OUR HISTORY
The Ferrara Buskers Festival is the largest event in the world dedicated to street musicians. The project was born in 1987 in the mind of Stefano Bottoni, founder and artistic director of the event and currently its honorary president.
A lover of music and a musician himself, Stefano is first and foremost a craftsman, a blacksmith to be precise, and it was in his workshop that the idea for the festival was born.
The Ferrara Buskers Festival® is the largest event in the world dedicated to street performers. The project was born in 1987 by Stefano Bottoni, who is still the art director of the event. Music enthusiast and musician, Stefano is first of all a craftsman, a blacksmith. The festival's concept was actually born in his lab.
Various ideas have sprung into his head but one, above all, gave life to the project. A newspaper article published on the 30th of July 1987, mentioned two musicians, with drums and guitar, removed by the police force. Stefano Bottoni therefore thought that there could be a city, or at least a period, in which anyone could play on the street: his town, Ferrara.
It was necessary to give a name and back the idea, which at that time seemed to be at most an event held every 2 years. Stefano brought his idea to the Mayor who, unexpectedly, immediately supported it.
Probably the recent trip to New York had brought him closer to the street musicians seen in Time Square and he wished for a more cosmopolitan Ferrara. It was necessary to create the organization and the working force. Having written the project and made the team - the same Association active today - it was necessary to find a strong and international name. Thus, the "Buskers" word was also known in Italy, thanks to which today everyone knows and recognizes as the figure of the street musician.
In 1987 Stefano Bottoni, in his workshop, met Lucio Dalla, thanks to a fortuitous game of fate.
Two years later, the great artist from Bologna, will be seen playing the clarinet together with Jimmy Villotti at the Festival, in a square in Ferrara, hidden amongst the other participating buskers.
Today the festival has many emulators, but the original spirit, born from a man in his lab, is stil the same.
OUR MISSION
A world without art is an empty world. Our festival is a tribute to music and art of all kinds. Our aim is to give space to artists who don't have it and to shed light on those who have been hidden. The Ferrara Buskers Festival is a place where street artists from all over the world can come together and give life to an ecosystem of art, music and different cultures.
MEMBERSHIP
Do you share our values and believe in culture and music as tools for sharing and growth?
Apply for a membership card and experience the festival from the inside, take part in meetings and decisions, become a member and join the association.
WORK WITH US
Do you love music, talking to people and want to experience the busking effect first hand?
You can join the staff and gain real experience in organising events by filling in the form and submitting your application.
BGREEN
To be mindful of the Earth and Nature, capable of not forgetting where we come from.
This is not just a principle: it is a way of being. BEING GREEN.
The Ferrara Buskers Festival, the first certified event in Italy, is an extremely environmentally aware event that reduces noise impact to a minimum and also pursues good practices to raise public awareness of differentiated waste collection.
Every year the Festival develops the BGreen project dedicated to environmental sustainability, with a specific theme such as the protection of the seas or the correct disposal of PC and mobile phone batteries.
The 2023 edition was dedicated to raising awareness against water wastage and spreading good practices for the protection of water resources, thanks also to workshops held in collaboration with Hera. In fact, we are fully committed to the correct use of water and are proud to be able to offer it free of charge, chilled, natural or sparkling, through the Urban Spring within the Festival route to reduce the use of plastic as much as possible.
For the 37th edition we are also proposing numerous workshops on environmental themes, all included in the entrance ticket, which you can access by booking. Ecological awareness is a theme that has always been close to our hearts, which is why you will be able to find many workshops that are also suitable for children.
Ferrara Buskers Festival was the first event in Italy to be certified ISO 20121 with the Ecofestival project.
EVERYONE
As Ferrara Buskers Festival, we work to ensure that the event takes place under the banner of safety and inclusion.
For this reason we do not tolerate any form of racism, homophobia, xenophobia or any other form of discrimination. Our Festival is a union of art, music and above all people, and for this reason we are committed, together with our staff, to ensuring that the event takes place under the banner of mutual respect.
In this regard, the Festival is designed to facilitate displacements for everyone, including people with disabilities, with special toilets along the route. And accompanying persons get in free of charge: it is necessary to send an e-mail to accrediti@ferrarabuskers.org indicating the chosen days, name and surname of the accompanying person, e-mail and telephone contact and attaching the disability certificate.
Help us too: be respectful of other people's cultures and report any form of discriminatory behaviour to our staff. Remember: everyone deserves to be safe.
