Girotonno Festival 2027 – Carloforte, Italien

Überblick

Girotonno is the international food, wine and cultural festival that has put the tiny island of Carloforte on the global gastronomic map. Hosted in the only town on Isola di San Pietro, off the southwestern coast of Sardinia, the festival is dedicated entirely to bluefin tuna, known locally as tonno rosso, and to the centuries-old culture of the tonnara.

The name itself is a wordplay on giro, meaning tour, and tonno, meaning tuna, evoking the journey of the tuna along the Mediterranean routes and the journey of visitors discovering its flavors. For four to five days, the picturesque harbour front of Carloforte transforms into a large open-air village with tasting stations, live cooking stages, cultural talks, music, art exhibitions and activities for families.

The festival was created to celebrate and preserve the tuna fishing tradition that has existed here since the 16th century. The Tonnara di Carloforte at Punta La Punta is one of the last active traditional tuna fisheries in the Mediterranean where the mattanza system is still understood and practiced by the rais, the fishing master, and the tonnaroti, the tuna fishermen. Girotonno brings that heritage to the public through gastronomy, storytelling and international exchange.

What started as a local celebration is now an international event that draws chefs from eight countries, journalists, food lovers and travelers from across Sardinia and mainland Italy. It has been described as a triumph of flavours, where tuna is offered in traditional recipes and in creative variants.

Was macht diese kulinarische Veranstaltung so besonders?

Capital Of Quality Tuna: Carloforte is today considered the capital of quality tuna in the Mediterranean. It is the only town in the Mediterranean where, through artisan methods, the so-called race tuna is fished after arriving in large schools from the Atlantic to deposit eggs in the warmer waters of the Sea of Sardinia. The quality of the meat, which is at its peak before the stressful return journey, is central to the festival.

The World Tuna Competition: The high point of Girotonno is the International Tuna Competition, a spectacular competition between chefs from different countries who use their art to enhance the qualities of tuna, both raw and cooked, in traditional recipes and in creative variants. Past editions have hosted chefs from Italy, Japan, Morocco, Spain, Peru, France, Australia, Portugal, Brazil, Finland and many others, making it a true dialogue between Mediterranean regions that still keep alive the culture of tuna.

Men, History And Flavours On The Tuna Route: The recurring theme of the festival is the link between people, history and flavours. It celebrates not just a product, but the entire ecosystem of knowledge, from the construction of nets to the processing techniques of bottarga, musciame, lattume and canned fillets.

A Ligurian Island In Sardinia: Isola di San Pietro is culturally unique. Founded in 1738 by Ligurian coral fishers from the island of Tabarka off Tunisia, Carloforte still speaks Tabarchino, a form of old Genoese, and its architecture of narrow carrugi and pastel facades looks like Liguria transplanted to the Mediterranean. That heritage gives the cuisine a distinctive mix of Ligurian and North African influences.

Open-Air Harbour Festival: The event is held on the picturesque seafront of Carloforte, free to wander, with a Tuna Village featuring tasting stations, workshops, and a Live Show stage with concerts and entertainment.

Essen, Küche & Spezialitäten

Bluefin Tuna In All Forms: The star is bluefin tuna, prepared in countless ways. You will find tartare with sea salt and wild fennel, tataki seared with sesame, ventresca grilled over juniper, cured musciame similar to bresaola, bottarga grated over pasta, lattume fried, and the classic Carlofortina cassola fish soup enriched with tuna.

Ligurian-Sardinian Fusion: The local cuisine is not typical Sardinian. Expect pesto made in the Tabarchin style, pasta with tuna, capers and Taggiasca olives, farinata, focaccia genovese, and couscous alla tabarchina, a direct link to the community’s Tunisian past. The couscous is steamed with vegetables and served with fish broth and tuna.

Canned And Artisan Preserves: Carloforte is famous for its high-end canned tuna in olive oil. Producers showcase jars of fillets, belly, and creams, along with tuna salami, tuna mortadella and tuna bottarga. These are ideal for tasting on crostini with local Carignano wines.

Live Cooking And Tastings: A five-day programme includes live cooking and delicious tastings of recipes from the past and of today, presentations and guided tours. You will discover secrets, anecdotes and curiosities revealed by leading protagonists of Italian cuisine. Tasting stations offer small plates for a few dollars each, allowing you to build your own tour.

