Placemaking Week Europe 2025 goes beyond the main programme, and deep into the DNA of the city. The city of Reggio Emilia alongside local projects and organizations have pulled together a generous offer of OFF Programme that will open up neighbourhoods, cloisters, and piazzas, inviting citizens, visitors, and placemakers to join in music, food, debates, and community celebrations.
From September 23–26, these activities will transform Reggio Emilia into a stage of encounters, reflection, and shared joy. Here’s what you can experience:
Tuesday, 23 September – A Taste of Reggio Emilia
The week begins with a warm welcome to locals and visitors alike: Taste Reggio Emilia. Join an experiential journey through local food and wine, with tasting stations celebrating Cappelletti, Parmigiano Reggiano, Aceto Balsamico, and Lambrusco. Meet artisans, enjoy live music, and experience the authentic flavours of the region.
🕒 19:30 – 22:00 | Tickets €18 (Eventbrite or on site)
📍 Chiostri di San Pietro
Wednesday, 24 September – Neighbourhood Encounters
Reggio Emilia’s communities invite you in for an evening of food, music, and dialogue:
- Casa Bettola – Pizza & Talk
Grassroots cooperation meets political debate: dinner from the Forno Comune, an organic market, and a talk on “The Right to the City in Times of Catastrophe” with Prof. Massimo de Angelis.
🕒 From 18:00
📍Via Martiri della Bettola, 6
💬 In Italian with English translation - Cà Reggio – The beauty of the neighbourhood
A collective meal with the station district community, preceded by a dialogue on educational policies with Councillor for Educational Policies of the Municipality Marwa Mahmoud.
🕒 19:00
📍Piazza Domenica Secchi - Btalks: Here & Now
Btalks are dialogues, performances, installations, exhibitions: this is the first of five evenings to explore sustainable issues and practices for urban spaces with experts, activists, politicians and citizens. Ideas and inspiration for collective action.
🕒 18:00
📍Piazza del Popol Giost
💬 In Italian
Thursday, 25 September – Places of Well-being
At Campus San Lazzaro, explore the exhibition “Health is Beauty”, reflecting on how environments shape young people’s mental and physical wellbeing. Guided visit with Nicola Gianferrari – Prevention Centre Operator.
🕒 14:30 – 16:15
📍Padiglione “VILLA ROSSI” – Campus San Lazzaro, Via Amendola, 2 – Entrance by Via Doberdò
Friday, 26 September – Sound, Ideas & Celebration
The side-events conclude with a full day of soundscapes, debates, and evening celebrations:
- Intervallo
A space for discussion and experimentation on the care of urban space, evolving from Rigenera Piano B. Includes performances curated by Francesca Braglia and Debora Canossini.
🕒 12:00 – 14:00
📍Viale IV Novembre 6 - How the City Sounds
Children’s imagination turns the city’s surfaces into instruments in a unique sound performance.
🕒 From 17:00
📍Parco Alcide Cervi - Btalks: Resources
A collective reflection on overconsumption and sustainability, with experts and activists.
🕒 18:00
📍Piazza del Popol Giost
💬 In Italian - The 15-Minute City
Discover a new urban model of proximity with experts Matteo Dondé, Paolo Gandolfi, and representatives of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia.
🕒 18:00
📍Orologio Community Home
💬 In Italian - Thinking like a city: encounters, stories and visions of a province
Meetings, screenings, and after-parties, curated by Verace Studio and Digital Freaks.
🕒 18:00 – 23:00
📍Spazio Gerra
💬 In Italian - Piazza San Prospero – Vinyl Set by The Riff
Celebrate the end of Placemaking Week Europe with cocktails and a DJ set by Squ4re & Lisk in one of Reggio Emilia’s most iconic squares.
🕒 20:00
📍Piazza San Prospero
