Slow Down and Explore Naples: Your Guide to Vespero Napoletano 2026
If you’re in Naples this autumn and looking to experience the city beyond the typical postcard spots, you are in luck. The 3rd edition of Vespero Napoletano – Festival del Turismo Lento (Festival of Slow Tourism) is in full swing! Organized by the City of Naples (Assessorato al Turismo and Assessorato al Verde), this festival is all about slowing down. Think guided neighborhood walks, sunset jazz concerts in secret gardens, street art tours with kids, mindfulness walks, and theatrical performances in ancient courtyards.
Karen Phillips
9/18/20268 min read
If you’re in Naples this autumn and looking to experience the city beyond the typical postcard spots, you are in luck. The 3rd edition of Vespero Napoletano – Festival del Turismo Lento (Festival of Slow Tourism) is in full swing!
Organized by the City of Naples (Assessorato al Turismo and Assessorato al Verde), this festival is all about slowing down. Think guided neighborhood walks, sunset jazz concerts in secret gardens, street art tours with kids, mindfulness walks, and theatrical performances in ancient courtyards.
As Tourism Councilor Teresa Armato put it, Vespero Napoletano invites residents and visitors alike to explore less-known corners of Naples at a gentler pace—combining urban exploration with music, history, and community.
Most events are free, though many require booking ahead via WhatsApp or email (due to limited spots). Below is a guide to all the upcoming events starting from September 18th onward.
Festival Program (From September 18 Onward)
Multi-Day Exhibitions & Ongoing Events
September 16 – 20
Napoli Sotto Shop (Clelia Le Boeuf Solo Exhibition)
📍 Piccola Galleria Resistente (Vico Santa Maria a Lanzati, 25)
Details: An artistic tribute to Naples playing with stereotypes and common places through illustration and visual art.
Admission: Free.
September 18 – 20 | 17:30 – 20:00
Un volto per lei (A Face for Her)
📍 La Stanza dell'Arte (Via Annibale Caccavello, 59/B, Vomero S. Martino)
Details: In conjunction with the "Intorno a Lei" exhibition, artist Aldo Capasso offers female visitors a live sketch portrait of their face.
Admission: Free.
September 19 – 20 | From 10:00
The History of Toys & Games in Naples (18th Century to 1950s)
📍 Museo di Napoli - Collezione Bonelli (Piazzetta San Gennaro a Materdei, 3)
Details: Themed exhibition showcasing vintage Neapolitan play culture from the Bonelli Collection.
Admission: Free.
Friday, 18 September
20:30 — Hortus Musicus 2.0: Orizzonti Trasversali
📍 Giardini di Villino Manina (Via Guido Capozzi, 5)
Details: A musical journey spanning jazz, Astor Piazzolla compositions, and improvisations with Alfredo Rizza Groma.
Booking: 📞 +39 376 2083821
Saturday, 19 September
09:00 — Everyday Miracles: Naples Photo Marathon (San Gennaro Edition)
📍 Starts at Piazza San Domenico Maggiore (Historic Center)
Details: Photographers and enthusiasts walk through the historic center across three checkpoints interpreting secret themes.
Booking: 📞 +39 339 2029155 | ✉️ info@spazio-tangram.it
10:30 — Hidden Alleys, Caves & Churches: "Il Cavone" & Santa Maria dell'Avvocata
📍 Meeting at Via Pessina (corner of Via F.S. Correra)
Details: A guided walk into the tufa rock underpinnings of Naples to explore ancient caves and multi-ethnic historic alleys.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 335 8236123 | ✉️ ass.benicult@gmail.com
10:30 — The City of Talking Walls: Street Art Walk & Workshop (Sacred & Profane)
📍 Meeting at Piazza Gerolamini (Forcella)
Details: From Banksy’s Madonna with a Pistol to Jorit’s San Gennaro, explore Naples' street art scene. Followed by a creative workshop for kids and parents at San Severo al Pendino.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 333 3771977
10:30 — The Shapes of Music: Emotional Education through Melodrama
📍 Archivio Dalisi (Rua Catalana, 27/A)
Details: A special meeting for educators and teachers exploring opera as a tool for understanding human emotions and relationships.
