La Notte della Taranta – Galatone Stage
The traveling pizzica festival of Salento in Piazza San Sebastiano
About Notte della Taranta in Galatone
La Notte della Taranta in Galatone
Every August, the La Notte della Taranta Traveling Festival tours the towns of Salento, bringing pizzica and traditional Salento music to the public squares. One of the most anticipated stops is Galatone, a town in the province of Lecce in the heart of the Salento region of Puglia, where the stage is set up in Piazza San Sebastiano, right in the town center.
An evening of pizzica and dance
The program in Galatone blends the various facets of Salento's folk culture. The evening kicks off with a dance school led by the festival's dancers, who invite the audience to learn the steps of the pizzica, turning the square into a massive collective celebration. Alongside the workshops, there are dance-theater performances inspired by research into traditional folk rituals, leading up to the grand finale: a concert by the La Notte della Taranta Popular Orchestra. This musical ensemble, established by the Foundation in 2004, consists of pizzica musicians from across Salento.
The traveling festival and the grand finale
Founded in 1998, La Notte della Taranta is now the largest festival dedicated to Mediterranean folk music. The Traveling Festival visits about twenty Salento towns throughout the summer, culminating in the famous Grand Concert in Melpignano, directed each year by a different Maestro Concertatore. The Galatone stage is part of this long folk narrative, offering an authentic taste of tradition before the grand finale in the square of the former Augustinian Convent.
A free, popular event
The Galatone stage is free to enter and open to everyone: a community festival that unites residents, tourists, and travelers from all over Italy and abroad to experience the unique atmosphere of these pizzica nights. The Municipality of Galatone, which includes the event in its summer calendar, works alongside the La Notte della Taranta Foundation to keep alive a tradition that represents the identity, memory, and spectacle of Salento.
Notte della Taranta in Galatone — edition 2026
The Galatone stop of the Traveling Festival is scheduled for Friday, August 7, 2026, as one of the twenty evenings touring the towns of Salento. The 2026 edition, the 29th, is led by Maestro Concertatore Ermal Meta and is inspired by the theme of the Mediterranean as a meeting place for peoples and cultures.
The grand final concert will take place on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in Melpignano, on the grounds of the former Augustinian Convent. The specific program for the Galatone evening, including the artists and performances hosted in Piazza San Sebastiano, will be released by the La Notte della Taranta Foundation closer to the event date. Admission to the stop is traditionally free.
Prices Notte della Taranta in Galatone 2026
Practical information — Notte della Taranta in Galatone
Location
Piazza San Sebastiano, center of Galatone (LE), Puglia.
How to get there
By car: Galatone is accessible via provincial roads connecting Lecce, Nardò, and Gallipoli; parking is available near the town center. By train: Galatone station on the Ferrovie del Sud Est line. Nearest airport: Brindisi-Salento.
Admission
Free. The event takes place outdoors; arriving early is recommended to secure a spot.
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Where does it take place — Notte della Taranta in Galatone
Piazza San Sebastiano