Italian
From 19 to 21 September, the streets of Veronetta will be transformed into a global stage. New Zealand will be the guest of honour with the largest Māori cultural group: with games, dances, haka and storytelling, the festival celebrates its 23rd edition by intertwining intangible heritage
VERONA (ITALY) – The city is preparing to enjoy three days of celebration and culture with the 23rd edition of Tocatì – International Street Games Festival, scheduled from 19 to 21 September 2025. This year’s guest of honour will be the Māori culture of New Zealand, which will bring to the city the energy of its games, the power of its traditional dances and the depth of an ancestral heritage that unites land, memory and community.
Organised by the Associazione Giochi Antichi (Association of Ancient Games), in collaboration with the Municipality of Verona, the Veneto Region and the ICPI – Central Institute for Intangible Heritage, the festival will host the Māori cultural group Te Rōpū o Muriwhenua, protagonists of the famous Kapa Haka, a show that combines song, dance and storytelling. There will also be traditional games: from Matau Maui, with sticks, to Porotaka, wooden spinning tops, to games with ropes, hands and balls, capable of telling stories and strengthening bonds.
Alongside the international offerings, the public will also be able to rediscover popular Italian games: Pirlì, Corsa con le botti, Morra cantata and the National Lippa Tournament, together with board games and areas designed for children.
As per tradition, Tocatì will also be a laboratory of ideas. In the Reflections section, critic Piero Dorfles will highlight the educational value of nursery rhymes, while Angelo Pittro (Lonely Planet Italia) and Claudio Visentin (Scuola di Viaggio) will invite visitors to rediscover travel as an experience of knowledge. Childhood and the role of play in education will be the focus of talks by Daniele Novara and Chiara Sità, while a conference will bring together experts in pedagogy and neuroscience on the theme of new addictions among young people.
The programme is enriched by the International Forum on Play Culture, hosted by the University of Verona, and the La pellicola che ti tocca (The film that touches you) exhibition, which will present films and documentaries in collaboration with the Maoriland Film Festival. Special events include the site-specific theatre show Arcipelago/Costellazioni (Archipelago/Constellations) by Bam!Bam! Teatro.
Once again, Veronetta will be the setting, a neighbourhood that remains the beating heart of the festival, with performances, music and the ever-present Osteria del Gioco. This edition coincides with the 25th anniversary of Verona’s UNESCO World Heritage status, an ideal opportunity to intertwine the city’s tangible heritage with the intangible heritage of its recreational traditions.
“Tocatì,” said Mayor Damiano Tommasi, “represents an extraordinary bridge between cultures and a driving force for regeneration in Veronetta.’ The vice-president of the Veneto Region, Elisa De Berti, also confirmed the event’s identity value: ‘It is much more than a festival: it is a living heritage that unites generations, cultures and communities around the value of play.”
With its guests of honour and its usual ability to blend tradition and modernity, Tocatì 2025 promises to be a journey without borders, in which play becomes a universal language and an opportunity for encounter.
