Carpino in Folk Festival

A festival in the heart of the Gargano

The Carpino in Folk Festival is one of the most iconic events of the Apulian summer and a key reference point for Mediterranean folk music. It takes place in Carpino, a small village within the Gargano National Park in the province of Foggia, nestled between ancient olive groves and Lake Varano. Its roots go back to 1996, when local musician Rocco Draicchio envisioned a festival capable of restoring dignity and a future to the tradition of the Cantori di Carpino and the famous Gargano tarantella.

Every August, the squares of the historic center transform into an open-air stage where folk singers, chitarra battente players, frame drummers, and national and international guests meet. The artistic direction is led by Antonio Pizzarelli.

"Pensiero Meridiano": the 2026 edition

The 2026 edition, scheduled from August 6th to 10th, features the theme "Pensiero Meridiano": an invitation to slowness, dialogue, and rediscovering Mediterranean culture as a key to looking toward the future of the South. The festival opens on August 6th in Piazzetta Padre Pio and continues from August 7th to 10th in Piazza del Popolo.

The program night by night

• August 6th — Conference "Pensiero meridiano. E le storie che ci attraversano" and a tribute to Matteo Salvatore with "40 Ballate, Analisi, Visioni" by Nicola Contegreco.
• August 7th — "La Voce del Gargano", an evening dedicated to the songs of the Mountain of the Sun with Festa Farina e Folk, La Matracatrappa, the Cantori di San Giovanni Rotondo, and Tarantula Garganica with the Cantori di Monte Sant'Angelo.
• August 8th — Debut of the Orchestra Popolare del Carpino in Folk conducted by maestro Carmine Padula, followed by the Cacao Mental concert with their "Revolution tour".
• August 9th — The most anticipated event: The Wailers, the historic Jamaican band linked to Bob Marley's legacy, bring their only Southern Italy stop of the "50 years of positive vibrations" tour to Carpino.
• August 10th — Grand finale with Super Taranta and the Cantori di Carpino in "Stile, storia e musica alla carpinese".

The Cantori di Carpino and the Gargano tarantella

The authentic heart of the event is the Cantori di Carpino, guardians of an oral heritage rediscovered in the 1950s by the studies of Alan Lomax and Diego Carpitella, and made famous by masters Andrea Sacco, Antonio Piccininno, and Antonio Maccarone. Their serenades, accompanied by the chitarra battente, tell the story of the rural and romantic soul of the Gargano.

Workshops, conferences, and the Rocco Draicchio Prize

Alongside the concerts, the festival offers moments for training and in-depth study. On August 8th and 9th, at the Andrea Sacco Cultural Center, dance workshops titled "From the Gargano Tarantella to the Salento Pizzica" will be held. Throughout the days, the "Rocco Draicchio Prize" photo contest, dedicated to the memory of the founder, will be open. The festival presidency is held by Mario Draicchio.

A free and participatory event

All concerts in Piazza del Popolo and Piazzetta Padre Pio are free of charge, in line with the festival's popular and community spirit. Carpino, with its renowned fava beans and extra virgin olive oil, also offers visitors an experience that combines music, gastronomy, and landscape in the municipality of Carpino, Puglia.