Booking: 📞 +39 351 8037957 | ✉️ tavernaest@yahoo.it
17:00 — Marmorea: Statue Walk in Capodimonte Park
📍 Capodimonte Park (Porta Grande entrance)
Details: An open-air walk where classical archaeology and late-Baroque nature blend together in the lush greenery of Capodimonte.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 320 9431770 (9:00–17:00) | ✉️ amicidelrealboscodicapodimonte1@gmail.com
17:15 — Sustainable Tourism in Forcella: Culture, Local Tradition & Food
📍 Piazza Calenda (Teatro Trianon)
Details: A guided walk discovering secret monuments, local food stops, and ending with an aperitif on Scale Trinchese.
Booking: 📞 +39 338 8408138
20:00 — Urbs Sanguinum: Blood Miracles in Naples
📍 Chiesa di Sant'Aniello (Caponapoli)
Details: A theatrical performance featuring prose, dance, and original live music dedicated to Neapolitan blood lore and miracles.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 6355343
Sunday, 20 September
09:30 – 18:45 — Alchemy of Awareness (Holistic Wellness Day)
📍 Villa Pagodina (Via dell'Eremo, 92/B)
Details: A full day dedicated to mental well-being, including health talks, walks to the Camaldoli Hermitage view, sound baths, and mindfulness exercises.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 351 6941486
10:00 — Architectural Bike Tour: Ferdinando Fuga & The Cemetery of 366 Graves
📍 Piazza del Plebiscito (Gambrinus side)
Details: Guided cycle route across central Naples highlighting major architectural works (bring your own bicycle!).
Booking: 📞 +39 338 7523019
10:15 — Traces of Biophilic Naples: Monasteries & Giardino Torre
📍 Meeting at Church of S. Maria ai Monti
Details: A 2-hour guided walk with music and dance through urban rural orchards to the newly restored Bourbon Giardino Torre in Capodimonte.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 3935499
10:15 — Miracles of Blood in Hilltop Vomero
📍 Meeting at Piazza degli Artisti
Details: Narrated historic walking tour through the upper district of Vomero exploring local miracle lore.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 6355343
16:30 — Botanical Writing Workshop
📍 Citrus Grove at Vico Paradisiello, 21
Details: Expressive writing session based on French writer Ève Bing’s creative methodology amidst an urban citrus grove.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 330 2542056
18:30 – 20:00 — Sing 'o Swing: Sunset Jazz at the Park
📍 Parco del Poggio
Details: Open-air sunset jazz concert featuring Andrea Parente and Oscar Montalbano.
Admission: Free.
20:30 – 00:00 — Aperipark
📍 Parco del Poggio
Details: Community gathering combining music, art, and urban sustainability in the park.
Admission: Free.
Thursday, 24 September
17:30 — Veduta Leopardi (11th Edition)
📍 Scale di San Pasquale al Monte (Corso Vittorio Emanuele)
Details: Poetry readings celebrating Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi on the historic hillside steps.
Admission: Free.
20:30 — Hortus Musicus 2.0: Tribute to Domenico Modugno
📍 Giardini di Villino Manina (Via Guido Capozzi, 5)
Details: Concerto Blu (Nel blu dipinto di blu) — a tribute concert dedicated to the legendary Italian singer Domenico Modugno.
Booking: 📞 +39 376 2083821
Friday, 25 September
18:00 — Towards Parthenope... Down San Martino Hill
📍 Piazza Fuga (Funicolare Centrale)
Details: A narrative sunset walking tour winding down from the San Martino hilltop overlooking the Bay of Naples.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 6355343
Saturday, 26 September
10:00 — Together in Nature: Forest Bathing & 432Hz Music
📍 Porta di Mezzo, Real Bosco di Capodimonte
Details: Sensory walking experience and 432Hz acoustic sound relaxation inside Capodimonte Park.
