Introduction
The Marching Bands Festival of Cortina d'Ampezzo is also known as Ra Fèŝta de ra Bàndes in the local dialect or Festa Delle Bande in Italian. It is a week of festivities and music where, each evening, there is an open-air concert played by different music bands from the area. The event ends on the last Sunday of August with a day of festivities in which all the marching bands parade down Corso Italia. At the end of the marching band's parade, there's a big concert where all the participants play together. The festivities go on into the evening.
The Event
Ra Fèŝta de ra Bàndes was created in 1977, thanks to the dedication of the maestro at the time, Renato Sartor, and the then president of the music band, Osvaldo Majoni.
Initially, the bands were playing in Angelo Dibona Square, right under the bell tower, with no coverage. In 1984 a retractable roof with a shape that recalls a shell was inaugurated. Since the Italian word for "shell" is "conchiglia," it was simply named Conchiglia Pavilion.
This structure, strongly championed by Osvaldo Majoni at the time, was dedicated to him in 2024. The Conchiglia has become the focal point of the Festa delle Bande and many other events organized in Cortina.
The Festa Delle Bande is a free event that has taken place during the last week of August for many years with a refined and tested formula that unfolds as follows:
- On the evening of the penultimate Sunday of August, the Music Band of Cortina d'Ampezzo opens the Festa delle Bande with a parade along Corso Italia and a concert opening at the Conchiglia Pavilion, under the bell tower.
- During the following week, every evening a concert is held from Monday to Friday. Throughout the week there's a small drink kiosk organized by the music band.
- On the last Saturday of August, the excitement begins. In the evening there's a concert with more energy and rhythm, more suitable for young people. There's a bigger kiosk that offers food and drinks to a wider audience, usually chicken and polenta and other typical specialties, accompanied by beer, wine, and soft drinks.
- On Sunday there is the large parade along Corso Italia, usually at 2 PM, in which bands from all over Europe participate, alternating with folklore groups and volunteers.
- Once the parade is over, at approximately 3:15 PM, there is an amazing big concert in Roma Square. After the assembly, the music bands play, all together, a few pieces. As you can imagine, it is very emotional.
- Throughout the rest of the day there are concerts, cheerfulness, and other folkloric events. If the sun is shining, there is an air of festivity throughout the town center until evening.
As you may have guessed, the climax of the festival is the last Sunday in August, when music bands and folk groups bring to life the center of Cortina with concerts, parades, carousels, and folk traditions, all flavored with lots of music. A day of traditions, merriment, and color, which we recommend attending at least once in a lifetime.
Throughout the event, kiosks will be working at full capacity to cheer guests with snacks and refreshing drinks. Drink and eat without remorse; all money raised during the Festa delle Bande is used to support the Cortina Music Band, and the workers are volunteers without compensation.
Alternatively, you can refresh yourself or have something to eat at one of the many bars in the center of Cortina. Some of them may hold side events. If you have never been to Cortina and you want to know more about the town center, we invite you to read the page we wrote on the subject. You can find it below:
To help you find your way around the various concerts available, there are some flyers throughout the town. You can find them at the info point in the center, in most of the shops, and in the section about the parade on the official website of the Cortina Music Band. This link will take you to the right section, but you'll need something to translate.
As you may read on the website, there are many more activities organized on Sunday than those listed on this page. Given that they vary from year to year, we encourage you to read the updated program.
The Music Band of Cortina
The Cortina music band was born over a hundred and fifty years ago. In 1861, a headquarters, regulations, and name were given to the small village fanfare: the Musical Corps of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Over the years, many masters and many presidents followed one another, but it was in 1977 that the Cortina Music Band acquired the identity we know today, with the traditional Ampezzo dress inspired by the models of the mid-eighteenth century.
The Cortina d'Ampezzo Music Corps performs concerts, parades, and other activities both to promote musical culture in the town and to bring young people closer to music and Ampezzo traditions. All these activities reach their climax during the Fèŝta de ra Bàndes, as we mentioned earlier.
The activities of the Cortina d'Ampezzo Music Corps are not limited to local events. Its members participate in approximately one hundred and fifty annual services in Italy and abroad. The number counts rehearsals, concerts, and musical and folkloric events.
The Cortina d'Ampezzo Music Band counts as many as 66 elements, not counting the dealer and flag bearer who open the parade, followed by the female companions in costume, the beautiful marketenderin.
As you may have guessed, this is an association that has a strong sentimental value for the people of Cortina. Many residents are happy to have a few occasions in which to proudly wear the splendid traditional dress, supporting an association that also brings prestige outside the Ampezzo area.
The Tyrolean Costume
During the Marching Bands Festival, you can see, even among the audience, many women dressed in traditional Tyrolean dress, called Dirndl, consisting of a colorful skirt and apron paired with a white blouse.
There is also a male variant, consisting of short leather pants called Lederhosen, paired with a small checkered shirt, usually white and red.
These traditional outfits are also usually used during certain tradition-related events in the territories of Austria, Bavaria, and Tyrol, to which Cortina has belonged for hundreds of years.
