“Alessandria Barocca e non solo…” 2026, Italy

• June 7, 2026
  Event date:
• October 25, 2026
  Event end:

What to expect in 2026

Alessandria Barocca e non solo… is an international music festival presented in its seventeenth edition in 2026. Organised by Associazione Pantheon ETS and artistically directed by Daniela Demicheli, the festival combines historically informed Baroque performance with chamber music and repertoire extending from the Classical period through the 20th century and contemporary music.

The 2026 programme brings 13 concerts and music events to Alessandria and locations across its province. Performances take place in churches, historic buildings, cultural institutions and municipal venues, making the festival as much a journey through the area’s heritage as a classical music programme.

The festival is particularly suited to visitors interested in early music, Vivaldi, chamber repertoire, period-performance practices, piano music, violin traditions and concert formats that combine music with narration, literature and visual material.

Event dates

The event period supplied by Italia.it is 7 June 2026 to 25 October 2026, with 13 appointments listed for the edition.

The festival’s wider 2026 programme published by the tourism organisation and artistic team also includes a final concert on 8 November 2026, meaning visitors planning around the complete programme should check the latest official schedule rather than relying only on the shorter date range.

Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.

Headliners & featured artists

The 2026 programme features several recurring and specialist performers associated with the festival’s Baroque and chamber-music identity.

• L’Archicembalo: The ensemble appears multiple times, including the opening concert and a dedicated Vivaldi programme.
• Collegium Pro Musica: The ensemble presents a programme devoted to European Baroque repertoire.
• Liana Mosca: The violinist appears with Rita Peiretti in a programme examining the Piedmontese violin school.
• Duo Bianchi-Demicheli: The violin and piano partnership performs I grandi bis.
• Ensemble Lorenzo Perosi: The group explores the history and character of two exceptional violins.
• Duo Centola-Disabato: Angela Centola on guitar and Antonio Disabato on accordion perform Frammenti di viaggio.
• Matteo Costa and Daniela Demicheli: The piano duo performs In bianco e nero.
• Gastón Fournier-Facio and Simone Gragnani: They close the wider 2026 programme with a concert devoted to Liszt and Rome.

Stages & performance areas

The festival does not use conventional festival stages. Instead, performances are integrated into historic and cultural spaces throughout Alessandria province.

The main performance environments include churches, a conservatory auditorium, a public library, municipal rooms and the historic Palatium Vetus. This format allows audiences to experience the music in architecturally significant surroundings rather than a traditional concert-hall setting.

Set times

Most concerts are scheduled for the evening, generally at 9:00 PM.

The programme includes a few exceptions:

• 20 September: 6:00 PM
• 1 October: 6:00 PM
• 8 November: 5:00 PM

All other listed 2026 concerts begin at 9:00 PM.

Ticket types

Admission is free for the 2026 festival events documented by the organisers and participating institutions. For example, the 17 June concert at the Conservatorio A. Vivaldi is explicitly listed as free admission with no compulsory reservation.

Recent 2026 announcements for later concerts likewise describe admission as free, although audience members can reserve a seat in advance.

• General admission: Free
• Reserved seating: Available for selected concerts
• Paid ticket: No standard paid festival ticket has been announced

VIP & premium options

No VIP ticket programme or premium festival package has been announced for the 2026 edition.

The main enhanced-access option is advance seat reservation for individual concerts. This can be particularly useful at smaller churches and historic venues where seating capacity is limited.

Event rules

Audience members should follow the individual requirements of each host venue. Because concerts are held in churches, historic buildings and cultural institutions, respectful behaviour and appropriate conduct are expected.

For concerts where reservations are available, visitors should reserve through the festival before attending. The organisers have specifically recommended reservations for some performances because of venue capacity.

Visitors should also arrive early, particularly for free concerts where admission is not tied to a paid seat.

How to get there

Alessandria is located in Piedmont between Turin, Milan and Genoa, making it accessible for visitors travelling around northern Italy.

The city can be reached by train and road, while the provincial venues are best approached according to the individual concert location.

For a festival-focused trip, Alessandria is the most practical base because several performances take place within the city itself, while selected concerts require travel to nearby communities.

Public transport & parking

Alessandria’s central venues can generally be reached using the city’s urban transport network, while the railway station provides connections for visitors arriving from other northern Italian cities.

For concerts outside central Alessandria, visitors should check the individual venue and local transport options in advance. Driving can be more practical for a multi-venue itinerary because the 2026 programme extends across several towns in the province.

Parking arrangements vary by venue, particularly for churches and smaller municipal locations, so visitors should allow extra time to find parking before evening concerts.

Accommodation areas

Alessandria city centre: The most convenient choice for visitors attending several concerts in Alessandria and wanting easy access to restaurants, historic buildings and cultural attractions.

Near the railway station: Suitable for visitors arriving by train and using Alessandria as a base for the festival.

Tortona: A useful alternative for visitors attending the Tortona programme and exploring the surrounding area.

Monferrato countryside: Suitable for travellers combining the festival with wine tourism, historic villages and rural accommodation.

Oviglio and surrounding countryside: Convenient for visitors particularly interested in the southern part of the festival programme.

Food & drink

Food and drink are not the principal focus of Alessandria Barocca e non solo…, but attending the festival provides an opportunity to combine classical concerts with Piedmontese cuisine.

Visitors staying in Alessandria can explore local restaurants before or after evening performances. Those travelling through the Monferrato area can also combine concerts with the region’s wine and food traditions.

For a multi-day trip, the festival can therefore be incorporated into a wider cultural itinerary covering Alessandria, Monferrato, Tortona and nearby historic communities.

Accessibility

The festival is designed to bring classical music to a broad audience and uses a variety of public cultural and historic spaces. Italia.it describes the initiative as accessible to a diverse audience.

However, accessibility conditions can differ substantially between venues because the programme takes place in historic churches, halls and other buildings. Visitors with mobility requirements should check the accessibility of the specific venue before attending.

For seating assistance or venue-specific information, contacting the festival organisers in advance is advisable.

Best days to attend

Opening period: The June concerts provide a strong introduction to the festival’s Baroque identity, with L’Archicembalo appearing at the opening and again later in the month.

Late summer: The August and September programme broadens the musical range, including violin, chamber, guitar and accordion performances.

September: This is one of the most geographically varied parts of the programme, with concerts in Salabue, Valmadonna and San Sebastiano Curone as well as Alessandria.

October: The October concerts offer piano, cello, narrated music and literary connections, making this period particularly interesting for visitors who enjoy music combined with storytelling.

Previous year’s highlights

The 2025 edition was the sixteenth edition and also featured 13 appointments distributed between Alessandria and the surrounding province.

The previous programme included L’Archicembalo performing Vivaldi, Matteo Costa on piano, Cristina Mosca and Emanuela Cagno, Ensemble Sergio Gaggia, the Duo Bianchi-Demicheli and a number of concerts combining music with narration and cultural themes.

The 2025 programme also demonstrated the festival’s established approach of placing performances in churches, libraries, conservatory spaces, municipal buildings and smaller provincial communities.

Official tickets

The festival’s 2026 concerts are generally presented as free-admission events rather than a conventional ticketed festival. Some concerts offer advance seat reservation, particularly where venue capacity is limited.

For the latest concert information, programme updates and reservation instructions, use the official festival channels. The festival’s artistic website publishes the complete 2026 programme and individual concert programmes.

Festival website: https://www.italia.it/en/piedmont/alessandria/things-to-do/event-international-festival-alessandria-barocca

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