Past Events
RestArt 2026: the edition that crowned Salento street art
From event to institution
RestArt 2026 was no simple festival. It was the moment Salento understood that street art isn't a passing trend, but part of its cultural identity.
The growth numbers
| Metric | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitors | ~300 | 2,800 | 8,200 |
| Writers | 4 | 14 | 18 |
| Municipalities represented | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| Media coverage | local | regional | national |
| Sponsors | 2 | 6 | 15 |
The international line-up
The names announced in previous months were confirmed, with last-minute additions:
Confirmed international guests:
- RONE (France) — Created two monumental murals, including a portrait of a local resident chosen at random
- Vesod (Spain) — His organic lettering decorated three historic buildings without damaging them
- Wes21 (Switzerland) — Led a two-day workshop with 25 local participants
Italian guests:
- Camilla Falsini (Rome)
- Ravo (Naples)
- Franz Donato (Lecce) — Guest of honor, fourth consecutive year
Surprise announced on day one: The unplanned arrival of a French muralist crew from Paris. They added a full mural in 8 hours.
The Freestyle Battle in Salento dialect
An absolute first: a category entirely in dialect. 22 entrants, 8 of them women.
The winner, Maria "Salsa" Rizzo from Melendugno, opened up new possibilities for women in local freestyle. Her rhymes in pure Salento dialect made the crowd laugh, reflect, and jump: this is the new era.
The economic impact
Local authorities quantified:
- €45,000 generated by food service, lodging, and local commerce
- 50 media articles in regional and national outlets
- 120,000 social media impressions (#RestArt2026)
For a municipality of 1,600 residents, that's an extraordinary number.
The moment that will stay with us
Sunday afternoon, the last day. A spontaneous cipher forms in the main square among 30 people: residents, writers, international freestylers, local teenagers. No one organized it. It just happened. This is the moment you realize the project truly worked.
> "Botrugno will never be the same again." — the town's mayor, closing ceremony