Since Wednesday, 9 September 2026, Diamante on the Calabrian Riviera dei Cedri has once again been entirely dedicated to the fiery chilli pepper. Running until Sunday, 13 September, the 34th edition of the Peperoncino Festival brings together regional cuisine, concerts, street art, exhibitions, political discussions and competitions. The venues include the Lungomare, the Lungofiume, Piazza Municipio and the alleyways of the old town. At the heart of this year's programme is the recognition of the Peperoncino di Calabria as a protected geographical indication: after around 25 years of groundwork, the Calabrian chilli was entered into the European register of protected designations of origin in 2026 as Peperoncino di Calabria IGP .
Peperoncino di Calabria IGP Takes Centre Stage
The Peperoncino di Calabria IGP features prominently at the gastronomic stalls along the Lungomare and the Lungofiume. Information materials are on hand to explain to visitors the requirements associated with the new designation of origin and its significance for producers, agriculture and marketing.
The recognition is largely the result of the work carried out by the Consorzio dei produttori del Peperoncino di Calabria, based in San Marco Argentano, with support from the agricultural department of the Calabria region. Consortium president Pietro Serra stated that the achievement opens the door to further goals and new development opportunities. A specialist event at the festival will also explore the prospects of the new IGP designation, with speakers including Pietro Serra, Fulvia Caligiuri as director of the regional agricultural authority ARSAC , and the Calabrian agriculture minister Gianluca Gallo.
The festival was opened on Wednesday at Piazza Municipio, where Mayor Achille Ordine symbolically handed over the keys to the city to Gianni Pellegrino, who has for many years served as Re Peperoncino and hosts the programme. Italian television presenter Elisa Isoardi was announced as a prominent guest.
Calabrian Cuisine on the Lungomare
A large part of the festival is devoted to Calabrian cuisine. Under the title "Mangiare Mediterraneo" , producers and restaurateurs present typical local foods, artisan specialities and new creations from the region along the historic Lungomare. The peperoncino plays as central a role as the history and produce of the Mediterranean diet. Along the illuminated Lungofiume, a further gastronomic zone offers traditional dishes, pizza and regional specialities.
At the Piazzetta San Biagio, chefs from the Accademia del Peperoncino and the Cuochi Pittagorici present their cuisine at "Calabria nel piatto" . Daily showcookings, moderated tastings and dishes featuring a variety of different peperoncino varieties are planned. Culinary guests include Neapolitan pizzaiolo Errico Porzio, who will demonstrate pizza-making techniques and invite the audience to taste his creations.
A further highlight is the presentation of the "Principe Gourmet"award. The accolade, initiated by television presenter Ciro Tortorella, goes in 2026 to Campanian chef Ilario Vinciguerra, known for his Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. The trophy was designed by Calabrian goldsmith Gerardo Sacco and will be presented by Alfonso Iaccarino, who served as jury chair in the selection process.
The festival also sees a premiere for "BonaZzZa", a modern interpretation of the traditional Calabrian Pitta. It was developed by three chefs, Annita Ferragina, Rossella Costa and Lidia Cipriani. The dough is made exclusively from grain grown in Calabria, complemented by red peppers, potatoes, red onions from Tropea with IGP protection marinated in Zibibbo, and Pecorino Romano DOP as the only non-Calabrian main ingredient. At the 2026 Italian cooking championships, the team achieved third place with the "BonaZzZa", winning a bronze medal. The Pitta will be presented this Thursday, 10 September, at 10 pm during a showcooking followed by a tasting at the Piazzetta San Biagio.
Concerts, Rino Gaetano and a Music Theatre Production
The festival's musical programme is equally varied. The Cala Stage at Piazza Municipio and the Carlomagno Arena on the Lungofiume will host performances by, among others, Marina Rei, Peppe Voltarelli, Amalfitano, Studio Murena and Erica Mou. Peppe Voltarelli brings a musical theatre project to Diamante with "Onda Calabra, Storia di una canzone" . It centres on a song that Voltarelli wrote for a film by Giuseppe Gagliardi, a story about an Italian community in Germany that explores themes of emigration, identity and memory.
A dedicated strand pays tribute to the Calabrian musician Rino Gaetano, whose death marks its 45th anniversary in 2026. An art exhibition curated by Amedeo Fusco illuminates Gaetano's work, his irony and his socially critical lyrics. It is complemented by a concert from the tribute band Le Bateau Mouche. To mark the 30th anniversary of the collaboration between the festival and the Raggi Fotonici a concert conducted by Vince Tempera is also planned. Tempera is known as a conductor and composer for, among other things, numerous Italian television themes and film scores.
Street art between Calabria and the world
On all five festival days, the streets of Diamante are transformed between 7 pm and midnight into one large open-air stage. Clowns, musicians, stilt-walkers, acrobats, fire artists and folk groups wind through the old town, drawing the audience into their performances. At "Settembre in strada" Calabrian traditions and international folk culture come together.
Tarantella groups, the Giganti di Monte Poro and representations of the southern Italian legendary figures Mata and Grifone meet colourful dances and costumes from Bolivia, as well as drums and music from Senegal. International guests include the Senegalese ambassador to Rome, Ngor Ndiaye, as well as the ambassador of Burundi. The programme is further enriched by events exploring regional fishing traditions and the religious devotion to the Immaculate Conception, the patron saint of Diamante.