Although Tyrolean culture has never particularly been felt in Ampezzo, the costume has been quite successful, to the point that tourists and residents like to wear Dirndl and Lederhosen at some Ampezzo events, such as the Summer Party or the Festa delle Bande.
When it comes to costumes, however, we must not confuse traditionally inspired outfits, which are used by sympathizers, with traditional ones with real historical value.
Usually modern Dirndls have very bright colors and are quite simple, created to be used only for one day and made to be comfortable. The same goes for Lederhosen, where the more modern models are softer and made of suede or artificially aged leather.
The outfits worn by some groups, such many of the Tyrolean music bands, or the Scizar de Anpezo, are called Tracht and are uniforms of great traditional value, with a centuries-old history and a very precise code for both color matching and choice of accessories.
Usually these dresses, which are not very comfortable to wear, are made of wool and thick leather, with bone buttons and hand-sewn decorations. The colors are very simple, in pastel or natural hues. They are certainly not the ideal clothes for hot August days.
The Ampezzo Costume
In addition to traditional and modern Tyrolean outfits, at the Festa delle Bande you'll surely also see the traditional Ampezzo costumes. These are costumes of great historical value, passed down by residents who are most attached to local traditions, as well as by cultural associations such as the U.L.d.A. which stands for Unione Ladini d'Ampezzo, the cultural association representing the indigenous community of Ampezzo.
The men's outfit is quite simple and has undergone only subtle changes over the centuries, but the women's version shows more interesting nuances. The oldest traditional dress is called a ra vècia, which means "as the old way." In the mid-1800s also appeared a more modern outfit, known as ra varnàza, a light and colorful dress that can be paired with a scarf tied around the neck.
The winter version of the traditional costume is called ra jàida and consists of a fitted jacket with a masculine-style buttoning, paired with an apron, usually striped. The most elegant version of the Ampezzano costume is called in màgnes and consists of a small jacket in an imperial style, completed with a hat and a silk scarf. This outfit was reserved for special occasions and celebrations.
For women, the hair must be tied in a ciòu, a type of hairstyle where the hairs are first braided and then gathered at the nape, secured with the trèmol, a silver filigree hairpin shaped like a flower, whose stem is crafted to tremble with even the slightest movement.
Curiosities
Before we conclude, we want to leave you with some interesting facts about the Cortina Marching Bands Festival, in no particular order.
The event has a large number of supporters; one of them is the famous Denis Novato. He is a virtuoso of the diatonic accordion; he was also the world champion of accordion in 1993, and he has 25 victories in several international competitions. We invite you to watch the program to find out if a concert by him is scheduled; it is worth going to listen to him.
If you are approached by nice girls with a small barrel over their shoulder, they are volunteers of the Music Band of Cortina. They sell a small glass of liquor upon payment of a small contribution, often with a free offer. It is usually a sweet drink, not too alcoholic, and this is certainly a very characteristic and fun way to enjoy a sip of Schnapps in Corso Italia.
If you see a group near the kiosk yelling and laughing as they try to hammer a nail into a block of wood, you are watching the game of Peta Ciodo, which translates as "hit the nail." We don't know the exact origin of this game, but it's a lot of fun. It's about being able to hammer a nail into the block before your opponents. You have only one hit, then you have to pass it on to the person next to you. It may seem pretty trivial, but the hammer is hollow in the center!
If you want to try a game of Peta Ciodo, be aware that the price to pay, should you lose, is a round of beers for any player involved. Below are the rules we usually play with. There are surely small variations out there, generally more permissive, but these are ours.
- Players stand in a circle, and each one chooses a nail, pointing it in the wood about one centimeter, all at the same distance from the edge of the log.
- The minimum distance between the edge of the log and the nail must be the width of the hammer's head.
- The first player rests the hammer out of the edge of the log and tries to hit their nail with a single, well-placed blow.
- Play continues clockwise, with each player always taking one swing at a time.
- If the nail bends, you may straighten it and give it a few light taps to set it properly.
- When a player drives their nail in completely, they are safe; the others keep hammering.
- The last player left with their nail still sticking out buys a round of beers for every player.
- The hammer cannot be flipped over, and you cannot take aim by moving closer to the nail.
- A nail is considered fully driven only when it's not possible to slide a fingernail underneath it.
- Anyone trying to cheat will be called out, likely with playful insults and loud oaths; if they insist, they'll have to buy everyone a drink.
- If you join a game that's already in progress, the rules followed by the current players apply.
Our rules are fairly strict; we’ve observed many players placing the nail closer to the edge, allowing a few virtual swings to measure the distance before the real hit, or striking without first resting the hammer out on the edge.
If you end up playing in a group of tourists, the game will likely be much more flexible, but if you play with locals, these rules will probably be insisted on, accompanied by playful arguments and friendly teasing, because they make the challenge more difficult and balanced.
Conclusion
We hope you liked this page on the Festa delle Bande of Cortina d'Ampezzo, also known as Fèŝta de ra Bàndes. Before saying goodbye, we would suggest you read our home page, with all the articles we wrote about Cortina d'Ampezzo.
If you want to thank us, you can read the page Support Us. If you only want to suggest a change, propose something, or just say hello, in the section Contacts and Info, you'll find all the ways to reach us.