects heritage while embracing fresh ideas. Her food tells a story of family, culture, and dedication, and we can’t wait to celebrate it this year at Festa. As one of Mutti’s cherished ambassadors, Gabi will be at the Mutti stand all day Friday, where she will be showcasing outstanding demos!
05/08/2025
THE FESTA LINEUP IS EXPANDING 🇮🇹🤌🏼🪩
Very Italian People Band was founded in 2023 with the aim of bringing the timeless classics of Italian music to Italian communities across the globe, offering them a night that feels like home.
With their high-energy live performances, Very Italian People Band guarantees an unforgettable experience filled with fun, nostalgia, and music that will keep everyone dancing and singing all night long!
Formation of the band will be:
Emanuele De Rosa - Vocals
Claudia Tarantino - Vocals
Simone Langiu - Drums
Ruggero Bonucci - Bass
Juan Hinojosa - Keys
Luca Gianassi - Guitar
Michel Ferrari - Guitar
The countdown to the best weekend of the year is officially on.
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Manchester’s free Italian food and drink festival
Festa Italiana Manchester is a free, weekend-long celebration of all things Italian.
From 26th - 28th July 2019, Manchester's Italian community will once again transform Cathedral Gardens into 'Little Italy' creating a city centre oasis of 'la dolce vita'.
Inspired by Manchester's Italian heritage, as well as the traditional festivals over in Italy, the Festa is all about the community coming together to socialise, enjoy beautiful food, delectable drinks and live music.
Last year we welcomed 28,000 of you to the festival and this year's event is all set to be bigger and even better.
The 2019 event promises a more in-depth education around Italian food and culture with hands-on style masterclasses. Expect more for the kids, more music and most importantly...more food!
As well as masterclasses, chef demonstrations, producer's stalls and Italian street food, the 2019 Festival intends to host a number of talks, pop-ups and more.
The live music stage will also be ramped up with artists and musicians performing throughout the whole Festival period this time.
There'll be lots more Italian brands, producers, restaurants and bars involved too – think pizza to prosecco and everything in between… including Festival sweethearts, the Italian Nonnas!
The Festival Piazza will be free to attend, whilst other events and activity will be taking place at venues across the city.
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