Beyond Tuna: The island also offers sea urchins, lobster, anchovies, local pecorino, honey with myrtle, and wines from Sulcis. The Tuna Village includes stands with extra virgin olive oil, craft beers and Sardinian sweets like papassini.

Köche, Restaurants & Lebensmittelverkäufer

International Chefs Competition: Each edition invites six to eight international chefs selected through culinary partnerships. They compete live in front of a jury of food journalists and chefs, preparing one raw and one cooked tuna dish. Past winners have included chefs from Japan and Peru, bringing techniques like Nikkei, sushi and ceviche to the Sardinian product.

Italian Guest Chefs: Leading Italian chefs, particularly from Liguria, Sardinia and Sicily, host masterclasses and show cooking. They demonstrate how to handle bluefin respectfully, from proper cutting of the loin to zero-waste use of less noble parts.

Tuna Village Vendors: The heart of the festival is the Tuna Village along the harbour. Here, local restaurants, tonnare and artisan canneries set up kitchens. You can reserve a table at any respected restaurant for dinner during the festival, but during the day the village allows you to eat standing, moving from stall to stall. Expect vendors offering panino con tonno, tuna meatballs, tuna burgers, fried tuna skewers and tasting platters.

Local Institutions: Trattorias from Carloforte’s historic centre participate, including those specializing in cassola, spaghetti with bottarga and couscous. Their presence ensures that traditional home cooking is represented alongside avant-garde competition dishes.

Wine Partners: Sardinian wineries pour Carignano del Sulcis, Vermentino, Cannonau and sparkling wines that are specifically chosen to pair with oily fish. The pairing is part of the educational program.

Kulinarisches Erlebnis

Immersive Tasting Journey: Rather than a single seated dinner, Girotonno is designed as a wandering experience. You buy tasting tickets or pay per plate and move between stages, smelling grills, watching chefs plate, and talking directly with producers about the difference between akami, chutoro and ventresca.

Educational Workshops: The program includes workshops on how to recognize quality bluefin, how to preserve it under oil at home, how to make bottarga, and how to pair tuna with local wines. There are also guided tours to the Tonnara di Carloforte, available by guided tour only, where you learn about the complex net system and the role of the rais.

Live Show And Music: Cuisine and creativity, flavour and shows define the atmosphere. The Live Show stage hosts concerts with free entry in the evenings, with past headliners including Italian pop artists. Music, street performances and cultural talks create a festival atmosphere that goes beyond food.

Family And Interactive Activities: The Tuna Village features activities for children, cooking labs for kids, exhibitions about marine sustainability, and demonstrations of knot-making and net mending. It is a chance to understand the balance between fishing tradition and modern conservation of bluefin stocks.

Sunset Aperitivo: As the sun sets over the harbour, the village shifts to aperitivo mode with tuna tartare, oysters, and spritz made with local botanicals, served against the backdrop of pastel houses and fishing boats.

Datum und Zeitplan

Veranstaltungstermine: May – June 2027 (Dates TBD)

Expected Schedule Structure: Based on previous editions, the 24th edition will start with preliminary events over several days before the main weekend, with the main program running over four to five days. The 2026 edition started on May 23 with preliminary events between May 23 and 28, and the main program from May 29 to June 2, including the International Tuna Competition, Tuna Village tasting stations, workshops and free concerts.

Typical Daily Flow:

• Guten Morgen: Guided visits to the Tonnara, cooking workshops for children, market opens in the harbour
• Midday: Tuna Village tasting stations open, live cooking shows and show cooking with guest chefs, presentations and guided tours
• Nachmittag: International Tuna Competition heats, panel talks on sustainability and Mediterranean tuna culture, wine pairings
• Evening: Live concerts on the harbour stage, sunset aperitivi, DJ sets and special dinners in participating restaurants

The full program with chef line-up and concert schedule will be published on https://girotonno.it/

Besuchst du diese Veranstaltung? Verpasse diese großartigen Aktivitäten und lokalen Erlebnisse nicht, solange du hier bist.

