There is a small corner of Liguria that, every year, becomes the home of stories. It is Sestri Levante, nestled between the Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fables, which from June 5 to 8, 2025 will once again be dressed in enchantment for the 28th edition of theAndersen Festival, one of Italy’s longest-running and best-loved cultural events. And this year, the curtain will open with an absolute novelty: an official opening night – scheduled for June 5 – that will serve as an emotional prologue to the long tale made of theater, music, fairy tales and poetry.
Created to celebrate the magic of storytelling, the Andersen Festival 2025 also marks the beginning of a new artistic course. Leading it is Duccio Forzano, a television director with a sensitive and dynamic vision, joined by Davide Paganini, actor, technical director and Ligurian soul of the project. “After months of work, the Festival is ready to go. We have built an itinerary designed for all ages, which we hope will leave a mark,” says Forzano. And Paganini adds, “It is an honor to give something back to my city through art. These will be intense, exciting days, full of wonder.”
Seventy-two hours in which Sestri will be transformed into an open-air theater, including stages overlooking the sea, enchanted gardens, telling streets and enchanting voices. On the bill: Blue Dolls, Gnu Quartet, Francesco Baccini, Riccardo Bocca, Nicola Brunialti. Plus, to the delight of young and old alike, Topo Gigio, an iconic and affectionately familiar presence.
The beating heart of the event remains the connection with the Andersen Prize – Bay of Fables, a historic literary competition for unpublished fairy tales now in its 58th edition. The award ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 7, in the picturesque setting of the Annunziata Convent.
“It will be an explosion of creativity,” promises Federico Squeri, sole director of Mediaterraneo Servizi, emphasizing the program’s accessible and multidisciplinary approach. A festival that has participation as its strongest engine: “We have taken care of every detail, with a special look at children and families, but without ever sacrificing artistic quality.”
The municipality also enthusiastically welcomes this edition: “It is a festival of children and for children. The opening night will be one more way to reiterate that culture is sharing,” emphasizes the Mayor of Sestri Levante.
In the heart of the oncoming summer, Sestri Levante thus confirms itself as a place where imagination takes shape, amid fairy tales that walk the streets and performances that speak to the heart. The journey is ready to begin. Full program at: www.andersensestri.it
