A new kind of nomad gathering is coming to Italy.
During Nomad Magazine’s Office Hours, Marco Traina, founder of BEETCOMMUNITY and one of the main organizers of the upcoming Italia Nomad Fest, joined us to personally invite the global community to Palermo and share how this project came to life.
📅 Mark Your Calendar: March 8-15, 2026 | Palermo, Sicily, Italy
🌐 Official Website: italianomadfest.com
🎟️ Exclusive Offer for Nomad Magazine Readers:
Use code GOSSIP15 to get 15% off all Italia Nomad Fest 2026 tickets.
Get Your Tickets →
Born from Necessity
“Italian Nomad Fest is a project that was born from necessity,” Marco explains.
“We wanted to connect the Italian nomad industry. Collaboration is way better than competition. And Italy is still not seen as a digital-nomad destination — we want to show what’s possible here.”
The event goes beyond the usual format of nomad festivals. Its focus is on creating a bridge between locals and travelers, promoting slow living and sustainable tourism.
“Our goal is not to create a NomadFest bubble, but a bridge between cultures,” Marco says.
“With fast tourism, our culture risks becoming a service — we want to preserve what’s in our blood: belonging and hospitality.”
Event Details & Partners
When asked about the partners and scale of the event:
🤝 Partners & Supporters:
• Municipality of Palermo - venues, public transport, local connections
• Italian Colivings - Nesting Away, Tertullia
• International Partners - Nomad Magazine, Global Nomad Pass, Nomad Retreats
• Local Partners - Sicilian chefs, wineries, digital companies
“The festival will take place from March 8 to 15, with strong support from the Municipality of Palermo — they’re providing venues, public transport, and helping connect us with local partners like chefs, wineries, and digital companies. We’re also collaborating with Italian co-livings such as Nesting Away and Tertullia, and international partners like Nomad Magazine, Global Nomad Pass, and Nomad Retreats.”
Learn more about the program and partners at italianomadfest.com.
Expected Attendance
👥 Anticipated Participants:
• 70 nomads purchasing tickets
• 100 locals already active or curious about the nomad world
• 20-30 locals joining to discover the lifestyle
• Additional partners, speakers, workshop hosts
• ~200 total participants
“We expect around 200 people in total — 70 nomads buying tickets, about 100 locals already active or curious about the nomad world, and many others joining as partners, speakers, and workshop hosts.”
Why Palermo?
📍 For centuries, Palermo has been a crossroads of cultures — a place where travelers, merchants, and dreamers have met and exchanged ideas. Italia Nomad Fest aims to continue that story, not through mass tourism, but through meaningful collaboration between nomads and locals.
“Historically, Palermo was always a crossroads of cultures — a place where travelers mixed with locals. Even before digital nomads, there were always nomads here — people passing through, sharing knowledge, and leaving something behind.”
Fighting Fast Tourism
The event also addresses a critical issue facing Italian cities:
“With fast tourism and short-term stays, our culture risks becoming a service. We’re losing something that is part of us.”
Marco emphasizes that Italia Nomad Fest is designed to show locals there’s an alternative approach to hosting travelers — one that preserves culture, cities, and traditions while building a new kind of economy based on community and belonging.
“Here in Palermo, the sense of community and hospitality is very strong. For us, it’s not just a service — it’s part of our culture, part of our blood.”
A Nomadic Festival
“The idea is not to create a nomad bubble, but a bridge between cultures. The event won’t always stay in Palermo — it will be nomadic itself.”
This first edition in Palermo is just the beginning of a traveling festival that aims to showcase different Italian cities and their unique offerings to the global nomad community.
First of Its Kind
🎯 Historic Significance:
This is the first digital nomad event of this scale in Palermo — and possibly in all of Italy.
With BEETCOMMUNITY, Marco and his team have organized events for nomads before, but never on this level. Italia Nomad Fest represents a significant milestone for Italy’s position in the global nomad landscape.
Full Conversation Highlights
On the Project’s Purpose
Q: Can you tell us more about Italia Nomad Fest — the idea, your plans, and all the insights?
“Italian Nomad Fest is a project born from necessity. First of all, we wanted to connect all the Italian industry around the nomad community. We are not that many, but we believe collaboration is much better than competition.
The second reason is that Italy is not yet a real digital-nomad destination. The goal is to show what opportunities nomads can find here — in this case, in Palermo — such as cost of living, local community, and how Italians can host digital nomads and create meaningful experiences together.
Another reason is that we want to fight fast tourism. This event is also for locals — to show them there’s more than one way to host travelers, in a way that preserves culture, cities, and traditions. We want to create a new kind of economy based on community and belonging.”
On Cultural Preservation
Q: What do you mean by preserving culture?
“With fast tourism and short-term stays, our culture risks becoming a service. We’re losing something that is part of us.
Historically, Palermo was always a crossroads of cultures — a place where travelers mixed with locals. Even before digital nomads, there were always nomads here — people passing through, sharing knowledge, and leaving something behind.
We believe nomads today have a responsibility to interact with locals, not just consume. The idea is for visitors to really engage with the reality of Palermo — and Italy in general.”
On Local Support
Q: How long will the event be, and who are your partners?
“The event will run for a full week, from March 8 to 15. Our main partner is the Municipality of Palermo, which supports us with spaces, public transportation, and connections to local partners.
We have local partners like wineries and chefs who will teach how to cook, as well as digital companies based in Palermo. On the national level, we’re collaborating with Italian colivings like Nesting Away and Tertullia, and internationally with Nomad Magazine, Global Nomad Pass, and Nomad Retreats led by Federico Violante.”
On Community Building
“We believe nomads today have a responsibility to interact with locals, not just consume. The idea is for visitors to really engage with the reality of Palermo — and Italy in general.”
Join Italia Nomad Fest 2026
🎥 Watch the full Office Hours recording with Marco Traina to hear how the idea was born, what makes this event different, and why Italy is reimagining nomadism through culture and community.
Get Your Tickets Now
🎟️ Exclusive Offer for Nomad Magazine Readers:
Use code GOSSIP15 to get 15% off all Italia Nomad Fest 2026 tickets.
Book Your Spot →
Perfect. Everyone, see you in Italia Nomad Fest in March 2026! 🇮🇹
Want to learn more about Italia Nomad Fest? Visit the official website to explore the full program, see the speaker lineup, and connect with BEETCOMMUNITY as they prepare to welcome the global nomad community to Palermo.
