Thinking about peace is not a utopia: this is the premise behind the “Re-Imagine Peace” festival, taking place in Florence from July 10 to 12, under the artistic direction of artists and activists Noa and Mira Awad, reunited once again in Italy after the success of their performance at the Festival di Sanremo 2025, together with guitarist, arranger and producer Gil Dor. Co-artistic director: Tamar Tal Anati.
For three days, Florence will host concerts, film screenings, talks, performances, moments of dialogue and experiences open to the city and the public, with the aim of creating opportunities for listening and exchange through culture and the arts. The festival will culminate in a major All-Star concert at the Cascine Amphitheatre, where Israeli, Palestinian and Italian artists will share the stage in a collective celebration of music as a universal language capable of transcending borders. Also contributing their voices to the peace dialogue will be the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa and actor and director Neri Marcorè.
“Re-Imagine Peace” is conceived as a multidisciplinary cultural platform bringing together artists, musicians, filmmakers, performers, activists, thinkers and international organizations united by the desire to create spaces of encounter in a time marked by deep divisions. The project is based on a simple premise: placing human experience, listening, and the possibility of sharing stories, sensitivities and different perspectives at the center through art and culture. In this context, Florence represents the ideal setting for an initiative dedicated to dialogue and coexistence, building on the civic legacy of figures such as Giorgio La Pira and Mario Primicerio. The city has also long been a place of cooperation among the communities of the three monotheistic faiths.
The festival programme — to be released in full in the coming weeks — includes a film series featuring award-winning documentaries dedicated to stories of pain and hope, with titles such as There is Another Way, Coexistence, My Ass and The Orchestra with the Broken Instruments, followed by panel discussions and special concerts. Among the participants are Robi Damelin and Bushra Awad, from Israel and Palestine respectively, both long engaged in dialogue and peace-building initiatives. In recognition of their commitment, they were awarded the Fiorino d’Oro, the highest civic honour conferred by the City of Florence.
The programme also includes “A taste of the other”, a culinary event hosted at Teatro del Sale with Israeli and Palestinian chefs, as well as a classical music concert for two pianists from Ramallah and Tel Aviv performing four hands. The festival further features an interfaith march and prayer in collaboration with the Centro Internazionale Studenti Giorgio La Pira, with the participation of Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities, alongside a series of meetings with activists and leading figures in international dialogue.
The programme concludes with the launch of the book The Future is Peace and an electronic music and dance event featuring DJs from the festival collective, bringing the initiative to a close in a celebration of cross-cultural exchange and the blending of artistic languages.
The complete program:
https://www.reimaginepeacefestival.it/en/programma/
Pressenza is the event’s international media partner.