Podcasting Festival 2026: events throughout Italy from 21 September, Industry and Creator Day in Milan on 2 and 3 October

The 2026 Podcasting Festival turns on the engines. From 21 to 30 September, a network of local events will accompany the public towards the two days of 2 and 3 October in Cascina Triulza, in the MIND Milano Innovation District area, dedicated to the changes that are transforming podcasts and digital audio between new languages, artificial intelligence, video podcasts, information, branded content and business models.

Directed by Ester Memeo and organized by Podstar, in its tenth anniversary, the first and longest-running Italian event dedicated to podcasting thus expands its national dimension. The objective remains that of the first edition in 2016: to connect creators, publishers, companies and communication professionals, offering concrete opportunities for training and networking.

From 21 to 30 September, widespread events will bring the Festival to various Italian cities, including Milan, Genoa, Rimini, Rome, Trieste, Piacenza, Viggiano (PZ), Rieti and Palermo, as well as a series of online events. The calendar includes professional training courses dedicated to the relationship between podcasts and journalism - organized with the OdGs of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna - public meetings, collective listening, sound walks, live podcasts and networking moments. A path that will anticipate the Milan event and will show how the podcast is now capable of inhabiting radio stations, museums, schools, editorial offices and cultural spaces.

Friday 2 October will be Industry Day, mainly dedicated to brands, platforms, producers and agencies. At the center of the program will be the strategic use of the podcast, branded content, multi-channel, the integration between audio, SEO and artificial intelligence, advertising and new business models. The new NielsenIQ research commissioned by Audible will be presented, dedicated to listening trends and the profile of Italian listeners. The use of AI in the production and use of the voice will also be addressed, questioning what remains irreplaceably human when generative technologies enter creative processes. There will also be workshops and laboratories for those who want to improve their podcasting skills, with events dedicated to writing for listening, data driven multichannel strategies, sound processing and vocal presence.

Saturday 3 October will be Creator Day, the day open to the public and dedicated to podcasters and professionals who want to grow their project. In the Auditorium the program will focus on promotion, discoverability, monetization and distribution. In the Academy Room, live podcasts, presentations and workshops will alternate. The Podcast Pitch is also back, the space in which authors present their projects directly to producers, publishers and operators in the sector. Evaluating and listening to the proposals will be Andrea Borgnino of RaiPlay Sound, Alessandra Scaglioni of Radio 24 and 24Ore Podcast and Giuseppe Paternò Raddusa, author and screenwriter, with the moderation of Ester Memeo.