GENERAL INFORMATION

THE MAGIC OF THE FESTIVAL RETURNS TO SICILY
WINDSURFING, SAILING, BEACH VOLLEY, KITESURFING, SURF, UNDERWATER EXPLORATIONS, FITNESS A WEEK OF SPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT WITH THE WINDSURF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, THE STARS OF THE AMERICA’S CUP, THE MAGICAL NOTES FROM THE HARMONIOUS SYMPHONY AND THE 4^TH EDITION OF THE NEW JAZZ FESTIVAL.  GREAT MUSICAL SHOWS.
The “World festival on the Beach” at Mondello from the 11^th to the 22^nd of May 2005.

The scenery of Palermo’s valley and its cradle, Mondello, are the expressions of the Sicilian essence at its best and the ideal stage where each year the “World Festival On The Beach” punctually takes place ( 31 years of success tied up within the surf table world that has been held in Palermo for the past 20 years).

The 20^th edition of the World Festival on the Beach will open its doors once again in May, welcoming even more  enthusiastic surfers and tourists that are attracted to Mondello by the various events held, for its particular characteristics that are able to bring together Sicily’s historical and natural environments.  The “World Festival on the Beach” is becoming included more and more in holiday brochures as tourism- cultural package holidays in Sicily during the period of the event which opens up the summer.  From day to night in the Sicilian Bay thousands of keen surf fans are to be found, this great Sicilian Festival brings together different events that transforms this little town outside Palermo into a tourist village unique in its kind.

The Albaria’s World Festival on the Beach has been organized along with Palermo’s Council for over ten years and were both able to bring together an event famous to windsurfers around the world, with the capability of renewing itself year after year and always with great surprises with thanks to the intervention of the Sicilian Regional Tourism Authorities which have for the third year running taken the event into account in inserting it into it’s official calender of events that has a strong tourism effect to the island.

After an absence of thirteen years the Windsurfing World Championships will return to Mondello that will take place in the same waters as the Sails from the world famous skippers of the America’s Cup for a stop from the 17^th to the 21^st of May, a grade one in the World’s Match Race Circuit organized together with the Gargnano Sailing Club and +39, the first Italian society to launch a challenge at Alinghi.

The windsurfing, sailing and beach volley champions will be back along with the spectacular shows from Kitesurfing, Surf and Fitness, the moving underwater explorations.  A week of sport and music entertainment with the magical notes from the harmonious Symphonic music and from the fourth edition of the New Jazz Festival,  the characteristic atmosphere of the tourist village is brought together in Mondello by it’s sea, it’s beach and from its audience.

The great sports and music events from a “surprise” program make up the formula that has been appointed along with the quality of its contents, the success of the “World Festival on the Beach” will soon celebrate its 20 birthday.

It wasn’t the Albaria’s or the World Festival on the Beach’s mission in letting the world know of such a suggestive place with so much beauty. But after some years, when the media got interested – TV and magazines – unavoidably Mondello’s Club had to update some articles of its statute: to respect, popularise and declare the real essence of Sicily in the best way.
In the following years love declarations have been raining on Palermo, for its wonders and the tropical splendour of Mondello’s beach, for the significant richness spread around Sicily which is often is not  considered.
Although it remains a moment of pure evasion, healthy fun and cultural enrichment, the Windsurf World Festival has become the Italian Ambassador in the world of a reality that just asks to be experienced.

Valdesi Square strictly becomes a pedestrian zone surrounded by its well-cared gardens and opens the gates of Mondello and its festival among palm trees and colourful flowers. Elegant, welcoming, busy and full of colours but most of all free, the public village becomes the heart of all the events of the World Festival on the Beach.
Dominated by Villa Gregorietti, part of the Village is designed 7-8 months earlier to face the needs of each event which take place every year – the rest is given by nothing else but the same old Mondello in the month of May before the summer starts. The Festival’ s Village is made up of a large area including the walk along the sea front usable by everyone going towards the beach, furnished by a pedestrian zone infront of the beach where the beach volley and the races are staged and where the other events of the program are held. There are no tickets to pay and no queues to line up in.  Its a large area open to everyone in which its general aspect is that of a huge living room in the middle of town.
Plants and flowers are everywhere, as a result of the support of the Department for Gardens and Villas of the Town Council of Palermo, benches are made out of precious wood along with structures of the same material where you can rest and where you can watch the sports and musical activities.The feeling is that nothing has been prepared; it seems it has always been there and will continue to stay so.
Grateful for the cooperation of Institutions and Security Forces of the Municipal Police, Mondello’s viability doesn’t suffer any problems as alternative routes are planned to avoid the inconvenience of roads being closed to traffic, therefore all areas of Mondello will be normally be reached by the usual secondary streets. The big stage completes the look, where every night excellent musicians, singers, dancers and show girls take their place, while a second sitting room is reserved for TV operators, as they have proper areas at their disposal.

