Summary:
- New electronic music festival launches in Ortigia, Sicily from July 31 to August 3, 2025, replacing previous event with fresh vision
- Four-day program features boat parties, beach stages, and late-night venues across historic Syracuse location
- Lineup includes Max Cooper, Modeselektor, Elkka, DJ Python, and mix of international and local artists
A new electronic music festival will take place on the island of Ortigia in Sicily from July 31 to August 3, 2025. The four-day event represents a departure from the previous festival that operated in the location since 2014, with organizers establishing a new format focused on electronic music programming.
The festival will utilize multiple venues across Ortigia, which connects to Syracuse at Sicily's southeastern coast. Programming includes daily boat parties, a beachfront stage, and late-night indoor venues. The event will feature both established international artists and emerging local talent.
Max Cooper will perform an audio-visual live set at the opening show on Thursday, July 31 at the Antico Mercato venue. Cooper, based in Belfast, combines electronic music with scientific research in his performances. The opening event serves as the festival's introductory program.
Friday's schedule includes daytime programming at the outdoor Lido stage and two boat parties. The first boat features Modeselektor and Andrea Normano, while the second includes Elkka and Salvo Miceli. Evening programming at the epipoli venue runs from 11 PM to 7 AM with DJ Python, Bambounou, Elkka, and Cristian Croce.
Saturday programming increases tempo with boat parties featuring BIJOUX, an Antwerp-based trio, and Tatyana Jane from Paris alongside Lo Straqen. The epipoli venue will host Modeselektor's DJ set, DJ Stingray 313, Nite Fleit, and Tatyana Jane for overnight programming.
The festival concludes Sunday with a boat party featuring Locked Groove performing an extended disco set. The closing party takes place at Varco 23 with Claudio B, followed by Steffi x Virginia performing until midnight.
The Lido stage operates during daytime hours and focuses on local and national artists. This programming is developed in partnership with Malamore, a local record store in Syracuse. The beachfront location provides a platform for emerging talent from Sicily and mainland Italy.
Ortigia serves as the festival location due to its historical significance and cultural infrastructure. The island features Roman and Greek archaeological sites while maintaining active residential and commercial areas. The combination of historical architecture and modern cultural venues provides multiple spaces for music programming.
The epipoli stage operates as the primary late-night venue, running from 11 PM to 7 AM during the festival weekend. This indoor space hosts the majority of headlining international artists during overnight hours.
Boat parties represent a central component of the festival format, with two daily excursions taking attendees into the Ionian Sea. These floating venues feature different artist pairings each day and provide programming during afternoon and early evening hours.
The festival lineup includes artists from various electronic music genres. International performers include DJ Python, known for ambient house music, and DJ Stingray 313, who represents Detroit techno. European artists include Modeselektor from Germany and Bambounou from France.
Local programming features artists from Sicily and southern Italy, providing exposure for regional electronic music producers and DJs. This programming occurs primarily at the Lido stage during daytime hours.
Ticket information and additional details are available through the festival's website. The event represents a new approach to electronic music programming in the Mediterranean region, combining international headliners with local talent across multiple venue formats.
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Maya Torelli
Straddling the worlds of art and communication, this creative professional established People in 2009, a content agency specializing in the fusion of words and visuals. Over the years, her work has spanned a variety of projects, including magazines and documentary films. Beyond her commercial endeavors, she dedicates herself to exploring the nature of imagery, with a particular focus on its interplay with other media forms, especially music. Her passion for music not only fuels her writing but also deeply influences her work as a filmmaker, shaping both her documentaries and video installations. With a voracious appetite for knowledge across philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and various scientific disciplines, she weaves these diverse interests into a unique, interdisciplinary approach to content creation, perspective-taking, and writing.