Flicaré 2026: Itacaré's Literary Festival Returns October 28–31

In 2024, the square in front of the Matriz de São Miguel Arcanjo, a church about three centuries old, spent three days taken over by books, conversation tables, storytellers and children sitting on the ground, listening. Around 20,000 people came through. From October 28 to 31, 2026, Flicaré, the Festa Literária de Itacaré, returns to town with a theme that says a lot about the place: "O encantado em nós: vozes e memórias que tecem os encantos de Itacaré" ("The Enchanted Within Us: voices and memories that weave the charms of Itacaré").

A festival for readers and writers

Flicaré is organized by the city government through the Municipal Department of Education, and it was born with a clear idea, in the words of the secretary at the 2024 edition: to be a "trainer of readers and trainer of writers." That is why the festival begins before the festival, in the municipal schools. In 2024, students visited cocoa farms, prepared recipes, listened to stories and entered a literary contest awarded on the square's stage. Books written by students were displayed alongside those of established authors.

What past editions have offered

The second edition, in October 2024, had the theme "Do cacau ao chocolate: histórias, leituras e oralituras de Itacaré" ("From Cocoa to Chocolate: stories, readings and oral traditions of Itacaré"), a return to the cycle that shaped the town and the entire Costa do Cacau. The curator was the poet and cultural manager Rafael Gama. The writer Cyro de Mattos, one of the great names in the literature of southern Bahia, and Roberto Setúbal, known as the guardian of Itacaré's memory, received certificates of merit.

The program went beyond author panels: storytelling, collective book launches, music, dance, theater, visual arts, workshops, documentaries, a cooking show, a reading truck, a science fair and a family farming fair. Children had the Flicarezinha, with its own program. In 2025, the festival welcomed the Caravana do Comitê de Cultura da Bahia, with eight free workshops, from creative writing and slam to photography, graffiti and capoeira.

The enchanted within us

The 2026 theme points to orality, voices and the memories of Itacaré: the stories told on the riverbank and at front doors, which rarely make it onto paper. The organizers announced that registration will open for authors, artists, exhibitors, mediators, workshop leaders and other participants. Guests, venues and program have not yet been announced.

Who it's for

For families, who will find activities for children all week long; for those who love books, conversation and popular culture; and for travelers who want to see Itacaré from the inside, beyond the beach. In previous years the festival took place on the square, outdoors and downtown, a few steps from Pituba.

Details

• Event: Flicaré 2026, Festa Literária de Itacaré
• Dates: October 28 to 31, 2026 (the city government's calendar notes that dates may change)
• Theme: "O encantado em nós: vozes e memórias que tecem os encantos de Itacaré"
• Organized by: Prefeitura de Itacaré, Municipal Department of Education
• Participant registration: opening soon; follow @flicareoficial
• 2026 program and venue: not yet announced; in 2024 it was held at Praça São Miguel, downtown

With information from the Prefeitura de Itacaré, the itacare.com.br portal, A Tarde, A Região, Políticos do Sul da Bahia and Blog do Rildo.