This Father’s Day, swap socks for spaghetti with the return of one of Queensland’s most beloved cultural festivals – bringing the heart and soul of Italy with it for father’s day.
After eight years, FESTITALIA returns to Brisbane this Father’s Day, Sunday, 7 September, transforming the RNA Showgrounds into a vibrant Italian playground of flavour, flair, music, food and family.
A celebration of Italian heritage, FESTITALIA has long been a treasured community event, remembered for its dazzling entertainment, authentic food, and that unmistakeable feeling of Italian joy – allegria.
This Father’s Day, swap socks for spaghetti. Festitalia brings the flavours of Italy to Brisbane – woodfired pizza, handmade pasta, gelato, and an espresso or two for Dad (with a cheeky limoncello on the side).
• For the Dads who love fast cars and fine food – treat him to a day of classic Italian car displays, fine wine, and flavours that take him straight to the streets of Rome. Add in live music and the family together – perfecto!
• For the Dad who has everything .. except maybe an afternoon of Italian charm! This Father’s Day, gift Dad an experience – the sights, sounds, and tastes of Italy without leaving Brisbane. Bring the famiglia and make memories.
• For the competitive Dads – go head and enter Dad in Best Dressed Italian Dad, and Dad with the Biggest Pancia (belly) – there’s Merlo Coffee hampers as prizes!!
With a brand new home at the RNA Showgrounds, Festitalia is back with all the things we’ve missed: dancing, pizza acrobatics, Nonna’s Kitchen stalls, opera singers, traditional folk bands, and so much more. FESTITALIA is more than a festival – it’s a love letter to Italian culture.
It’s a day that captures the sights, sounds, and soul of Italy – right here in Brisbane.
This year’s program reads like a who’s who of Italian-style entertainment:
• Opera stars and folk bands including Raffaele Pierno and Zumpa
• World-class pizza acrobatics with Youssef Ben Touati
• Theatre and roaming acts like Homunculus Theatre’s Pulcinellas
• Young guitar prodigy Henry Catania
• Performances by Divina Opera, Latinissima, Diletta and Dan, and more!
Of course, it wouldn’t be FESTITALIA without the food – and there’s plenty of it. Think wood-fired pizzas, handmade pasta, espresso bars, fine Italian wines, gelato carts, and food stalls dishing up regional specialties and family recipes passed down through generations.
There’ll be competitions like Best Dressed Italian Dad, Nonna’s Slipper Throw, and Dad with the Biggest Pancia (belly!), along with old-school games like Tira Molla (tug of war) and Italian-style musical statues. Families can explore everything from a petting zoo and kids’ games to a Roman military camp, vintage Italian car displays, Prima Spada fencing lessons, and of course, the ever-popular Nonna’s Kitchen.
Organising Committee director and passionate driver of the festival, former Senator Commendatore the Honourable Santo Santoro said the Italian community has been a vital thread in the social, cultural and economic fabric of Queensland.
“From the post-war migration boom of the 1950s and ‘60s to today’s proud Italo-Australian families, Italian Queenslanders have made enormous contributions to agriculture, construction, cuisine, small business, and the arts,” he said.
“Towns like Stanthorpe, Ingham, and Brisbane’s inner north echo with Italian heritage – in the vineyards, the delis, the churches, and the kitchens.
“But beyond the visible, it’s the values – family, community, hard work, and allegria – that continue to shape the state. Events like Festitalia don’t just celebrate Italy; they celebrate the strength, legacy and ongoing influence of one of Queensland’s most passionate and tight-knit cultural communities,” he said.
Whether you’re Italian by blood, by love, or simply by appetite – FESTITALIA is back, and it’s better than ever. Brisbane: get ready to shout Evviva! and celebrate Father’s Day the Italian way.
FESTITALIA 2025
Sunday, September 7, 2025 (Father’s Day) – at the RNA SHOWGROUNDS
Tickets on sale now at www.festitalia.com.au
Italian Words You Need to Know for FESTITALIA
(because shouting “evvai!” with confidence is part of the fun)
1. Ciao (chow) – Hello and goodbye. Say it like a local – with flair and a little wave.
You’ll hear this every five seconds at Festitalia.
2. Grazie (GRAHT-see-eh) – Thank you.
Say it to Nonna when she hands you pasta. Say it again when she gives you seconds.
3. Evviva! / Evvai! (ev-VEE-vah / ev-VAI) – Hooray! / Let’s go!
The perfect thing to yell with a wine in hand.
4. Nonna (NON-nah) – Grandma.
The real boss of any Italian family (and kitchen). Respect.
5. Mangia! (MAHN-jah) – Eat!
You’ll hear it. You’ll do it. You’ll love it.
6. Gelato (jeh-LAH-toh) – Ice cream, but fancier.
Smoother, richer, and definitely not “just ice cream.”
7. Amore (ah-MOH-ray) – Love.
What you’ll feel after your second slice of woodfired pizza.
9. Bravo/Brava (BRAH-vo / BRAH-vah) – Well done!
Yell it after a performance. Or after Dad wins “Biggest Pancia.”
9. Pancia (PAN-chah) – Tummy or belly.
As in: “Who’s got the biggest one?” (Yes, that’s an actual competition.)
Things You Must Try at FESTITALIA
(Yes, Nonna would 100 per cent approve)
1. Watch the Pizza Acrobatics
You’ve seen pizza tossed – but not like this. Catch Youssef Ben Touati flipping dough like a circus act. It’s fast, it’s flying, and it smells like heaven.
2. Visit Nonna’s Kitchen
An absolute must. Traditional recipes, simmering sauces, the smell of garlic in the air… and Nonna’s watching to make sure you clean your plate. Don’t argue – just eat.
3. Say Ciao to the Pulcinellas
Keep an eye out for these cheeky, masked characters from Italy’s old-school street theatre. Performed by Homunculus Theatre, they’ll charm kids, crack up adults, and may or may not start a mock swordfight.
4. Soak up the live Italian vibes
Opera, folk, guitars, and roaming musicians – it’s a musical feast! Make time for performers like Raffaele Pierno, Zumpa, and Divina Opera – and shout “Bravissimo!” with gusto.
5onus: Enter the Dad-with-the-Biggest-Pancia Comp
It’s Festitalia, it’s Father’s Day, and yes – this is an actual competition. Pancia = belly. May the biggest one win.
