FESTITALIA is BACK in 2025 –
AND IT’S MORE DELICIOUSLY ITALIAN THAN EVER
One of Queensland’s most beloved cultural festivals is BACK and it’s bringing the heart and soul of Italy with it. After eight year, FESTITALIA returns to Brisbane this Father’s Day, Sunday September 7, transforming the RNA Showgrounds into a vibrant Italian playground of flavour, flair, music, food and family.
A celebration of Italian heritage, FESTITALIA has long been a treasured community event, remembered for its dazzling entertainment, authentic food, and that unmistakeable feeling of Italian joy – allegria.
“With a brand new home at the RNA Showgrounds, Festitalia is back with all the things we’ve missed: dancing the Tarantella, pizza acrobatics, Nonna’s Kitchen stalls, opera singers, traditional folk bands, and so much more. FESTITALIA is more than a festival – it’s a love letter to Italian culture,” said Comm. The Hon Santo Santoro. “It’s a day that captures the sights, sounds, and soul of Italy – right here in Brisbane.”
This year’s program reads like a who’s who of Italian-style entertainment:
Opera stars and folk bands including Raffaele Pierno and Zumpa
Traditional dancers performing the iconic Tarantella – with a chance for everyone to learn!
World-class pizza acrobatics with Youssef Ben Touati
Theatre and roaming acts like Homunculus Theatre’s Pulcinellas
Young guitar prodigy Henry Catania
Performances by Divina Opera, Latinissima, Diletta and Dan, and more!
Of course, it wouldn’t be FESTITALIA without the food – and there’s plenty of it. Think wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta, espresso bars, fine Italian wines, gelato carts, and food stalls dishing up regional specialties and family recipes passed down through generations.
There’ll be competitions like Best Dressed Italian Dad, Nonna’s Slipper Throw, and Dad with the Biggest Pancia (belly!), along with old-school games like Tira Molla (tug of war) and Italian-style musical statues. Families can explore everything from a petting zoo and kids’ games to a Roman military camp, vintage Italian car displays, Prima Spada fencing lessons, and of course, the ever-popular Nonna’s Kitchen.
Mr Santoro said the Italian community has been a vital thread in the social, cultural and economic fabric of Queensland.
“From the post-war migration boom of the 1950s and ‘60s to today’s proud Italo-Australian families, Italian Queenslanders have made enormous contributions to agriculture, construction, cuisine, small business, and the arts. Towns like Stanthorpe, Ingham, and Brisbane’s inner north echo with Italian heritage – in the vineyards, the delis, the churches, and the kitchens. But beyond the visible, it’s the values – family, community, hard work, and allegria – that continue to shape the state. Events like Festitalia don’t just celebrate Italy; they celebrate the strength, legacy and ongoing influence of one of Queensland’s most passionate and tight-knit cultural communities,” he said.
Whether you’re Italian by blood, by love, or simply by appetite – FESTITALIA is back, and it’s better than ever. Brisbane: get ready to shout Evviva! and celebrate Father’s Day the Italian way.
FESTITALIA 2025
Sunday, September 7, 2025 (Father’s Day) – at the RNA SHOWGROUNDS
Tickets on sale now at www.festitalia.com.au
