UK’s largest festival of Italian food, drink and culture coming to Cathedral Gardens
- Written by I Love MCR
- Last updated 2 years ago
- Festivals, Food & Drink
Festa Italiana, the free-to-enter weekend-long festival celebrating Italian food, drink and culture, is set to return to Festival Piazza, Cathedral Gardens on bank holiday weekend, 26th – 28th August 2022.
Run by family-run Salvi’s restaurant, Festa Italiana is the epitome of the city’s Italian community and heritage, taking inspiration from the traditional festivals in Italy but with a healthy portion of Mancunian charm to create a perfect balance for a weekend of the very best in authentic food, drink, music, performance, and art.
The event is now in its fifth year following an emphatic return in 2021, after a Covid enforced break, which saw it have its most successful edition to date with a record-setting 38,000+ happy folk passing through over the sun-drenched weekend.
This year will see some much-loved Festa stalwarts return alongside some exciting debutants and some very special surprises.
This year, the constantly evolving and varied programme will include workshops, demonstrations, signings and banquets from celebrity chefs and award-winning authors.
In attendance will be Gennaro Contaldo, UK brand ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano, (Saturday Kitchen, Two Greedy Italians, Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast), Giancarlo Caldesi (Return to Tuscany, Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch), celebrity chef and award-winning restaurateur, Aldo Zilli (The One Show, This Morning, Celebrity Masterchef), Great British Bake Off 2021 winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno, and, Festa head honcho, Salvi’s owner Maurizio Cecco.
In addition, Carmela Sereno Hayes, the hugely popular pastaia (specialist pasta maker) and author, will be making her hotly-anticipated return to Festa Italiana and running her, much talked about, pasta workshops all weekend long.
As always, the Salvi’s team will be joined by some of Manchester’s finest Italian street-food vendors and restaurateurs, as well as live musicians and performers supplying a proper party atmosphere to be enjoyed well into the evening.
Festa Italiana will take place from 26th – 28th August 2022 at Cathedral Gardens.
- This article was last updated 2 years ago.
- It was first published on 7 July 2022 and is subject to be updated from time to time. Please refresh or return to see the latest version.
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