Ottobre Alessandrino
A month-long autumn culture festival across Alessandria: cinema, theatre, music, books, talks and workshops in venues around the city, mixing 'high' and 'pop' culture with national guests. The 2026 edition, the third, is built around Umberto Eco, born in Alessandria.
Why it's special
It turns the whole city into a festival for five weeks with national-level guests: in 2026 Rita Pavone, Elio, Paolo Fresu, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Enrico Vanzina and Wim Mertens's only Italian date, under a programme dedicated to Alessandria's most famous son, ten years after Eco's death.
Programme · 2026
Third edition, dedicated to Umberto Eco in the tenth year since his death: over five weeks of cinema, meetings, music, workshops, theatre and books across the city, some free and some ticketed.
- Many events are free, but the big concerts at the Teatro Alessandrino are ticketed through Ticketone, so book those early.
- Much of the cinema strand is at the Multisala Kristalli (Via Parini 17); check ottobrealessandrino.it for bookings and the newsletter, as the programme can change.
Ottobre Alessandrino is the city's autumn festival of culture: from the last week of September to the end of October, cinema, theatre, music, books, talks and workshops spread across venues all over Alessandria. It started out as a film festival and has since widened its scope, deliberately mixing "high" and "pop" culture: an archive screening one night, a rock frontman the next.
The 2026 edition, the third, takes Umberto Eco, born in Alessandria, as its guide, ten years after his death. It opened in Piazzetta della Lega on 26 September, and the headline nights include Rita Pavone introducing a restored "Rita la zanzara", Enrico Vanzina on Italian comedy, Fabrizio Bentivoglio with his film "Lascia perdere, Johnny!", Elio at the Teatro Alessandrino, and an Eco tribute with Paolo Fresu and Daniele Di Bonaventura on 28 October. Wim Mertens played his only Italian date at the Castello di Piovera on the opening weekend.
Much of it is free, especially the film talks at the Multisala Kristalli, while the big concerts are ticketed, so it's worth checking the programme before a visit and booking the evening shows.