What to expect at Santa Sofia Tertenia 2026
From 28 to 30 August 2026 Tertenia honours Santa Sofia: processions led by launeddas to her Byzantine-era country chapel, a parade of folk groups and horsemen, fireworks and three nights of music in the square. A late-summer festival that brings Ogliastra together.
Santa Sofia 2026 Programme
The celebrations in honour of Santa Sofia are organised by the Tertenia festival committee of the 1986 and 2003 age groups together with the parish of the Beata Vergine Assunta. After two preparatory masses in August, the festival proper runs for three days, from Friday to Sunday: a pilgrimage of the Saint’s statue from the village to her country chapel and back, with the sound of the launeddas marking the way, and a different show every evening for young and old, up to the solemn procession with the groups in traditional dress and Sunday’s fireworks.
The civil programme: games, music and shows
Friday 28 August
The first evening of the festival opens at 7:30 pm with games and entertainment for children, welcoming families back from the procession. At 10:30 pm the stage turns to comedy with the cabaret evening of La Corrida, where amateurs of every kind take their chance in the spotlight.
Saturday 29 August
At 10:00 pm the square fills up for the music night with the Nostalgia ’90 show, a plunge into the hits that defined the Nineties; afterwards the music goes on late into the night with the DJ set of Asia Nardi.
Sunday 30 August
On the last evening, at 9:30 pm, the sky over Tertenia lights up with the fireworks display. Straight after, at 10:00 pm, the festival closes with a concert by the band Sogno.
The religious programme: masses and processions
Wednesday 19 and Wednesday 26 August
Preparations for the festival begin with two weekly appointments: on both Wednesdays, at 6:00 pm, Holy Mass is celebrated in the country church of Santa Sofia.
Friday 28 August
At 6:00 pm Holy Mass is presided over by Don Michele Azzolino, with the homily by Don Filippo Piccininni. Afterwards the statue of the Saint leaves the village in procession to the country church of Santa Sofia, accompanied by the launeddas of Andrea Contu and Nicolò Piroddi.
Saturday 29 August
At 6:00 pm the faithful return to the country church for Holy Mass presided over by Don Renato De Souza; this is followed by the procession back to the parish church, once again to the sound of the launeddas of Andrea Contu and Nicolò Piroddi.
Sunday 30 August
The feast day opens at 7:30 am with Holy Mass in the parish church. At 6:00 pm the solemn Mass, presided over by Don Joilson Macêdo, precedes the great procession through the village streets: alongside the statue of Santa Sofia walk the launeddas players Andrea Contu and Nicolò Piroddi, the horsemen and the groups in traditional dress.
- Tertenia — Gruppo Folk e Minifolk Santa Sofia
- Tertenia — Associazione Ne Pintadora
- Tertenia — I Cavalieri dell’Assunta
- Gairo — Gruppo Folk Sant’Elena Imperatrice
The committee thanks the whole community, the sponsors and everyone who contributed to the success of the festival.
How to Get to the Santa Sofia Festival in Tertenia
Distances from the main cities
Cagliari
94 km · 1h 30min
Olbia
196 km · 2h 50min
Alghero
220 km · 3h 25min
Event location
Parish church of the Beata Vergine Assunta — country church of Santa Sofia
08047 Tertenia (NU) · Località Bidda ’e Susu
🚗 By car
From Cagliari take the SS554 and then the new SS125 Orientale Sarda towards Tortolì, crossing the Sarrabus near Muravera and Villaputzu as far as the Tertenia exit. From Olbia and Nuoro head south on the SS125 and SS389 to Tortolì, then continue south on the SS125; from Sassari it is best to reach Nuoro on the SS131 DCN and follow the same route.
🚌 Bus
Tertenia is served by ARST buses to Cagliari, Tortolì and Lanusei. Evening services are few: check the timetables on the ARST website during the festival days.
✈️ Nearest airport
Cagliari-Elmas Airport (approx. 100 km).
🚗 Compare prices and hire a car at the best rate Open in Google Maps ↗Find accommodation nearby.
Weather forecast
Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Sofia in Tertenia
Is there an admission fee for the Santa Sofia festival?
No, every event is free: the masses, the processions, the La Corrida evening, the Nostalgia ’90 concert with the DJ set, the fireworks and the music of the band Sogno. The festival is organised by the committee of the 1986 and 2003 age groups together with the parish, thanks to the support of local people and sponsors.
When do the folk groups and horsemen parade?
The groups in traditional dress parade on Sunday 30 August: after the 6:00 pm solemn mass in the parish church, the procession winds through the village streets with the launeddas of Andrea Contu and Nicolò Piroddi, the Gruppo Folk e Minifolk Santa Sofia, the Ne Pintadora association, the Cavalieri dell’Assunta and the Gruppo Folk Sant’Elena Imperatrice from Gairo.
Are there activities for children?
Yes, on Friday 28 August at 7:30 pm, after the procession, there are games and entertainment for the little ones. The music evenings and Sunday’s fireworks are also suitable for the whole family.
Where to stay and eat in Tertenia during the festival?
The village has bars, pizzerias and restaurants in the centre and along the road to the sea, while most accommodation is in Marina di Tertenia, the seaside resort a few kilometres away, ideal for combining the festival with a few days at the beach. Demand is high at the end of August, so book well in advance.
History and Traditions
Tertenia lies in southern Ogliastra, in hilly country sloping down to the sea between the Salto di Quirra and the east coast. People have lived here for millennia: Neolithic caves and domus de janas, almost eighty nuraghi – among them the Nuraghe Aleri – some thirty giants’ tombs, villages and a sacred well bear witness to a dense human presence as early as the Bronze Age. In the Middle Ages the village belonged to the curatoria of Sarrabus, in the Giudicato of Cagliari; it then passed to the Pisans, the Aragonese and finally the county and marquisate of Quirra, until it was redeemed from feudal rule in 1839. Local tradition holds that the village once stood near the sea and moved inland to defend itself from Saracen raids.
The country church of Santa Sofia, in the locality of Bidda ’e Susu, is believed to be of Byzantine origin and is one of the community’s best-loved places of worship. Its dedication recalls the cult of Holy Wisdom that spread through Sardinia in the Byzantine age, while popular devotion venerates the Saint portrayed in the crowned statue that leaves the village every year to reach her little church. This journey is the heart of the festival: the procession out to the countryside, the night the Saint spends in her chapel and the return to the parish church the next day, always accompanied by the ancient sound of the launeddas.
As in many villages of Ogliastra, the festival is organised by the age-group committee: young people born in a given year – this year the classes of 1986 and 2003 – spend a summer raising funds, putting the programme together and keeping the tradition alive, in a hand-over from one generation to the next. Sunday’s procession, with the local folk group, the horsemen and the guests from Gairo, is the chance to see Tertenia’s precious festive dress, with its skirt and jacket in purple satin and the wide black lace mantle that make it one of the most recognisable in the region.