Fokest tackles the emergency by moving its program of concerts, awards, in-depth meetings and books from September 17 to October 4. The appointments will therefore be distributed between September and October to say goodbye to autumn to all music (but not only). The people in charge of Folkest in agreement with the thirty or so municipalities of Friuli Venezia Giulia involved in the programme – from Sauris to Duino passing through Tramonti di Sopra and Pulfero, Romans d’Isonzo, Travesio but also Udine, Gorizia and obviously Spilimbergo, the nearby Koper and Auronzo di Cadore – have decided to face the emergency COVID -19 which unfortunately has become worldwide, moving the festival to other dates. Folkest is a festival that during its 41 years of development has been able to become the center of an important network of relationships in the musical field in Europe and in the world involving every year artists from all over the world, true guardians of the music of different ethnicities and cultures. “For 2020 – says the artistic director of the festival Andrea Del Favero – it is our precise desire to dedicate special attention to Italian musicians who, as we know, were among the first to be penalized by the cancellations of their tours and concerts”. In fact, the programme of the festival will include the best Italian talents, true guardians and interpreters of the good music of our tradition capable of renewal.

Folkest and young musicians
Bringing culture where the people are, was from the beginning the founding idea of Folkest, a multi-coloured festival born thanks to the contribution of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the fundamental support of the Friuli Foundation, which is flanked by the municipalities and organisations of the various localities touched and whose artistic choices for years have made this event known throughout Europe, confirming it as the ideal stage to reveal new talents to the European public. Folkest has always been aimed at young people, being, among other things, formed mainly by young people: in the organizational team of the festival, taking away some historical protagonists, the team boasts probably the lowest average age among the various regional festivals, despite a high professional level put in place. Folkest promotes young Italian musicians also through the Premio Folkest – Alberto Cesa, now in its tenth edition and whose selections for 2020 have just ended, thus contributing to their professional training at European level, through collaboration with various European festivals. The Alberto Cesa Prize, which every year involves about one hundred and fifty artists, is dedicated to all those music that, beyond being classified as folk, folk-rock, ethnic, ethno-jazz, world, new acoustic, minimalist, guitarist, songwriting, storyteller, street artist (with prevalent musical activity) can give voice to one or more cultural roots of any part of the world. It should be pointed out that this award is one of the few – together with the Parodi Prize of Cagliari that is dedicated to world music in Italy, useful – as well as to circulate new names and new bands – especially to the young participating bands who have the opportunity to discover the world around them, meet other musicians, tell each other problems and solutions, exchange contacts and records.