We love festival season and whether it’s music or culture or both we have a great range of events to choose from in Peterborough.
This year’s Italian Festival is set to return this weekend with special guest, celebrity chef Aldo Zilli the star of the show.
The TV chef will be appearing on the Sunday afternoon for a chat on stage followed by a book signing and photo opportunities.
The two day festival, on September 9 and 10, is now in its ninth year making it the longest running event of its kind in the UK.
It’s always a colourful two days packed with a range of music, dance, theatre, vehicle displays and of course delicious food!
Aldo says – “I love supporting the Italian community all over the world as we’d travel and always bring food, drink, fashion and so on with us so when asked about Peterborough Italian fest I jumped at the chance to meet more of my fellow Italian expats so see you all there!”
New additions to this year’s event line up includes music and dance from Laboratorio Orafolk, who are coming all the way from Deliceto in the province of Foggia, and captivating theatre from Shakespeare in Italy with their performance Aliens Order.
You won’t miss it as Cathedral Square is always packed for this fabulous celebration which is organised by Peterborough’s Italian Community Association and supported by the city council.
Get your culture hit with classic pieces from Italian opera sung by Davide Sorrentino, Giuseppe Barile and Teresa De Roberto.
Enjoy the flavours of Italy with wine making, Italian cakes from bakers such as La Rondini, and pizza from a range of specialist vendors as well as a tempting Italian market, confectionery, ice-cream and pasta.
The Mediterranean extravaganza will also feature boxing demonstrations, football, classic Italian cars, motorcycles and scooters and lots more.
Annette Joyce, the city council’s service director for city services and communications, said: “This is the city’s most popular cultural and community event in the calendar. Make sure you book the date in your diary and prepare yourself for a tantalising array of food, drink, music and dance.
“Each year the festival grows in stature and I am sure people will be looking forward to the new additions to the weekend’s line up including the performances from Laboratorio Orafolk and Shakespeare in Italy.”
The Shakespeare in Italy project was inspired by an Italian Community Association publication, Aliens Order, which took its name from the certificate of registration and identity card that people arriving in the UK had to sign up to in the 1950s if they wanted to work in the country. The lively, colourful fun pop-up performances with a nod to Commedia Dell Arte, has reference to Shakespeare’s Italian plays including Romeo and Juliet, Othello and The Merchant of Venice.
The festival runs on Heritage Open Day weekend and there will be an exhibition celebrating Peterborough’s London Brick heritage at St John the Baptist Church in Church Street on the Saturday. A large number of Peterborough’s Italian community worked for the London Brick Company.
The festival runs from 12noon to 5pm each day and we can’t wait.
Comments