Ferrara Buskers Festival

The Ferrara Buskers Festival® is the largest event in the world dedicated to street performers. The project was born in 1987 from Stefano Bottoni, who is still the artistic 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 one 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.