Debates on 'Ndrangheta, geopolitics and history
The word "piccante" is not understood in Diamante in purely culinary terms. The festival also applies it to personalities and subjects that are unusual, uncomfortable or socially provocative. In the series "Personaggi Pic" Roberto Pititto devotes a lectureto Saint Francis of Paola this Thursday evening. Festival director Enzo Monaco explained that "piccante" can, in a figurative sense, also mean extraordinary, outside the norm, difficult or delicate; San Francesco di Paola can therefore be regarded as an exceptional figure of his era.
Among the socio-political events is the presentation of the novel "I padroni della 'ndrangheta" by journalist and author Claudio Cordova. Joining him in discussion are RAI journalist Carla Monaco and Domenico Guarascio, chief public prosecutor of Crotone, exploring the structures and social power of the Calabrian Mafia. The novel "Il tempo del male" by Santo Gioffrè, another work examining the roots of Mafia power, also features on the programme; the author will be interviewed by RAI journalist Annarosa Macrì.
International politics also forms part of the programme: RAI journalist Chiara Prato speaks with former Italian Under-Secretary of State for Defence and General Domenico Rossi about the current geopolitical situation. Antonella Grippo, within her format "Piccantissimo" subjects personalities from national and regional politics to close scrutiny.
Several events address open questions in regional history. Among the topics under discussion is whether Hannibal passed through the Riviera dei Cedri during his journey through southern Italy and stayed in the ancient settlement of Cerillae, present-day Cirella. Historian Franco Errico explores this question alongside Ivan Larotonda, author of the book "Si Vis Pacem". Giuseppe Pisano and Antonio Parisi examine possible traces of the Order of Sion and the Knights Templar in Calabria; their interlocutor is Giovanni Cristofalo, author of the book "L'ombra dell'Ordine di Sion e dei Templari in Calabria". In addition, the medical congress "Peperoncino e cervello" addresses the question of whether and how chilli can influence brain health; participants include neurologist Antonio Siniscalchi, Professor Bruno Amantea of the Università Magna Graecia and pharmacologist Francesca Aiello.
Exhibitions and caricaturists' battle
Several exhibitions remain open throughout the duration of the festival. Created in collaboration with the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli, "Peperoncino dal simbolo alla forma"presents 15 works by fashion design students who, under the guidance of Anna Corcione, have interpreted the peperoncino as a symbol of identity, culture and creativity. The exhibition "Peperoncini dal mondo" presents more than 200 varieties of Capsicum from different countries, while also paying tribute to Massimo Biagi, who developed the show for the festival in 1998.
Enzo Monaco's exhibition "Fra le cedriere con i rabbini" with photographs by Luigi Salsini, is devoted to the special connection between the Riviera dei Cedri and Jewish rabbis who traditionally travel to Calabria in search of suitable cedrat fruits for the festival of Sukkot. Under the title "Diamante allo specchio" black-and-white photographs by Oreste Pipolo are on display. Further artistic highlights include the satirical zodiac signs by Giovanni Zancolò and the exhibition curated by Alhena Editore, "Capsicum Art".
At the Lungomare Santa Lucia, "Vignette sul ring" also returns: from Thursday to Saturday, caricaturists from various parts of Italy compete against one another with satirical works on current affairs. The outcome is decided by a panel of judges and the public. The event is coordinated by Gianfranco Tartaglia, known by his stage name Passepartout. Musical interludes are provided by the Raggi Fotonici, familiar from the Rai 2 schedule. Among the festival's international guests is Pat Buttino, Director General of the Centro Leonardo da Vinci in Montreal; the collaboration between Diamante and this Italian-inspired cultural institution in Canada is celebrated with a friendship agreement and a concert by the singer Emilie Buist, who performs as the winner of the "Canta Italia" competition on Sunday evening at the Cala Stage.
Eating contest with Italian and European championship
At the weekend, attention turns to the traditional chilli-eating competitions. On Saturday, the final of the Italian championship takes place on Piazza Municipio. Participants have previously qualified through elimination rounds held in various regions of Italy; both a women's and a men's competition are contested. A Calabrian variety of peperoncino is eaten against the clock. The benchmark is set by the record of multiple Italian champion Arturo Rencricca, who consumed more than one kilogram of chilli at a previous competition.
On Sunday, two competitions follow for specialists in particularly hot varieties. At 8 p.m., the "Cintura Diamante" is awarded, and at 10 p.m. the final of the European Championship takes place. The contests are organised in collaboration with the League of Fire from London; the European final also serves as a qualifier for a World Championship in New York. Gianni Pellegrino presides over the competitions and numerous other programme highlights as Re Peperoncino. Saturday's festivities conclude at midnight with a fireworks display over the sea, combining pyrotechnics and music. Anyone travelling through Calabria in September will find in Diamante, until Sunday, a programme that goes far beyond a culinary street festival. For accommodation right at the festival venue, the Diamond Residence in Diamantecomes highly recommended.
