Festival PerSe Visioni

From 20 to 22 August 2026, Polignano a Mare will host the 19th edition of the PerSe Visioni Festival, a cultural event that for almost twenty years has been a key event for contemporary artistic research, independent cinema and new forms of visual expression. For three days, the famous Apulian town overlooking the Adriatic will be transformed into a creative laboratory open to languages, cultures and sensibilities from all over the world.

Conceived and organised by the Bachi da Setola Association, the festival stands out for its multidisciplinary nature and its ability to foster dialogue between art, the local area and the community. Cinema, visual arts, experimental music, dance theatre and contemporary performance coexist within a programme that explores contemporary themes through innovative and original forms of expression.

Over the course of three days, the public will be able to attend film screenings, meet artists, take part in workshops, enjoy live performances and engage in discussions dedicated to new visual narratives. The works presented will offer a glimpse into the most interesting trends in international independent production, giving space to forms of expression capable of conveying the complexity of the contemporary world.

One of the most significant aspects of the PerSe Visioni Festival is its ability to highlight the relationship between art and landscape. The initiatives are, in fact, developed in close connection with the urban and natural setting of Polignano a Mare, creating an ongoing dialogue between the artworks, the locations and the local community. In this way, the festival becomes an immersive experience that involves not only the artists and the audience, but the entire local area.

Alongside the artistic activities, there is also a strong social and civic dimension. One example is the Campo Bachi project, carried out in collaboration with the Libera association, which represents one of the most significant sections of the event. Through training, volunteering and active citizenship initiatives, the project involves young people from diverse backgrounds, promoting the values of legality, participation and social commitment.

The PerSe Visioni Festival thus reaffirms itself as a meeting point between creativity and social responsibility, where culture becomes a tool for reflection and transformation. Art is not seen merely as an aesthetic expression, but as a means of questioning reality, building relationships and imagining new perspectives for the future.

Spanning arthouse cinema, experimental music, the performing arts and social engagement, the 19th edition of the PerSe Visioni Festival will offer an intense and immersive cultural experience, once again helping to make Polignano a Mare one of the liveliest hubs of the contemporary Italian art scene.