Food festivals in Cagliari worth planning a trip around, by month.
Food festivals in Cagliari worth planning a trip around, by month.
Cagliari's great procession leaves Stampace on 1 May and walks the statue of Sant'Efisio to Nora and back over four days, honouring a plague vow made in 1652, with tracas ox carts, costume and feasting along the route.
Focus: Sardinian feast cooking
Tip: The 1 May departure fills Via Roma from early morning; the return on the evening of 4 May is quieter and easier to watch.
Isola Birra takes over the pine grove on the Su Siccu waterfront in Cagliari for three July evenings, pouring more than 60 beers from fifteen breweries alongside street food, tasting workshops and DJ sets.
Focus: Sardinian and Italian craft beer
Tip: Stalls open at 17:00, the guided tasting workshops start at 19:45 and need booking; live music and DJ sets run from 21:00.
Girotonno turns the Genoese-founded island town of Carloforte into a tuna festival for eleven days from late May, with an international chefs' competition, live cooking and a Tuna Village on the quay.
Focus: Bluefin tuna
Tip: The Tuna Village on Banchina Mamma Mahon serves 12:00 to 15:00 and 19:00 to 22:00; Carloforte is reached by ferry from Portovesme or Calasetta.
Samassi, 40 km north of Cagliari, gives its violet artichoke four days in March: guided tastings, an agricultural fair, artichoke street food through the old centre and cooking demonstrations from Sardinian chefs.
Focus: Violet artichoke
Tip: Entry to the festival ground is free; the Zampettata del Carciofo dog walk needs registering in advance and charges a small fee.