ADRIATIC SOUND FESTIVAL 2026 BROUGHT LIGHTS, BASS AND ENERGY TO THE ITALIAN COAST
words by ANOUK WOUDT
Taking over the fields of the recreational Fano Airport last weekend, Adriatic Sound Festival transformed the usually serene plains into an enthralling landscape of lights, bass and music. At each stage, you were faced with a different energy, each blasting its own interpretation of electronic music that ranged from classic ‘90s house-tronica to heavy industrial techno. Hot long summer days paired with Aperol spritzes drifted into nights of dancing and negroni sbagliati — all culminating in the perfect Italian coastal escape to start the summer off.
Fresh on the festival radar, this festival only debuted in 2025, making this year its second-ever edition — and first-ever for us! Conceived as an ode to sound and a metaphorical Axis Mundi, the festival seeks to connect earth and sky, as their Roman ancestors once dreamed of.
Every detail of the festival is curated to follow this central theme, infusing each step of the way with references to Ancient Rome.
The main stage architecture, designed by STUFISH Entertainment Architects, for one, makes that clear. Aptly named The Temple, its form takes inspiration from the Arch of Augustus, which serves as a ceremonial gateway to the historic centre of Fano. Pillars scale up into an orbital structure, while projections of Romanesque sculptures and designs pulse to the beat of the bassline, creating a stage (and festival experience, as a whole) that is truly one-of-one. Here, house music was the focus with danceable grooves and sample-heavy remixes that brought good energy to every set.
As you traverse to the other side of the field, you’re met with The Hangar: its more modern sister stage, housing heavy-hitting techno from the likes of Miss Monique, Yousuke Yukimatsu, Sven Vath and many more iconic names of the DJ world.
Starting off the festival with the VIP launch party, we were welcomed into a tradition that has become a ceremonial cornerstone of the event that we absolutely hope continues. Among the roofless rubble of the Church of San Francesco, sound and light bounced between walls to create a close-to-divine experience. Watchful eyes and red lights illuminated the surroundings in a slow crescendo that soon exploded into a transcendental soundscape—setting the mood for what to expect in the days ahead.
Energy remained high for the entire weekend, somehow upping the ante each day. Friday already started strong with a closing set from Ukrainian DJ duo Artbat, dialling up sound systems until you felt every beat reverberating in your core. Meanwhile, on the main Temple stage, Boris Breija brought his signature "high-tech minimal” music style that bubbled and bounced with good energy.
The following day, back-to-back sets by Honey Dijon and ANOTR seamlessly faded from Honey’s sweet ‘90s Chicago house into groovy rhythms dotted with bright, feel-good vocals, ending the night off on ‘anotr’ high.
With sets ending earlier on Sunday, we expected a more diluted overall energy, but what we experienced was nothing short of ecstatic. Fisher was the highlight of the last night, also taking over the Temple Stage and playing dance pop classics with a fun, heavy-hitting twist.
With this only being the second edition of the Adriatic Sound Festival, the lineup seems already up-to-par with its fellow electronic festivals, brimming with some of the most beloved artists of the techno underbelly. And this is only the beginning, leaving us already excited to see what next year’s edition has in store.
