2025 Edition
Art & Wonder on Every Street
An edition full of awards, honors, and recognition, because the participating troupes this year are simply outstanding—alongside young companies already standing out in showcases and festivals. A host of world-class talents in their respective fields. A year of grand returns—but not one returning company will perform previously seen shows. Only new and fascinating creations. Some European premieres, some global, others national, many brand-new 2025 productions.
Quality that will amaze you and make your eyes pop.
Energy and emotion, technique and poetry, all communicated during the shows. On the main stage at “MusiK ParK,” “after midnight”... as always, great music to listen to—and then dance, dance, dance. As is often the case here, the exception becomes the rule. Everywhere, extraordinary companies will showcase uniqueness, genius, and originality.
The roundabout on Via Martiri transforms into possibly the largest space of the whole festival thanks to its size and logistics—home to fabulous, breathtaking shows. Dazzling numbers, high-level technique, storytelling, live music... originality at its finest.
Whether you're passionate about cirque-theatre, neo-circus (as it’s now called), theatre, dance, music, or circus arts—immerse yourself in a lively, engaging atmosphere where art comes alive.
From August 11 to 15, streets and squares become an open-air stage—but don’t miss the performances at Teatro Mentore, the festival’s jewel, with a rich indoor lineup alongside outdoor shows.
A vibrant edition full of energy:
Join the celebration, take part in interactive shows, and fill your eyes with wonder!
Shows That Entertain and Make You Reflect
In Cirque-Theatre, every performance tells a story: whether happy, sad, simple, complex, or curious...
Eccentric, quirky artists deliver surreal acts, shows built on real effort and physical prowess: in some, strength, acrobatics, and balance will prevail; in others, comedy, illusion, and amazement—but in all, you’ll find something special to make your memories unforgettable.
It remains the queen of disciplines, because it is incredibly multidisciplinary...
Unique, unrepeatable, complex performances, carefully thought-out and executed in every detail. Often, the disciplines themselves are simply a pretext and a medium to tell stories from everyday life... and nearly all shows include wonderful live music that elevates the artistic experience.
As we’ve long said:
“Hard to explain? Wonderful to witness!”
Live Music in Every Corner
From intimate acoustic corners to big amplified stages—music will echo through streets and alleys.
At the MusiK Park stage, dancing continues until late into the night.
The new Osteria is confirmed: shows and live music during and after dinner.
Last year’s successful experiment continues—a second stage at Baraonda Loc.1, in the Parco Fluviale area near Sala Milleluci. The legendary Sala, not yet finished this year (unfinished soundproofing, etc.), will shine again in the celebratory 35th edition in 2026.
This year it remains open and accessible, hosting photo exhibitions about the festival and the "Golden Years" of the Sala, art exhibits, and perhaps some last-minute surprises.
From September onward, the Pro Loco of Santa Sofia will complete its full renovation.
So it’s only a “see you in 2026” for the great festival shows—where it will shine in all its glory.
For lovers of art and nature, a visit to the Sculpture Park is a must: an open-air “jewel” museum, a trail featuring 12 monumental sculptures by world-renowned artists, starting at Parco Giorgi (Park of the Resistance) in Santa Sofia, winding through the Bidente riverbed, all the way to Capaccio, ending with the iconic “Cono Tronco” by Arnaldo Pomodoro.
Delicacies: Restaurants & Food Trucks
In Santa, love for the land becomes culinary magic, with treasures recognized as Slow Food Presidia:
From Raviggiolo to Panina, Tortello alla Lastra to Salsiccia Matta, to porcini mushrooms and beyond...
Taste the authenticity of handcrafted products and savor a unique gastronomic experience.
Restaurants, food trucks, tastings, and much more to please all your senses, and sample the typical flavors of Romagna’s food and wine.
Besides the eyes, the palate deserves joy too—and in Romagna, we never miss a chance to share our deliciousness with good wine, laughter, and warmth.
DIZZYING BALANCES
Enchanted slopes, the poetic Bidente, and a strange craftsman shaping clay
Sweet music played with a bow, embers lighting the river’s bay
Jesters and acrobats amaze the crowd, enchantments and wonders cast aloud
Fauns and nymphs in mid-August, drunkenly dancing with Bacchus in the hidden wood
Julot’s legend now etched in books, he shows us “Dizzying Balances” at the Pesa’s nook
Alas, missing will be the genius of Hervé, now among the stars, but with him is René
Flavio Quadrini
Dedicated as always to Donato Diversi, a.k.a. “René”, and to the festival.
This year’s poem also honors two legendary artists.
One is returning after many years—Julot Cousins—perhaps for his final acrobatic tour.
See him one last time, performing his one-of-a-kind act, still unmatched today.
The other, Hervé Perrin, one of the most refined, innovative, and dazzling artists to ever grace the stage of Di Strada in Strada—founder of Cié Bilbobasso and formerly Cié La Salamandre.
There are very few exceptional companies in the world of fire arts.
One of them is back this year—for the second year in a row—with an even more spectacular show, three performers instead of two, only one of whom was present last year.
Allow me, with no offense to anyone, to say:
“There was only one Bilbobasso.”
For its artistic choices, uniqueness, and originality: fire paired with the passion and magic of tango, blending disciplines into something utterly captivating—a milestone in the world of fire performance.
Their masterpieces, Polàr and Le Bal des Anges, accompanied by extraordinary live music, were set to return in 2024 after six years—but then, unexpectedly, something took Hervé by surprise.
In April 2025, after hopeful emails about returning in 2026, came the heartbreaking news—from a friend and colleague in France.
Hervé had promised a toast with fine Burgundy wine upon his return—a toast that would have meant the world.
We like to believe he’s now toasting from above with René, watching over this great festival—one he helped create, the other lived as a true protagonist, even if only once.
From the President
There are moments when time seems to stand still, and what remains is the sense of being part of something real.
During Di Strada In Strada, every gesture, glance, and word shared creates a deep bond. Like invisible threads, our energies intertwine—turning effort into beauty, fatigue into emotion, commitment into something beyond the moment.
Each of you brought a light, a detail, a presence that made this event possible, creating together a balance of passion, collaboration, and humanity.
In these interwoven moments lies the true meaning of giving and being together.
Thank you, each and every one of you,
for the heart, dedication, and silent strength
with which you make every edition so special.
With deep gratitude and admiration.
Gabriele Fabbri - President of ProLoco Santa Sofia