Two months to go fourth edition de The Night of the Snakesthe concert conceived and directed by Maestro Enrico Melozzi to celebrate the culture and traditional music of Abruzzo. The appointment is for Saturday 25 July 2026at the Stadium of the Sea Of Pescara. For the first time, management is entrusted to Elettra Lamborghini. The event will air in prime time on Rai 1 The September 5, 2026.
The entrance to the Stadio del Mare is free. The event is promoted and financed by Abruzzo regionstrongly supported by the President of the Region Marcus Marsilioand created in collaboration with the Regional Council of Abruzzo and the Municipality of Pescara.
The Night of Serpents 2026: Rai 1's leap after the 30,000 attendance in 2025
The 2026 edition comes after a record year. In 2025 it will Stadium of the Sea had welcomed further 30,000 peopleand subsequent airing on Rai 2 had recorded significant ratings. This year the leap is double: the free live event in July is confirmed and the first evening of Rai 1on air Friday 5 September 2026.
A consolidation of a musical and cultural phenomenon for an event which, as the same recalls Enrico Melozzihas gone beyond the concert dimension to become expression of collective identity.
Elettra Lamborghini hosts La Notte dei Serpenti 2026
The big news of the fourth edition is the management of Elettra Lamborghini. This is the singer, performer and presenter's debut at the helm of the event, after having been a guest among the cast of the last edition.
The artist protagonist of the Italian musical summer with the new single Bam Bam Baby girlis fresh from leading theEurovision and from the return with the Rai 2 program The Unknown – Until the last crossroads.
Enrico Melozzi: “Abruzzo singing meets modern pulsations”
The 2026 edition is still led by Maestro Enrico Melozzicreator and artistic director of the project:
“The Night of Serpents returns with an even greater ambition. This year there will be an enormous artistic and technical effort, perhaps the largest undertaken so far. The great female choir will return, which will be one of the beating hearts of the show.
I'm interested in understanding what happens when Abruzzo folk song meets certain modern pulses, without losing its soul. There will naturally be the great songs that have become a symbol of the Night of the Serpents in recent years, the popular songs that we have brought back to center stage, but I am also working on iconic figures of Abruzzo culture, trying to cross them musically in a new way.
Among these there is also Gabriele D'Annunzio, who remains a gigantic figure in our cultural history, a visionary and very modern artist, still capable of generating imagination, music and theatre.”
On the guest front, Melozzi maintains confidentiality: “The next edition will have very recognizable honorable presences, but as always they will be chosen for artistic and human affinity, not according to predictable television mechanisms”.
The themes of the 2026 edition: tradition, electronics and D'Annunzio
The common thread of Night of the Serpents 2026 the fusion between Abruzzo popular music and contemporary languages remains. This year the perimeter is expanding: from electronic music to the visionary art of Gabriele D'Annunzioone of the most recognizable figures of Abruzzo culture, musically traversed in a new way.
The guests of the first three editions
Between 2022 and 2025, accompanied bySerpent Orchestra directed by Maestro Melozzithey took to the stage at The Night of the Snakes: Umberto Tozzi, Riccardo Cocciante, Al Bano, Rocco Hunt, Elettra Lamborghini (now presenter), Naomi, Paola Turci, Giusy Ferreri, Colapesce Dimartino, Filippo Graziani, Mr. Rain, Gianluca Grignani, Giovanni Caccamo and Elsa Lila. Last year the most famous puppet in Italy also took to the stage Topo Gigio and two excellences of the country: The Army Band And The Olympic Butterflies.
Where does the name “Night of Serpents” come from?
The name of the event is not only evocative. Refers to the famous cult of San Domenico Abatewhich culminates in the ancient rite of Serpari Festival Of Coculloin the province of L'Aquila. A popular event in which the faithful carry in procession the statue of the saint covered in live snakes, an expression of a religiosity that coexists with traces of pre-Christian cults.