Lage & Veranstaltungsort

Lage: Carloforte, Isola di San Pietro, Sulcis Archipelago, Sardinia, Italy

Veranstaltungsort: The festival takes place along the seafront and historic centre of Carloforte, centered on the harbour, Corso Battellieri and surrounding piazzas. The Tuna Village is built along the waterfront with covered tasting areas, the main stage for competitions and concerts, and exhibition spaces.

About Carloforte: The only residential area on the island, Carloforte covers roughly 51 square kilometers and sits about 7 kilometers off the Sardinian mainland. The town was founded in honor of King Charles Emmanuel III and retains its Ligurian identity, with narrow carrugi, pastel facades and the Tabarchino dialect still spoken. The island features volcanic cliffs, sea caves like Grotta del Pulpito, beaches like La Bobba and Punta Nera, and the westernmost point of Italy at Capo Sandalo lighthouse.

Anreise zum Event

By Ferry: Isola di San Pietro is reached by ferry from Portoscuso and Calasetta on the Sardinian mainland. The crossing takes about 30 to 40 minutes, with several ferries each day. From Calasetta, the ferry lands directly in Carloforte harbour, a short walk to the festival. Booking ferry tickets in advance during the festival weekend is strongly recommended.

By Air And Road: Fly into Cagliari Elmas Airport, then drive about 1 hour 15 minutes to Portoscuso or Calasetta. Car rentals are available at the airport. You can bring your car on the ferry, which is useful for exploring beaches, though the town itself can be explored on foot during the festival.

On The Island: Carloforte can be explored on foot, but if you are keen on hitting nearby beaches you will need a car, scooter or bike. During Girotonno, the harbour area is pedestrianized and most venues are within walking distance.

Organized Tours: Day tours from Chia, Cagliari and southern Sardinia include hotel pick-up, minivan to the port, ferry crossing and guided walking tour of Carloforte with time in the Tuna Village. These are practical if you are staying on mainland Sardinia.

Tipp: Reserve tables at any respected restaurant for dinner during the festival, as the dining scene is outstanding but small and walk-ins at peak times are unreliable.

Wo man in der Nähe übernachten kann

In Carloforte: Staying in Carloforte puts you steps from the Tuna Village. Options include small boutique hotels in restored Tabarchin houses, B&Bs overlooking the harbour, and apartments in the historic centre. Book many months ahead, as the town has limited capacity and fills completely for Girotonno.

Agriturismi And Holiday Homes: On the island, agriturismi and villas near La Caletta and Punta Nera offer quiet stays with sea views, ideal if you want beach time before or after festival hours.

On Mainland Sulcis: If Carloforte is full, stay in Calasetta, Sant’Antioco or Portoscuso and take the morning ferry. Calasetta is a charming Ligurian town opposite Carloforte with hotels and easy ferry access.

Cagliari: For travelers combining Girotonno with a Sardinian tour, Cagliari offers the widest range of hotels and is about 70 kilometers from the ferry ports. It allows you to explore the capital’s old town and markets before heading to the island.

Price Note: Accommodation during the festival weekend commands premium rates. Expect small hotels to range from $120 to $250 USD per night and apartments from $100 to $200 USD per night, with minimum stay requirements.

Dinge, die man vor oder nach dem Ereignis tun kann

Beach Hopping: Isola di San Pietro has around 33 kilometers of coastline with sandy bays like Spiaggia Giunco, La Bobba, Guidi, Punta Nera and La Caletta. The natural rock pools of Piscine Naturali di Nasca and the sea stacks of Le Colonne di Carloforte are must-see spots.

Boat Tours: Daily dinghy tours and sailing boat tours depart from Carloforte, Calasetta and Sant’Antioco, exploring sea caves, Capo Sandalo, Isola Piana and snorkeling spots. A traditional Sardinian snack with pane guttiau and local white wine is often included.

Cultural Sites: Visit the ancient walls and forts of Santa Cristina, Santa Teresa and Beatrice, Carloforte Castle, the Archiottu arch, and the Salt Pans with pink flamingos near the port. The small multimedia museum at Torre San Vittorio houses an astronomical observatory.

Birdwatching: The LIPU nature reserve on the west coast protects Eleonora’s falcons that arrive from Madagascar and nest on cliffs. Cala Fico offers the best vantage points.