At sunrise the organizations members get together, the athletes who participate in the races, the judges of the races, the police, the t.v. technicians, the spectators, the concerts audience, the artists and those who are just curious…. You’re at the World Festival on the Beach where there are lots of faces some known some not.
You start to notice people working at thier different jobs all busy doing something with thier passes and t-shirts on, printed with the outstanding logo of the Windsurf World Festival. You will be amazed at the unique atmosphere that can be found and that is difficult to find in a sports and music event.
A kind of unconventional professionalism involves you from the first moment.
For example you could find high-tech equipment for digital video… in a kitchen. Or the press room super equipped full of computers… in the garden an ancient amphora just next to the compendium of hydrodynamics and technology of a skiff. You could find a reception area for athletes with ten people yelling into their ten mobile phones in ten different languages. And then the catering staff, the TV technicians from all over the world, a bunch of journalists. You might meet the famous musician waving a friendly “hello” to you or the world champion offering you his dish of spaghetti, or the top model (but this happens everywhere) who is not thinking of you… They are the Festival People, great passionate people at the service of a common project who every year for 19 years, keep their promise: “we’ll make you have fun”.
A real team of valuable professionals supported by a pacific army of energetic volunteers guided by staff and supported by active Sponsors.
This is all success of Windsurf World Festival. These are the friends of the Festival. Extraordinary people… to take part in this event is to believe in it. To take part in this event is to give your support. 

The musical entertainment is a historical factor at the World Festival on the Beach.  The New Jazz Festival, kept at heart by the directors and the members of the Albaria, an event which is hoped to repeat itself for the fourth year supported along with theLocal Authorities from the Sicilian Regional Culture Department.

There was huge success for the first edition of the classical music concert which was held on the beach and will be repeated again this year at Mondello, a stage of 160sq mtrs with a colourful background made up by catamarans.”Symphony on the Beach” one hour of cultured music that goes straight to the heart of those who have an ear for classical music and for those who will listen to it for the first time.  An astonishing event.

The concerts held on the beach are long awaited by those who attend every year to live that kind of californian atmosphere that comes to life when the evening falls in, the beach becomes like a dance hall.  This year there will be new and up-coming national artists from the pop and dance world, with a few interesting shows from international artists.

Many sports champions will be in Mondello to particiapte in the various competitions that are to be held.  Windsurfing will open the 20^th edition of “the World Festival on the Beach”,  it will begin on Wednesday the 11^th of May with the IMCO Class Championships in which the best international windsurf athletes will race each other to win the European and World Titles.

The second edition of the Windsurfer Legend Race is long awaited, a particular slalom competition with old windsurf tables competing on an old racing circuit, only for those who have made history in this sport.  After the World and European Championships and the Legend race the Nation Cup will close the windsurf program, a kind of “America Cup” for windsurfers along with the Sicily Grand Prix, an individual competition.

There is a new entry in the 20^th edition, The Albaria Cento Cup, the ISAF grade 1 Match Race, a long awaited event by all sailing lovers that will be able to have the opportunity in watching the race from the 17^th to the 21^st of May, in the race there will be the most famous skippers from the America’s Cup including the +39 team.

You will be taken in by the Beach Volley in the International Mondello Cup Tournament, the Proseries Beach Tour has chosen Mondello again this year as the opening of its tour that stops in different places along the Mediterranean.

Once again there will be spectacular acrobatics from Kite Surfing and from the Surf Contest, Fitness, parasailing and athletic shows to keep you entertained along with lots of other surprises from the holiday village unique in the world.

All organized by the Albaria and it’s staff.  A team that for 20 years co-ordinates and brings together the event.  The World Festival is organized, brought to life and directed by the Albaria, that looks after its image in every aspect: from the direct marketing, above and the below the line, to the colourful advertisments, the press office, contact with the performing artists and with the professional athletes, from the Web Information to thier relationship with the media partners that allows the event to go on air on televisions all over the world.

The World Festival an event which has become a role model to different parts of the world, a sport and music festival that can not be missed from the 11^th to the 22^nd of May 2005, an event that will give life to a fantastic and exciting entertainment trip.