What to expect at San Giovanni Battista 2026
From 28 to 30 August 2026 Orotelli, a village in the Barbagia di Nuoro overlooking the Tirso valley, celebrates its patron saint with the feast of San Giovanni Battista (Saint John the Baptist). The festivities are organised by the Comitato San Giovanni Battista 2026, which for three days fills the village squares with music, dancing and religious celebrations, preceded by the novena that from 20 to 28 August gathers the faithful every evening in the Romanesque church dedicated to the saint.
Saturday 29 August, the feast day itself, brings Holy Mass in the morning, the solemn mass in the late afternoon followed by the procession accompanied by horsemen and groups in traditional dress, and in the evening the big Folk Evening hosted by Francesco Spanu, with four folk groups and four canto a tenore and cuncordu choirs from villages across the Nuoro area. Friday 28 opens with dancing in the square led by Davide Ledda and Mattia Bosu and a concert by the band Etnias, while Sunday 30 is dedicated to families, with bouncy castles and mascots for the little ones, and closes with a concert by Fly Project and Geo Da Silva.
For anyone visiting central Sardinia at the end of summer, it is a genuine chance to see the devotion of a Barbagia community up close, hear live tenore singing and admire the church of San Giovanni Battista, one of the gems of Sardinian Romanesque architecture, at its liveliest.
San Giovanni Battista 2026 programme
Three days of celebration, from Friday to Sunday, in which the civic and religious sides of the feast intertwine: the programme of the San Giovanni Battista 2026 festival in Orotelli alternates Sardinian dancing, tenore singing and concerts with solemn celebrations and the procession with horsemen, involving the whole village.
Friday 28 August: dancing in the square and Etnias concert
The civic festivities open on Friday evening at 8:00 pm with dancing in the square to the music of Davide Ledda and Mattia Bosu. At 10:00 pm the band Etnias takes the stage for a concert that carries the evening on late into the night.
Saturday 29 August: the Folk Evening
On Saturday too, from 8:00 pm, Davide Ledda and Mattia Bosu lead the dancing in the square. At the same time the Folk Evening hosted by Francesco Spanu begins, a true showcase of Nuoro-area tradition with dances in traditional dress, tenore singing and cuncordu. Performing:
- Orotelli — Gruppo Folk
- Orotelli — Gruppo Folk Santa Ruche
- Dorgali — Gruppo Folk "Tiscali"
- Nule — Gruppo Folk "Su Furione"
- Orotelli — Cuncordu Oroteddesu
- Fonni — Tenore "Su Connottu"
- Orgosolo — Tenore "Untana Vona"
- Oniferi — Tenore "San Gavino"
Sunday 30 August: fun for children and final concert
The last day is designed for families: from 5:30 pm bouncy castles, mascots and plenty of entertainment welcome the youngest visitors. At 10:00 pm the festival closes with a concert by Fly Project and Geo Da Silva.
Religious programme
The festivities are preceded by the novena, celebrated every evening from 20 to 28 August at 6:30 pm in the church of San Giovanni Battista. On Saturday 29 August, the feast day, Holy Mass at 10:30 am opens the day; at 6:00 pm the solemn mass is celebrated, after which the procession with the statue of the saint sets off, accompanied by horsemen and groups in traditional dress, with the whole community invited to take part.
How to get to San Giovanni Battista in Orotelli
Distances from major cities
Cagliari
164 km · 2h 15min
Olbia
100 km · 1h 40min
Alghero
110 km · 1h 50min
Event venue
Church of San Giovanni Battista and village squares
Orotelli (NU) · historic centre
🚗 By car
From Cagliari take the SS131 “Carlo Felice” to Abbasanta, then the SS131dcn towards Nuoro as far as the Orotelli junction. From Olbia follow the SS131dcn to Nuoro and continue towards Abbasanta to the Orotelli exit. From Sassari and Alghero head south on the SS131 to Abbasanta and take the SS131dcn towards Nuoro. During the festival, park in the streets near the centre.
🚌 Bus
ARST bus lines connect Orotelli with Nuoro and the villages of the Tirso valley. Check timetables for the festival days on arstspa.info.
✈️ Nearest airport
Olbia Costa Smeralda (approx. 100 km); alternatively Alghero-Fertilia (approx. 110 km) or Cagliari-Elmas (approx. 165 km).
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Frequently Asked Questions about San Giovanni Battista in Orotelli
Is there an entrance fee for the San Giovanni Battista festival?
No, all festival events are free and open to everyone: the dancing in the square, the Folk Evening, the concerts by Etnias and by Fly Project with Geo Da Silva, the religious celebrations and the procession are offered by the Comitato San Giovanni Battista 2026.
When does the procession with the horsemen take place?
The procession takes place on Saturday 29 August, after the solemn mass at 6:00 pm in the church of San Giovanni Battista: the statue of the saint is carried through the village streets accompanied by horsemen and groups in traditional dress.
Are there activities for children?
Yes, on Sunday 30 August from 5:30 pm the programme includes bouncy castles with mascots and entertainment for the little ones, before the evening concert.
Where can I park and eat during the festival?
Orotelli is a small village and free parking is available in the streets near the historic centre and the church of San Giovanni Battista, just a few minutes' walk away; the village has bars, restaurants and pizzerias, and further options can be found in the nearby villages of the Tirso valley.
History and Traditions
The church of San Giovanni Battista, the focal point of the feast, is one of the finest examples of Pisan Romanesque architecture in central Sardinia. It was built in the first decades of the 12th century, probably around 1116, in an area shaped by the presence of Benedictine monastic communities, and for about twenty years it served as the cathedral of the diocese of Ottana. Built in red trachyte, it originally had a single nave on a T-shaped plan; the two side aisles were added later, while the bell gable, probably late medieval, is decorated with bas-reliefs of human and animal figures.
The cult of the Baptist, the prophet who according to the Gospels baptised Jesus in the Jordan, is rooted in many Sardinian villages and linked to the rites of summer and harvest. In Orotelli, Oroteddi in Sardinian, devotion is expressed in the late-August novena and in the procession with horsemen, when the community takes to the streets in the village's traditional dress, rich in hand embroidery and layered garments.
The village is also known for the Thurpos, the masks of the Orotelli Carnival dressed in orbace cloaks with faces blackened by soot, and for the vitality of its tenore and cuncordu choirs, who also star in the Folk Evening: a choral tradition the community continues to hand down from generation to generation.