With great joy, we invite you to the next edition of the Shrines of Europe International Cultural Festival, which will take place on July 4, 2025, at 9:00 PM in Piazza Papa Giovanni XXIII in Loreto, Italy — right in the heart of one of Europe's most important Marian pilgrimage sites.
This event offers a space where the spiritual heritage of the shrines meets accessible, popular culture. Town squares and streets often become the stage, while the common language is music and the joy of sharing what is local, authentic, and deeply European.
The festival is a joint initiative of all member cities and was born in 2023, when its first edition took place in Częstochowa, Poland (you can read about it [here]). A year later, artists performed in Ourém, Portugal, as part of the city’s annual FeirOurém celebrations (more info [here]).
More than a series of concerts, the festival is a journey into the cultural soul of Europe — a reminder of how much we share, despite our linguistic or geographical differences.
This year’s edition promises to be particularly special — not only because of the diverse lineup but also thanks to its unique setting. Loreto, nestled on a hilltop overlooking the Adriatic Sea, enchants with its calm atmosphere, historic charm, and authenticity. It offers the perfect backdrop for an event that brings together people, cultures, and shared values.
The Loreto Festival will feature talented artists from Italy, Poland, Germany, Austria, France, and Portugal — all representing the cultural richness of Europe’s most significant pilgrimage cities united under the Shrines of Europe Association.
Join us in Loreto and immerse yourself in this one-of-a-kind musical celebration! Let yourself be carried away by melodies, rhythms, and emotions rooted in local traditions yet resonating with a universal European spirit. Come, experience, and become part of this unique European community.
Loreto 2025 is waiting for you.
Aélia Vayne (Lourdes, France)
A young artist from the Lourdes area, born in 2008, Aelia embodies a new generation of passionate and talented performers. Since a young age, she has devoted herself intensely to multiple artistic disciplines, particularly the performing arts. Her unusual career path already demonstrates a strong commitment and a deep desire: to become a professional artist through solid and diversified training.
Between 2019 and 2021, Aélia completed a unique curriculum at the Puy du Fou Academy (Les Epesses), combining general education with comprehensive artistic training: dance, theater, fencing, stage combat, stunts, and horseback riding. She then participated in notable vocal competitions, such as Lourdes Voice, Thau en Scène, and a masterclass led by renowned casting director Bruno Berberes. In 2021, she made her stage debut as an extra in the show "Le Dernier Panache" at Puy du Fou. In 2023, she joined the Music Hall Arts Institute in Le Mans, furthering her stage skills. March 25, 2025, marked a turning point: during a casting organized by the city of Lourdes, the jury was deeply moved by her voice and artistic sensitivity.
Concertina Burro e Salvia (Loreto, Italy)
Concertino Burro e Salvia hits the road since 2002.
The band performs a pleasant collection of traditional Italian songs from the first decades of 20th century. Everything is played in a perfect old fashioned style, with traditional clothes and acoustic instruments, like in the traditional "concertinos". The music is a mixture of Italian "bel canto", a little swing and a contagious sense of humor.
Concertino Burro e Salvia performed in many events in Italy and abroad, included music festivals (Ferrara, Certaldo(FI), Veszprem, Hungary), private parties (like weddings and conventions) and prestigious historical sites like Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Park of Biennale in Venice, Paestum, S. Giusto in Trieste, Teatro Pergolesi in Jesi, Teatro Gentile in Fabriano, Bayerischenhof Hotel and Kloster Andechs in Munich...
The story of the Concertino includes the theatrical piece " 78 giri " and an essential compilation of songs recorded in two CDs, introducing a part of the luminous tradition of italian canzonetta.
José Santos & Rui Sérgio (Fátima, Portugal)
José Santos graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with a specialization in Music Education from the Coimbra Pedagogical University. He currently works as a music teacher at the Primary and Secondary Schools of Ourém and at the Ourearte - School of Music and Arts of Ourém. He studied recorder and classical guitar at the Canto Firme School of Music in Tomar. In 2009, he was awarded the Medal of Artistic Merit by the Municipality of Ourém in recognition of his work in collecting and harmonizing the traditional music of the region, which resulted in the recording of a CD.
Rui Sérgio Oliveira is a native of Ourém. He began studying piano at the age of 7. In 1983, he began studying at the Regional Conservatory of Music in Tomar, continuing his musical education. He served as organist at the Church of Fatima for 35 years. He was a member of a popular music band for 22 years and completed his compulsory military service as a musician in the band of the 15th Infantry Regiment in Tomar. Since 1983, he has worked full-time as a music teacher at a public school in Ourém.
Kapellplatz Musikanten (Altötting, Germany)
The “Kapellplatz Musikanten” (Kapellplatz musicians) are a representative group of traditional Alpine folk music. Which is popular in Bavaria and the region around Altötting. The music group consists of students from the Vocational School of Music in Altötting. During the concert, traditional pieces will be recited, which represent dance music. The name “Kapellplatz Musikanten” is based on the famous Kapellplatz in Altötting, where the vocational school for music is located.
The school is a very special institution in Altötting, offering students a 2-year full time education with graduation as state-certified ensemble leader or a 3-year full time education with additional pedagogical or artistic qualification. Students can choose to study classical music, church music or folk music. Besides education, the Vocational School of Music is a vital part of the cultural life in Altötting, organizing regular concerts and workshops and participates actively in cultural activities organized by the city of Altötting. The “Kapellplatz Musikanten” will enchant their audience by typical Bavarian music representing traditional instruments. Feel free to chime in and dance along to the tunes. Performing artists: Theresa Gansler and Magnus Stechele, students of the vocational school of music
Ana Cosme & Victoria Harant (Mariazell, Austria)
Since then, they have played at all kinds of festivities, concerts, etc. They are constantly expanding their repertoire, which includes a wide variety of musical styles.
They present a good mix of Austrian artists from classical music to Austropop, from Mozart to Falco.
Olga Przybylik & Wojciech Królikowski (Częstochowa, Poland)
Olga Przybylik, a Częstochowa resident by heart and birth. Music is her passion, which she develops on a daily basis at Studio Piosenki Metro Częstochowa operating under the auspices of Warsaw's Studio Buffo. Olga has already given a dozen or so singing recitals. She has performed as a soloist with the Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra, where, together with the Grube Ryby band, charity events were successfully held. She will be accompanied by Wojciech Królikowski, a multi-instrumentalist, graduate of the Częstochowa State Music School of the 1st and 2nd degree, and an assistant in the field of stage music at the Jan Długosz University. Wojtek has been associated with the Częstochowa music community from an early age due to his parents' musical activity. He has performed with artists such as: Kuba Badach, Halina Frąckowiak, Robert Janowski, Piotr Rubik, Ich Troje, Paweł Kukiz, Chłopcy z Placu Broni, Kasia Moś and many others. He has participated in many prestigious music festivals. On a daily basis, artists perform on many stages, small and large, local, national and even foreign.