“It was the pinnacle”: Sooshi Mango leads calls to bring back Lygon Street Festa

Carlton’s beloved Lygon Street Festa could be on the verge of a revival, with the team behind Johnny, Vince and Sam’s Ristorante – Joe and Carlo Salanitri and their lifelong friend Andrew Manfre – throwing their weight behind a campaign to bring it back.

The trio are best known as comedy juggernaut Sooshi Mango, but in Carlton they are also restaurateurs. Since opening Johnny, Vince and Sam’s in 2023, they’ve expanded to an upstairs dining room and built a loyal local following. Their call to reinstate the Festa, which for more than 40 years was Melbourne’s ultimate Italian street party, is being taken seriously across the precinct.

For decades the Festa was the highlight of Melbourne’s cultural calendar – closing down Lygon St from the Old Melbourne Gaol to Elgin St, drawing crowds of more than 100,000, and filling the strip with food, music, and colour. Locals fondly recall the annual waiters’ race and the infamous “greasy pole” competition, where brave contenders scaled a lard-slicked pole to win a wheel of cheese.

But in recent years the Festa’s footprint shrank, shifted into nearby parks, and eventually disappeared altogether. Its absence, many traders say, has left a cultural and economic hole on Lygon St.

Andrew Manfre told Inner City News that he believed the Festa was central to Carlton’s identity.

“The street has always been synonymous with Italian heritage – and so was the Lygon Street Festa. It was the pinnacle,” he said.

“Every year we’d come here as a family, get an ice cream, smell the pizza and pasta, and just soak it up. It was jam-packed. We want to lead this push to bring it back – for the street, for the culture, for Carlton, for everyone.”

Carlo Salanitri added that the Festa symbolised the transformation of Lygon St into Melbourne’s Little Italy.

“Before the Italian immigrants, it was just another street. The Festa was a way of celebrating what the community built here. COVID really battered the street, and walking down after that, it was heartbreaking. That’s part of why we opened the restaurant – to bring some eyeballs back. Imagine if we could bring the Festa back to its heyday.”

The trio stress this isn’t about creating a “Sooshi Mango Festa.”

“This is the Lygon Street Festa,” Carlo said. “We’re lobbying, trying to lead the charge to get the street noticed again. Traders benefit, the community benefits, Melbourne benefits. It’s not just for Italians – it’s for everyone.”

Reviving the event will take time, money and coordination. Local traders’ association Carlton Inc. has already discussed the idea with members and City of Melbourne representatives, and the Sooshi Mango team is calling for volunteers and partners to help.

“We’ve admired how the Greek community has kept the Antipodes Festival running for 36 years,” Joe said. “We’ve sat down with them to learn how they do it – the logistics, the volunteers, the barriers and toilets, the sponsors. That’s the model we want to follow, so when we relaunch, it’s not just for one year but forever.”

Carlo estimated more than 100,000 people could attend if the Festa returned in full form, making it a huge opportunity for sponsors.

“We’re not just bringing back any Festa. We’re bringing back the kind of Festa people remember from 20 years ago – the whole street closed, stages at both ends, entertainment, stalls, major sponsors. Something truly special.”

That includes reviving the greasy pole and the waiters’ race, alongside new competitions and modern activations.

“It’s 2025 – we can merge the old school with the new,” Carlo said. 

Carlo, Joe and Andrew are aiming for a relaunch in 2027, giving time to organise a committee, secure funding, and put the infrastructure in place. They say they’re already being asked daily by locals whether they will bring it back.

“People are expecting us to do something, and we tell them – it’s always been our goal,” Carlo said. “But we can’t do it on our own. We need the traders, the community, sponsors, and government support. If we all get behind it, we can make it happen.”

The idea has already gained the support of City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece, as well as other prominent political figures. The state government has also expressed its support, with the federal government also expected to jump on board soon.

For Carlton, it would mean more than just another festival. It would be a declaration that Lygon St is back, buzzing with life, and proud of its heritage.

As they like to say at Johnny, Vince and Sam’s – T’ank a u! •