Santarcangelo Festival 2026, il borgo che si riempie di performance parlando di corpo come spazio politico sotto pressione
The 56th edition of the Santarcangelo Festival, titled "Deep Pressures," will take place from July 3 to 12, 2026, in the historic town of Santarcangelo, Italy. Curated by Tomasz Kirenczuk in his final year as artistic director, the festival transforms the town into a "city-festival" with over 100 events including performances, concerts, and participatory practices. The program explores the body as a political space under pressure—from geopolitical conflict and colonial legacies to emotional and social tensions. Key works include "In relation to whom?" by Palestinian artists Marah Haj Hussein and Nur Garabli, "When I Saw the Sea" by Lebanese choreographer Ali Chahrour, and "Homem Novo" by Mozambican artist Yuck Miranda, among others. The festival was presented at Mambo in Bologna, with Kirenczuk emphasizing that the role of the festival is to be unsettling, not reassuring.
This edition matters because it represents a culmination of Kirenczuk's five-year directorship, which has progressively centered feminist, queer, anti-racist, and decolonial practices in a major Italian performing arts festival. "Deep Pressures" treats the body as a living archive and political space, addressing urgent issues such as war, migration, systemic oppression, and collective resistance. By framing pressure not only as a burden but also as a generative force for movement and metamorphosis, the festival offers a radical model for how cultural institutions can engage with contemporary crises. It also highlights the role of small-town festivals in fostering experimental, politically engaged art that challenges audiences and opens new perspectives.