Festivals and Events in Sardinia
Like in the rest of Italy, Sardinia’s event calendar is quite busy, with different types of events that are linked to recurrences of the Sardinian culture. There are many annual events and religious festivals in Sardinia. Many Italian cities and towns each have their patron 'Saint' that is honoured on local holidays. On these local holidays the residents of the city are free, like on a bank holiday, and there are religious celebrations and festivals. In addition to the local celebrations and events, there are also many national holidays for which events that are organized. Most of the Italian population is Roman Catholic and the many religious festivals in the country are celebrated extensively. In addition, in Sardinia the carnival is celebrated in February with the accompanying parades.
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Carnival in Sardinia
In Sardinia the carnival is celebrated in February, and there are different carnival events that take place in the different cities/regions of the island. For example, men dressed in sheepskins, black wooden masks and a large cluster of cowbells provide an ancient show, rooted in the pre-Christian Sardinian traditions and rituals, in Mamoiada in the province of Nuoro.
In Oristano, carnival is all about the medieval equestrian festival, La Sartiglia. In addition to these events, Sardinia also hosts various parades during Carnival week.
Parades can be found in Nuoro, Oristano, Mamoiada and Ottana, and Tempio-Pausania among others.
Music festivals
Since 1980, many music festivals have been organized in Sardinia. Due to the emergence of new initiatives, more and more international jazz musicians settled in Sardinia, and so jazz music became more and more popular in Sardinia.
The European Jazz Expo has been held in Cagliari every September since 2004. In the first half of August, the international Jazz festival 'Time in Jazz' takes place every year in Bercchida, the birth town of the famous jazz trumpetist Paolo Fresu. Not only Cagliari and Bercchida are popular “jazz cities” in Sardinia, also Alghero with the Alghero World Music Festival.
In the province of Oristano, every year in summer takes place the Dromos international festival, which brings to the island international jazz and world music artists that perform in different scenic natural settings. Some of the events of this festival are free, and for some it is necessary to have a ticket. The festival is an all-around cultural festival, that celebrates music, literature, cinema and the Sardinian culture.
Settimana Santa
Sardinians are mostly Roman Catholic and therefore many holidays correspond to the Christian holidays. The most important religious festival in Sardinia is Easter. From the Holy Thursday to Easter Monday in the week of Easter (Settimana Santa), various festivities take place all over the island. Especially the cities of Cagliari, Alghero, Oristano and Castelsardo are worth a visit in this Holy Week. As with almost all festivities in Sardinia, music, dance, and food are central this week.