Booking: 📞 +39 320 1569134
10:30 — Talking Walls Street Art Tour: Love, Hope & Memory
📍 Meeting at Santa Maria della Sanità
Details: Street art tour through Rione Sanità followed by a creative workshop at Fondazione San Gennaro.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 333 3771977
10:30 — The Lost Souls of Pontecorvo & Tarsia (Vertical Naples)
📍 Piazza Mazzini Gardens
Details: Downhill historic route away from urban bustle, exploring ancient hillside convents and narrow vertical passages.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 2374210 | ✉️ locusisteinfo@gmail.com
16:00 — Before Oblivion: The Four Days of Naples at Capodimonte
📍 Capodimonte Park (Porta Piccola)
Details: Commemorative historical walk uncovering forgotten local heroes from the WWII resistance in Naples.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 320 9431770 (9:00–17:00) | ✉️ amicidelrealboscodicapodimonte1@gmail.com
16:45 — The Way of the Stars: Astronomical History Walk
📍 Via Foria (in front of former Caserma Garibaldi)
Details: Sunset walk exploring the historic hillside where Neapolitan astronomers made celestial discoveries on Miradois Hill.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 6355343
Sunday, 27 September
18:30 – 20:00 — Sunset Swing Jazz Session
📍 Parco del Poggio
Details: Live jazz with saxophonist Emanuele Palomba and Andrea Parente.
Admission: Free.
19:00 — Neapolis... Voices of Myth
📍 Parco Virgiliano
Details: An evocative outdoor performance blending prose, dance-theatre, and live harp and cello music bringing Neapolitan mythology to life.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 6355343
20:30 – 00:00 — Aperipark
📍 Parco del Poggio
Details: Free evening event celebrating art, music, and local sustainability.
Admission: Free.
Thursday, 1 October
20:30 — Hortus Musicus 2.0: Notes of Kindness
📍 Giardini di Villino Manina (Via Guido Capozzi, 5)
Details: Artemisio String Quartet presents a narrative concert combining narrative storytelling with classical and film soundtrack masterpieces.
Booking: 📞 +39 376 2083821
Friday, 2 October
17:30 — IN...VISIBILI: Untold Stories of Women in the Resistance
📍 Courtyard of Castel Capuano
Details: A powerful theatrical performance giving voice to women and minors who fought during the Four Days of Naples.
Admission: Free (first-come, first-served).
19:30 — Tribute to Lucio Dalla (40 Years of "Caruso")
📍 Circolo Canottieri
Details: Emilia Zamuner Quartet performs a concert celebrating legendary Italian songwriter Lucio Dalla.
Booking Recommended: ✉️ fondazionenapolitano@gmail.com
Saturday, 3 October
10:00 — Mindfulness Walking Tour
📍 Via del Serbatoio allo Scudillo (Cardarelli Roundabout)
Details: A peaceful walking route along an ancient water trail connecting the hilltop area down to Rione Sanità with meditation pauses.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 331 6028301
10:30 — Talking Walls Street Art Tour: Vico delle Regine
📍 Meeting at Duomo (Vicoletto Donnaregina)
Details: Guided walk exploring portraits of inspiring women in street art, followed by a family workshop at Mediateca Santa Sofia.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 333 3771977
16:00 — Before Oblivion: WWII Capodimonte Remembrance Walk
📍 Capodimonte Park (Porta Piccola)
Details: Historical tour commemorating local resistance fighters during the historic liberation of Naples.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 320 9431770
16:00 – 19:00 — Creative Recycling Workshop for Kids
📍 Palazzo Fuga - Real Albergo dei Poveri (Piazza Carlo III)
Details: Fun eco-workshop for children aged 6–12 (two sessions: 16:00 & 17:30).
Booking: 📞 +39 339 6169889
19:30 — Tribute to Gabriella Ferri & Roman Folk Song Theatre
📍 Palazzo Fuga - Real Albergo dei Poveri (Piazza Carlo III)
Details: Acoustic concert and theatre performance by Napoli Opera House honoring iconic Roman artist Gabriella Ferri.
Admission: Free.
Sunday, 4 October
16:45 — Sunset at Paradisiello (In the Footsteps of St. Francis)
📍 Via Foria (corner of Via M. Tenore)
Details: A serene October sunset walk through ancient hillside gardens ending in a fragrant citrus grove.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 6355343
19:30 — Four Seasons Ensemble: Virtuosi di Sansevero
📍 Treasury Chapel of San Gennaro (Cappella del Tesoro)
Details: Violin virtuoso Riccardo Zamuner leads classical ensemble in one of Naples' most iconic chapels.
