The echo of the world in Calabria with two international festivals surrounded by nature

In the 1959 kolossal Ben Hur, General Messala turns to Sextus and says: 'You asked how to fight an idea. I'll tell you: with another idea'. Words from an epic film, certainly, but also a surprisingly topical key. Because in Calabria, one of the most complex and misunderstood lands in Italy, a group of young people have turned that joke into a manifesto for action. The idea to fight is that of a marginal, culturally inert region, far from the circuits that count. The alternative idea is this: taking back one's own story, transforming the imaginary and making the region a living, independent scene. The result is before the eyes of those who want to see: between woods and sunsets, two courageous and vital events are born.

The 'Be Alternative' festival, now in its 16th edition, is not only a musical event, but an act of faith in the transformative power of culture. The 2025 edition continues its format among the woods and waters of Lake Cecita, in the heart of the Sila National Park. This almost mystical setting is home to sound geographies that are fascinating precisely because of their diversity, such as those of Jeff Mills, the protagonist of Detroit techno grappling with his "Tomorrow Comes the Harvest" project, and Christian Löffler, who shifts the coordinates to the other side of the ocean, enriching it with Central European house and dance suggestions. Almamegretta's Mediterranean trip-hop closes the "Be Color" day on 2 August, marking the multi-year partnership between Be Alternative and Color. The following day is instead dedicated to the folkloric revisitations of Max Gazzè and La Niña, the rough melancholy of Nada, and concludes with the indie hybrids of Fabio Nirta's djset.

The Color Fest, in its twelfth edition, confirms its role as a catalyst for independent music, not only national. From 12 to 14 August 2025, the Riviera dei Tramonti on the Lungomare Falcone Borsellino in Lamezia Terme (CZ) will be transformed into a natural amphitheatre, with six stages surrounded by vegetation and a lineup that tells of a plural present. On the first two days, Lucio Corsi, Mace, Joan Thiele, Giorgio Poi, Marco Castello, and Okgiorgio take turns. For some years now, the festival has opened up to international sounds, not only with Chalk from Belfast, but especially with the names of the last night, the 'Be Color' night: the house-pop of the French trio Dov'è Liana, but above all the post-punk revival of the Irish Murder Capital and Shame from South London. The latter will release their album 'Cutthroat' in September, while the former are touring for their album 'Blindness', released in February.