Valuing those roots, stitching together the musical, religious and folkloric traditions of Abruzzo, is the declared mission of the project. A mission that has found a strong editorial ally in the collaboration with theChoir Association of Abruzzo Chorus Insidewhich promotes regional chorality, and in Federation of Italian Choirs Chorus Inside APS ETSwhich puts choirs registered throughout the national territory online.
Who is Enrico Melozzi, the Master of La Notte dei Serpenti
Enrico Melozzi he is a composer, conductor, cellist and record producer, recently included in theTreccani Encyclopedia. During his career he founded with Giovanni Sollima the project 100 Cellosgave birth toClandestine Night Orchestra and was Concertmaster of the Taranta Night 2021 together with Madame.
Al Sanremo Festival, Melozzi he has conducted the orchestra in multiple editions and for artists of different generations, including i Måneskin (2021, 2022, 2023), Mr. Rain, Ghali, Gazelles, Bnkr44, Coma_Cose (signing the orchestration of Little hearts) And Damiano Davidof which he conducted the orchestra at the solo debut at the 2025 Festival. In 2024 he orchestrated and conducted Silverlinesfirst solo single by Damiano Davidin collaboration with Labrinth And Fabrizio Ferraguzzo.
November 15, 2026 will be the protagonist of the closing of the Romaeuropa Festival toEnnio Morricone Music Park Auditorium of Rome with a marathon-rave dedicated to classical music, together with Alessandro Baricco, Niccolo Fabithe Band of the Italian Army and numerous guests, including Elsa Lila, Anastasio And Fasma.
The Night of the Serpents 2026: frequently asked questions
When is Night of the Serpents 2026 held?
The fourth edition of The Night of the Snakes is held Saturday 25 July 2026 at the Stadium of the Sea of Pescara.
Where is Night of the Serpents 2026 held?
The live event takes place at Stadium of the Sea Of Pescarain Abruzzo.
Is entry to La Notte dei Serpenti 2026 free?
Yes, the event is in free entry. It is promoted and financed by Abruzzo regionin collaboration with the Regional Council of Abruzzo and the Municipality of Pescara.
Who hosts Night of the Serpents 2026?
The management of the fourth edition is entrusted for the first time to Elettra Lamborghini. The singer and presenter makes her debut at the helm of the event after being a guest at the last edition.
When will Night of the Serpents 2026 air on TV?
The event will air in prime time on Rai 1 The September 5, 2026. For the fourth edition, after the 2025 edition was broadcast on Rai 2, the event arrives on Rai's first network.
Who is Maestro Enrico Melozzi, director of La Notte dei Serpenti?
Enrico Melozzi he is a composer, conductor and cellist, creator and artistic director of The Night of the Snakes. He conducted the orchestra of Sanremo Festival in several editions (Måneskin, Mr.Rain, Ghali, Gazzelle, Coma_Cose, Damiano David), he was Concertmaster of the Taranta Night 2021 and was included in 2025 in theTreccani Encyclopedia.
Which artists participated in previous editions?
Between 2022 and 2025 they took to the stage, accompanied bySerpent Orchestra: Umberto Tozzi, Riccardo Cocciante, Al Bano, Rocco Hunt, Elettra Lamborghini, Naomi, Paola Turci, Giusy Ferreri, Colapesce Dimartino, Filippo Graziani, Mr. Rain, Gianluca Grignani, Giovanni Caccamo, Elsa Lila, Topo Gigiothe Army Band And The Olympic Butterflies.
What does the name “Night of Serpents” mean?
The name refers to cult of San Domenico Abate and to the ancient rite of Serpari Festival Of Cocullo (L'Aquila), where the faithful carry in procession the statue of the saint covered in live snakes. A popular rite that intertwines religious tradition and older Abruzzo cultural roots.
How many spectators will Night of the Serpents 2026 have?
The 2025 edition recorded further 30,000 visitors at the Stadium of the Sea. The 2026 edition presents itself with even greater anticipation, also thanks to the arrival of the television broadcast on Rai 1.