Food Shopping: Buy canned tuna, bottarga, musciame and artisan preserves directly from local producers as souvenirs. Many vendors offer shipping.

Restaurants und lokale Spezialitäten zum Probieren

In Carloforte: Try cassolla, the rich fish soup with tomato, grouper, moray eel and tuna; couscous tabarchino with fish broth; spaghetti with bottarga and artichokes; tuna meatballs; and pesto alla carlofortina with pine nuts and Marjoram. For dessert, try papassini and canestrelli.

Ligurian Influence: Look for farinata, focaccia with onion, panissa, and anchovy-stuffed vegetables, reflecting the Genoese origin of the town.

Seafood Beyond Tuna: The island offers excellent sea urchin pasta, lobster Catalan style, grilled octopus and fried anchovies, served in trattorias along the harbour.

Wine Pairing: Pair tuna with Carignano del Sulcis Rosso for richness, Vermentino di Sardegna for acidity, and sparkling Vermentino for raw preparations. Local wineries from Sulcis and Iglesiente pour at the festival.

Where To Eat During Festival: The Tuna Village offers affordable tasting plates from $5 to $15 USD, while sit-down dinners in town range from $30 to $60 USD per person excluding wine.

Informationen zu Ernährung und Lebensmittelallergien

Pescatarian Focus: The festival is pescatarian-friendly, with tuna as the central protein and many seafood options. Vegetarian dishes are available, including farinata, focaccia, caponata, couscous with vegetables, and salads.

Vegane Optionen: Vegan choices include grilled vegetables, couscous with vegetable broth, salads, and some pasta with tomato sauce. However, many signature dishes contain fish, eggs or anchovy, so check ingredients at stalls.

Glutenfrei: Couscous contains gluten, but many dishes like grilled tuna, salads, fish soups without pasta, and some rice dishes are naturally gluten-free. Bottarga pasta typically contains wheat pasta, but some vendors offer gluten-free versions if asked in advance.

Allergien: Fish and shellfish allergies require caution, as tuna is present in almost every stall and cross-contact is likely. Nut allergies should note that pesto and some desserts contain pine nuts, almonds and hazelnuts. Inform vendors before ordering.

Kommunikation: Vendors are generally knowledgeable and speak some English during the festival. For severe allergies, bring an allergy card in Italian and consider contacting the organizer via the official website before arrival.

Ticketinformationen

Girotonno is largely an open-access festival along the harbour, with free entry to the Tuna Village area and free concerts. Paid elements are for tastings and competitions.

Eintritt: Free entry to the harbour promenade, Tuna Village walkways, exhibitions and evening concerts.

Tasting Tickets: Tasting plates and glasses are pay-as-you-go, typically $5 to $12 USD per plate for tuna tastings, $6 to $10 USD for wine glasses. Multi-tasting carnets from previous editions were sold for $25 to $35 USD for 5 tastings, offering a discount.

Masterclasses And Workshops: Show cooking and workshops with guest chefs are often free with limited seating on first-come basis, while premium seated masterclasses with wine pairing have been priced at $20 to $40 USD per person in past editions.

International Tuna Competition: Viewing the competition is free, but reserved front-row seats or gala dinners with the competing chefs have ranged from $50 to $90 USD per person.

Tonnara Visits: Guided visits to the Tonnara di Carloforte, offered during the festival, cost approximately $15 to $25 USD per person and require booking via the local tourism office.

Endgültiger Preis: Official 2027 pricing will be published on https://girotonno.it/ closer to the event. Prices above are converted to USD based on previous editions.

Offizielle Veranstaltungsinformationen

Offizielle Website: https://girotonno.it/

Veranstalter: Comune di Carloforte with regional tourism bodies, local tonnare and Sardinia Region tourism department. The festival is supported by SardegnaTurismo and local cultural associations.

Lage: Lungomare and historic centre of Carloforte, Isola di San Pietro, 09014 Carloforte SU, Sardinia

Kontakt: Information available via the official website and the Carloforte tourist office at the port. For press and chef applications, use contacts listed on girotonno.it.

Soziale Medien: Follow Girotonno on official social channels linked from the website for program updates, chef announcements and concert line-ups.

Lage

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