“Riccione Family Show”, the summer circus-theatre festival under the stars – organised by the Riccione Family Hotels consortium, with the patronage and support of Riccione Town Council – returns with a new edition in Piazzale Ceccarini.

Over five evenings – 23 June, 14 and 21 July, 11 and 18 August, starting at 8.30 pm – Piazzale Ceccarini will be transformed into an open-air stage where comedy, amazement and wonder will create moments of shared enjoyment for all ages.

Artistic direction is once again in the hands of Checco Tonti, director, actor and performer, the festival’s true master of ceremonies. Checco will take the audience on a journey filled with rhythm, smiles and wonder, creating a unifying thread that brings together the various artistic forms whilst interacting with the other performers.

Ventriloquism, clowning, live music and aerial acrobatics will be the main forms of expression at the 2026 edition of the “Riccione Family Show”. The stage will feature a succession of artists with diverse backgrounds and sensibilities, united by their extensive international experience and their ability to engage audiences of all ages. From Samuel Barletti’s brilliant and surprising ventriloquism to Beppe Chirico’s poetic comedy, via Lullo Mosso’s original blend of music and gags, right through to Denise Bellettini’s evocative aerial performances, every evening will offer a unique show, where technique, creativity and interaction with the audience come together to create moments of genuine wonder.

The artists of the 2026 edition of the “Riccione Family Show”
Alongside Checco Tonti, the star of the show will be Beppe Chirico, an actor and clown who, for over thirty years, has been pursuing his own personal exploration of comic expression through theatre, mime, masks, the Commedia dell’Arte and clowning. A graduate of the Laboratorio Internazionale dell’Attore in Florence and specialising in clowning techniques, he has worked in street theatre, juggling and travelling shows, participating as an actor and artistic director in events and historical re-enactments across Europe. For many years he has collaborated with children’s theatre companies, run workshops for adults and children, and developed educational and training projects in schools and businesses. An artist capable of combining comedy, poetry and an extraordinary human sensitivity.

Among the guests at the festival is Samuel Barletti, considered one of Italy’s leading ventriloquists and internationally recognised for a career spanning over fifty years. In 1973, he was awarded the title of ‘world’s youngest ventriloquist’ by the Italian Magic Club. As president of the Italian Ventriloquists’ Association, he has taken his shows to numerous countries across Europe, Africa and the United States, combining his theatre work with a significant television presence. Throughout his career, he has appeared on popular programmes such as ‘Domenica In’, ‘Buona Domenica’, ‘Stasera mi butto’, ‘Maurizio Costanzo Show’, ‘Unomattina’ and many other successful programmes, winning over audiences with his impeccable technique and his famous characters.

Originality, music and comedy will be in the hands of Lullo Mosso, a musician, performer and improviser who, for over twenty years, has been performing his famous “mototrabbasso” – a surprising fusion of a motorbike and a double bass that has become the symbol of his artistic work. A trained musician, active since the 1980s, he has created a one-of-a-kind show that blends musical virtuosity, audience participation, improvisation and comedy. With over five hundred performances to his name across theatres, festivals and street performances in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Russia and Serbia, he also collaborates regularly with Circo Paniko, one of the most significant companies in the Italian contemporary circus scene.

Finally, bringing the magic of aerial disciplines to the stage will be Denise Bellettini, a professional acrobat, instructor and former gymnast, who graduated from the Flic Circus School in Turin. Having worked in the world of entertainment and training for many years, she has established a leading centre for the teaching of aerial disciplines in the region, engaging numerous students across her school’s various venues. For the “Riccione Family Show”, she will present aerial acrobatics performances with a strong visual impact, in which technique, elegance, balance and creativity come together to offer the audience moments of genuine wonder.