Events calendar East And Central Coast

This international festival of blues and jazz music takes its name from the red rocks of Arbatax, where it was organized for a decade. Today, it is taking place in front of Santa Maria Navarrese Church during the month of August. Tickets can be purchased for each concert or'cumulative'place on site or in many stores on the island.

Easter Sunday is the occasion to meet the statues of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in many Sardinian villages. The Meeting of Oliena is one of the most interesting because of its beautiful scenery and the traditional costumes worn by the participants. The procession takes the statue of the risen Christ from the small church of San Francesco da Paola in the east of the town to the portal of the church of Santa Maria Maggiore in the heart of the old town. The statues meet in the square exactly.

This festival opens the carnival season and attracts many curious people. It is considered the most characteristic carnival of the island. The participants in the procession are divided into two clans. The Mamuthones wear sheepskin jackets and black wooden masks with marked features. Opposite them, the Issohadores wear a white, inexpressive mask. They are in charge of leading the dance and capturing women in the crowd with a rope. To be caught with a lasso by an Issohadore is a good omen and a sign of fertility.

There is still a hint of summer when the 3-day "Open Yards" event opens in Oliena. The municipality is opening fifteen courtyards of historic buildings in its downtown area to present the abundance of its crafts and gastronomy to visitors. Each courtyard has a particular theme or presents a craft: blacksmith, jeweler, dressmaker, wine, honey, olive oil, cheese ... The artisans-producers present share their expertise and provide good advice. Meals, concerts and dances punctuate the days happily.

This very popular festival gathers thousands of people who, dressed in their best traditional costume, gather in procession through the streets of Nuoro to Mount Ortobene, where stands the imposing bronze statue of Christ the Redeemer. At the same time, another procession starts at the church Delle Grazie to converge on the same point. The whole procession is led to the sound of launeddas and folk songs. In the evening, a ballo tondo, a traditional dance, is performed in the amphitheater of the village with the best dancers of the island.