On Tuesday 23 June, Novafeltria is set to relive one of its most evocative, magical and eagerly awaited traditions: the Night of the Hundred Cauldrons, which this year marks the prestigious milestone of its 39th edition. The event, organised by the Pro Loco Association in partnership with NovArt and in close collaboration with the Municipality of Novafeltria, is also sponsored by the Emilia-Romagna Region, VisitRomagna and the Romagna Chamber of Commerce.

The Night of the Hundred Cauldrons is not merely a summer event but a true cultural heritage, a historic festival loved and attended by the whole local area and even by visitors from outside the region. The event has its roots in ancient customs linked to the Summer Solstice and was conceived by Ginetta Bianchi. The name refers to the propitiatory ritual of leaving bowls filled with water, wild herbs and flower petals outdoors on the night of St John’s Day, so that they might collect the magical solstice dew. A tradition that blends the sacred and the profane, passed down with passion to keep alive the deep bond between the community and its land.

The evening’s programme
From the late afternoon of Tuesday 23 June, Novafeltria will be transformed into an open-air stage filled with scents, ancestral sounds, re-enactments and breathtaking performances.
The festival kicks off this year at 6.30 pm with the opening of the food stalls and the market selling natural products. The evocative “Salotto dei Quattro Elementi e dei Cinque Sensi” (Salon of the Four Elements and the Five Senses) will also come to life in the Chiesetta Santa Marina area. Among the new features for 2026, for the little ones, there will be the creative workshops “I Portali del Bosco Segreto” and storytelling by the Kamishibai Theatre with Franco Baldoni in the public gardens behind the town hall.
From 7.30 pm, the elegant aerial acrobatics will begin, enchanting the audience in the Giardino delle Streghe with Hortus Laminae Volantis in the public gardens.
The atmosphere will heat up at 8.30 pm with the rousing rhythm of the Tamburini della Cerna dei lunghi Archi di San Marino. For those wishing to explore the future, the Angolo Divinatorio will also officially open, featuring tarot readings and fortune-tellers.
The solemn moment is scheduled for 9.00 pm with the Procession of the Night of the Hundred Cauldrons, accompanied by the rhythmic beat of the Tamburini, with costumed participants. At 9.15 pm, the heart of the tradition begins: the Saluto al Solstizio d’Estate (Greeting to the Summer Solstice), followed by the Rite of the Lustral Water and the Rite of the Comparatico. The White Ladies will celebrate nature by bringing their gifts to the four elements. At 9.30 pm, the show “Amore e Ombre” (Love and Shadows) featuring the epic Battle with the Lion, a breathtaking fire show and the enchanting Dances of the Veiled Women, presented by the A.S.D. Edgar Degas and Power Fil Fitness Club dance schools. The festivities will continue from 10.00 pm until late at night, with a concert by I Musici, an extreme folk band well-known on the national music scene.