Booking Recommended: ✉️ fondazionenapolitano@gmail.com
Saturday, 10 October
10:00 — Sant'Antonio Abate: Ancient District Tour
📍 Largo Porta Capuana (Via Cesare Rosaroll)
Details: Explore the vibrant, multicultural history of one of Naples' oldest working-class neighborhoods and its ancient churches.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 335 8236123
10:30 — Talking Walls Street Art Tour: Passion & Knowledge
📍 Meeting at Piazza Montecalvario (Quartieri Spagnoli)
Details: Explore world-famous murals (including Maradona’s shrine area) followed by a creative workshop at Palazzetto Urban.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 333 3771977
11:00 — Movement & Expressive Dance for Families
📍 Cellaio / Church of San Gennaro (Capodimonte Park)
Details: Interactive play and movement session for families with kids aged 3–10 in Capodimonte Park.
Booking: 📞 +39 320 1569134
16:00 – 19:30 — "Peter and the Wolf" Family Day
📍 Associazione Miradois Onlus (Vico Miradois, 4)
Schedule:
16:00 – Paper mask creative workshop for kids (ages 5–14).
19:00 – Unveiling of eco-art sculpture.
19:30 – Live orchestral performance of Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf.
Concert Booking: 📞 +39 376 2083821
17:15 — Sustainable Tourism in Forcella
📍 Piazza Calenda (Teatro Trianon)
Details: Walk through Forcella's hidden spots with local culinary stops and aperitif.
Booking: 📞 +39 338 8408138
19:30 — Harmonies of Stone & Spirit (Vivaldi's Gloria)
📍 Church of San Vincenzo de Paoli (Via Vergini, 51)
Details: Choir and orchestra performance of Vivaldi's Gloria in D Major.
Admission: Free.
Wednesday, 14 October
17:00 — Neapolitan Music Conference & Concert
📍 Conservatorio di Musica San Pietro a Majella
Details: Talk and live performance celebrating classical Neapolitan music heritage.
Admission: Free.
Saturday, 17 October
10:00 — Talents of the City Walk
📍 Porta San Gennaro
Details: Guided walk hunting for historical traces of Neapolitan genius, ancient banks, brotherhoods, and thinkers.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 6355343
Saturday 17 – Sunday 18 October
10:00 — Exhibition: The Story of Neapolitan Emigration
📍 Museo di Napoli - Collezione Bonelli (Piazzetta San Gennaro a Materdei, 3)
Details: Historic exhibition on Neapolitan emigration from the late 19th century through the 1950s.
Admission: Free.
Sunday, 18 October
11:00 — An Intelligent City: The Enlightenment Genius of Naples
📍 Complesso Monumentale SS. Trinità delle Monache & Quartieri Spagnoli Park
Details: Theatrical journey showing how Enlightenment Naples influenced European philosophy and culture.
Booking: 💬 WhatsApp +39 347 6355343
Saturday, 24 October
10:00 – 18:00 — The "Sebastà" of Neapolis: Ancient Greco-Roman Festival Reenactment
📍 Maschio Angioino (Castel Nuovo)
Details: Historical reenactors, ancient athletic displays, educational workshops, and an academic conference recreating the ancient Isolympic games of Greco-Roman Neapolis.
Admission: Free.
19:00 — Napoli Beyond: Contemporary Culture Awards
📍 Real Albergo dei Poveri (Piazza Carlo III)
Details: Celebration of youth culture, digital art, fashion, and social initiatives shaping modern Naples.
Admission: Free.
Quick Tips for Attending
Book early via WhatsApp or email: Spaces for walks and workshops are often capped at 20–30 people, so send a message as soon as you pick an event.
Wear comfy walking shoes: Naples is full of historic cobblestones and "vertical" steps (scale and pedamentine).
Follow official channels: Check the official Comune di Napoli website or the Assessorato al Turismo Facebook page for any last-minute weather updates.