Frammenti MArteLive is not a concert with a stage and chairs. It is a diffuse festival: you walk along Via Indipendenza and the performances come to meet you, one right around the corner from the next. Music, circus, theatre, dance, live painting. From 18:00 to 23:00, free admission.
There are two weekends: 5 and 6 September and 19 and 20 September.
You can find the full schedule here: all 58 Frammenti MArteLive events, with the 14 locations and 26 artists, day by day. We created it ourselves; you can check it on your phone as you walk, and it clarifies two things that aren’t obvious on the flyer: performances with a set schedule — the ones around which you plan your evening — and artists stationed in the alleys all evening long, whom you will simply encounter as you stroll.
Below, we explain how the festival actually works, and where to find these spots if you’re not from Gaeta.
To help you navigate the city beyond the performance spots, you can also use the Live Map di Gaeta and Enea, an assistant that answers practical questions — “where can I park right now?”, “what’s happening tonight?” — in five languages and with nothing to download.
The five locations: the festival is a route
This is the key to not missing anything. The performances are spread across five spots along a route you can walk in just a few minutes — though you could easily stay for five hours.
Spot 1 — The entrance on Via Indipendenza
This is the entrance, and this is where the street parade kicks off the evening at 18:00. It is the best place to get a feel for what to expect: if you arrive on time, the parade will sweep right past you.
Spot 2 — Piazza Goliarda Sapienza
The space dedicated to contemporary circus: acrobats, fire shows, and aerial acts. It is the most spectacular spot to watch on your feet, and the one that works best with children.
Spot 3 — The alleys
The most charming part and the easiest to miss. The artists are tucked away inside the side alleys, one per alley: a storyteller with a gramophone, a harp, a handpan, illustrators drawing live. Some spots have just a single light focused on the performer — and the surrounding darkness is part of the effect.
A tip: don’t just walk straight along the main street. Duck into every alley, because that is where half the festival is hiding.
Spot 4 — Piazza Vincent Capodanno
Here you will find the main stage and a dance platform: it is where the headline acts perform, usually from 18:30 until around 21:15. If you are short on time and want to catch “the concert”, this is the place.
Spot 5 — In front of Banca Monte dei Paschi
The final stop along the route, with music and fire shows late into the evening.
Who is performing
During the first weekend, performers include Orange8, Adriano Bono (music and circus) on the main stage, aerial dance by Fabiana Protani, Cristian Muela, the Zoert One Man Band, storyteller Mr. Nipper with his gramophone, and live painting by Cristiano Quagliozzi and Silvia Struglia.
During the second weekend, on the 19th and 20th, Ametè, Steam Duo, Godié, and Capitan Fracassato return, joined by acrobats Afro Jungle Jeegs, I Tarocchi di Genì, shadow theatre by Silvio Gioia, RattleSnakes Dance, Uscite di Emergenza Dance Company, CollettivoNEO, and Lestofunky. That weekend, the event joins forces with the Gaeta Buskers Festival: two festivals sharing the same streets.
Practical tips from the locals
- Arrive at 18:00, not 21:00. The opening street parade is one of the highlights and only happens once.
- Wear comfortable shoes. The route is short, but you will be on your feet for hours, and the alleys are uphill and paved with stone.
- Great with children: circus acts, fire shows, puppets, and live drawing. The area is closed to traffic.
- Every alley is a stop: look inside, even when it looks dark. Often, it is dark on purpose.
Where to park
Via Indipendenza is right in the center; it gets crowded in the evening, and even more so during the festival. It is best to park outside the center and walk in: in our guide to parking in Gaeta, you will find rates for blue lines (paid parking spaces), private parking lots, and the town’s two free parking areas, along with walking times. Keep an eye on the ZTL (restricted traffic zone) as well, which is active on those evenings.
For last-minute questions — “is it open tonight?”, “where can I park right now?” — Enea can answer from the central button on the bottom bar at any time. And if you prefer to see everything on a map, check out the Live Map.
What else is happening that weekend
19 September is doubly special: while the festival is underway on Via Indipendenza, at 21:30 at Molo Santa Maria you can see Noemi in a free live concert. You can explore the street artists’ route in the late afternoon and head down to the pier for the evening.
Everything else happening this month is listed in the Gaeta Città dei Festival program, which covers all four September weekends.
The schedule, show by show: Frammenti MArteLive in Gaeta — all events, updated and easily accessible from your phone.
