Policoro (Italy) is preparing to welcome the 2026 edition of Fragola Expo Basilicata, the event that on April 25 and 26, 2026 will turn the Lucanian town into a major showcase dedicated to taste, entertainment and agricultural innovation. Between Piazza Segni and Piazza Aldo Moro, the best of regional agriculture will take center stage across an exhibition area of approximately 20,000 square meters, featuring 100 exhibitors, leading companies from the sector and professional visitors.
At the heart of the event will be the Fragola della Basilicata PGI, the symbol of a sector that represents one of the most significant excellence stories in Italian fresh produce. Basilicata is in fact Italy’s leading strawberry-producing region, with 1,200 hectares under cultivation, over 50,000 tonnes produced and a total turnover exceeding 150 million euros. These figures are expected to grow even further following the formal recognition of the PGI certification, obtained in October 2025 at the end of the process promoted by the Committee chaired by Salvatore Pecchia and made up of Producer Organizations.
An event bringing together the supply chain, the territory and consumers
Highlighting the importance of the event is Donato Antonio Sabato, president of the organizing association Fragola Expo Basilicata, who stresses that the event has now developed a well-defined identity: “We are returning to Policoro with a well-established format. Fragola Expo Basilicata is not only an exhibition, but also a meeting place for players from the sector and related industries, with the direct involvement of consumers.”
According to Sabato, the event will also be an opportunity to reflect on achievements reached and future objectives, involving companies, Producer Organizations, representative bodies and institutions. This confirms the intention of making the event not only a promotional showcase, but also a space for reflection and planning for the future of Basilicata’s strawberry supply chain.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony and the role of institutions
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 8:00 pm on Saturday, April 25 and will feature the mayors of Policoro and Scanzano Jonico, Enrico Bianco and Pasquale Cariello, together with regional agriculture councillor Carmine Cicala, president of the Province of Matera Francesco Mancini, civil authorities and members of the Fragola Expo Basilicata association.
For the mayor of Policoro, Enrico Bianco, Fragola Expo Basilicata is an “authoritative and high-profile showcase” with the Fragola della Basilicata PGI at its core. Bianco also underlines the tourism value of the event, describing it as a key weekend for opening the Ionian coast to the first seasonal tourist flows and for giving an early start to the summer season in the Metapontino area.
The mayor of Scanzano Jonico, Pasquale Cariello, also emphasized the collective value of the event: “This event strengthens our shared identity and rewards the teamwork between institutions and businesses. It is a rightful tribute to the passion of growers and to the determination of our people. United, we give value to a unique fruit that makes the whole of Basilicata proud.”
Two days of exhibition stands, shows and entertainment
Alongside its technical and institutional dimensions, Fragola Expo Basilicata 2026 will also offer a rich entertainment programme, designed to engage the public and strengthen the connection between the supply chain and the local area.
On Saturday, April 25, the stands will open at 4:00 pm. At 7:30 pm, musical performances by the ContourBand are scheduled, followed by the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:00 pm. Later in the evening, at 9:00 pm, comedian Nello Iorio will perform, followed by more live music along the Expo streets.
On Sunday, April 26, the afternoon will begin with the national beauty contest Miss Reginetta d’Italia and the first edition of Miss Fragola Expo Basilicata. This will be followed by performances by street artists and, at 10:00 pm, a show featuring special guest comedian Dino Paradiso.
The panel on Fragola della Basilicata PGI
Among the key in-depth moments on the programme, on Sunday, April 26 at 8:00 pm, Fragola Expo Basilicata will host the panel entitled “Certification, protection and new opportunities for the territory”, entirely dedicated to the Fragola della Basilicata PGI.
The session will open with institutional greetings from mayors Enrico Bianco and Pasquale Cariello, together with remarks by Salvatore Pecchia, president of the Promoting Committee for Fragola della Basilicata PGI.
This will be followed by contributions from Alberto Albertini, head of research and development at CCPB; Alberto Improda, chief executive officer of Improda Studio; and Eleonora Iacovoni, director general for quality promotion at the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry. Institutional conclusions will be entrusted to Carmine Cicala, regional councillor for agricultural and forestry policies of the Basilicata Region.
A strategic showcase for Basilicata’s strawberry sector
The 2026 edition of Fragola Expo Basilicata comes at a particularly favourable moment for the sector. The PGI recognition provides the supply chain with an additional tool to strengthen the product’s positioning, enhance its territorial origin and open up new opportunities both commercially and institutionally.
In this context, the Policoro event presents itself as a strategic showcase to highlight not only the results of a nationally leading production area, but also the territory’s ability to work together around one of its symbolic products.
Through exhibition spaces, moments of discussion and entertainment events, Fragola Expo Basilicata once again confirms its ambition: to be not only a celebration dedicated to strawberries, but also a place where agriculture, territorial identity and development prospects come together before operators, institutions and consumers.
