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P.A.V.I.A. Festival 2026
From November 7 to 14, 2026, Pavia will host the second edition of the P.A.V.I.A. Festival, a citywide festival dedicated to music in which the audience takes center stage. Eight days of concerts, workshops, and opportunities to explore the intersection of music and art will bring some of the city’s most evocative venues to life, from the Fraschini Theater to the University’s Aula Magna, from the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore to a traveling concert through the streets of Pavia. The festival, sponsored by the City of Pavia, was presented at Palazzo Mezzabarba.
What Is the P.A.V.I.A. Festival?
The name is an acronym that encapsulates the spirit of the project: Participation, Community, Voice, Innovation, Art. Following its 2025 debut, held from October 10 to 12 with a program combining music, theater, and dance, the second edition is dedicated to music in dialogue with art, inviting the public to experience it firsthand: not only by attending a concert, but also by trying their hand at conducting an orchestra or giving free rein to their creativity in an art workshop.
Among the festival’s objectives are promoting young talent and introducing new audiences to music, in the belief that creating culture together means forging bonds and making the city increasingly vibrant and engaged.
Who promotes and organizes the festival
P.A.V.I.A. Festival is sponsored by the City of Pavia and organized by the Fondazione Teatro Fraschini together with GhislieriMusica and I Solisti di Pavia, in collaboration with the Franco Vittadini Conservatory, the Adelaide Cairoli Music High School, and the Ar.Vi.Ma. Civic School of Art. A network of the city’s cultural, musical, and educational institutions that brings together professionals, students, and citizens.
The P.A.V.I.A. Festival 2026 Program
The schedule features six events from November 7 to 14, including concerts at Pavia’s iconic venues and workshops open to everyone.
Saturday, November 7: “You Conduct!” and “Thunder and Lightning”
The festival kicks off at the Fraschini Theater with “You Conduct!”, an orchestral conducting workshop led by Giulio Prandi together with the Pavia Youth Orchestra. It’s designed for anyone who’s always dreamed of stepping onto the podium and requires no prior musical experience. From 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., in the Ridotto del Fraschini, Prandi will introduce participants to conducting gestures, and they’ll first try their hand at conducting along with the piano. From 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the session moves on to a conducting rehearsal with the Pavese Youth Orchestra, and from 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., to a public performance: three participants selected by lottery will conduct the orchestra before the audience at the Teatro Fraschini.
Giulio Prandi is the artistic director of GhislieriMusica, a Pavia-based organization awarded the 2019 Abbiati Prize, and founded the Ghislieri Choir and Orchestra in 2003. He collaborates with theaters and orchestras throughout Europe.
At 9:30 p.m., also at the Teatro Fraschini, the Pavese Youth Orchestra, conducted by Giacomo Biagi, presents “Thunder and Lightning: the Sturm und Drang Symphonies,” a concert dedicated to the most turbulent, passionate, and at the same time modern period of 18th-century symphonic music. The program features Mozart’s Symphony No. 25, written when the composer was just seventeen years old—the same age as some of the young musicians who will perform it.
Sunday, November 8: “You Paint!” at the Ar.Vi.Ma. Civic Art School.
On Sunday, November 8, at 10:00 a.m., the Ar.Vi.Ma. Civic Art School, located at 5 Viale Nazario Sauro, opens its doors with “You Paint!,” a workshop dedicated to the myth of Ariadne, one of the central figures in the history of the arts. Following the experience inspired by Don Quixote, the festival offers a new journey through art and music, open to anyone who wants to put their creativity to the test.
Tuesday, November 10: “Ariadne’s Thread” in the University’s Aula Magna
Tuesday, November 10, at 9:00 p.m., the Aula Magna of the University of Pavia will host “Ariadne’s Thread,” a musical journey through the various interpretations of the myth. Mezzo-soprano José Maria Lo Monaco, the Ghislieri Orchestra, and conductor Giulio Prandi tell the story through music of Ariadne’s abandonment and transformation—a character deeply beloved in European musical theater. The concert serves as a musical counterpart to the workshop held on November 8 at the Civica Scuola d’Arte Ar.Vi.Ma., dedicated to the same myth.
Thursday, November 12: “The Celestial War” at San Michele Maggiore
On Thursday, November 12, at 8:30 p.m., the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, in Piazza San Michele, will host “The Celestial War—Fate, Torment, and Redemption in Baroque Bologna between the 17th and 18th Centuries.” The S-EEEmerging ensemble—a group from the European network dedicated to young talents in early music—will perform within the Romanesque setting of the basilica. The evening is in memory of Francesca Mazza, on her birthday.
Saturday, November 14: The walking concert by I Solisti di Pavia
The festival concludes on Saturday, November 14, at 4:30 p.m. with a walking concert through the city presented by I Solisti di Pavia. For details on the route and stops, please visit the festival’s official website.
Where the festival takes place
The P.A.V.I.A. Festival is a city-wide event: music flows through Pavia, highlighting its most iconic venues. Events are held at the Teatro Fraschini, located at Corso Strada Nuova 136, which hosts the “Dirigi tu!” workshop and the concert on November 7; at the Civica Scuola d’Arte Ar.Vi.Ma., located at Viale Nazario Sauro 5; at the Aula Magna of the University of Pavia; and at the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore, in Piazza San Michele. Finally, the traveling concert on November 14 takes the music on a journey through the city. For those visiting Pavia in the fall, the festival offers an opportunity to discover the city through its diverse venues and atmospheres, ranging from theater and the university to art and Romanesque architecture.
Useful Information and Tickets
Tickets for festival events can be purchased online via Vivaticket or at the Teatro Fraschini box office. The complete program, updates, and information on how to participate in individual events are available on the official website www.paviafestival.it. For more information, please contact the Fraschini Theater at 0382 3711.
Frequently Asked Questions About the P.A.V.I.A. Festival 2026
When does the P.A.V.I.A. Festival 2026 take place?
The second edition of the festival will take place in Pavia from November 7 to 14, 2026.
Where will the events take place?
The events will take place at various venues in Pavia: the Fraschini Theater, the Ar.Vi.Ma. Civic School of Art, the Aula Magna of the University of Pavia, and the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore. A concert tour through the city is scheduled for November 14.
Do you need to know how to play an instrument to participate in “Dirigi tu!”?
No. The conducting workshop led by Giulio Prandi is open to anyone who wants to give it a try and requires no musical experience.
Who organizes the festival?
The festival is sponsored by the City of Pavia and organized by the Fondazione Teatro Fraschini, in partnership with GhislieriMusica and I Solisti di Pavia, in collaboration with the Franco Vittadini Conservatory, the Adelaide Cairoli Music High School, and the Ar.Vi.Ma Civic School of Art.
Where can I buy tickets?
Tickets can be purchased online at Vivaticket or at the Teatro Fraschini box office. The official website www.paviafestival.it features the complete program and useful links.
