La Notte della Taranta – Martano Stage

La Notte della Taranta in Martano

Every summer, Salento transforms into one massive, open-air dance floor, and Martano, a town in the Grecìa Salentina area of the Lecce province, is one of its most anticipated stops. This is where La Notte della Taranta—Europe's largest traveling folk music festival—makes its mark, touring Salento's towns each year before culminating in the famous Concertone in Melpignano.

What is the traveling festival?

Founded in 1998 and organized by the La Notte della Taranta Foundation, this festival is much more than a concert: it is a collective ritual that revives pizzica pizzica, the ancient dance linked to the phenomenon of tarantism. For over two weeks between late July and August, the event brings music and dance to the squares of about twenty Salento towns. The Martano stage is traditionally one of the last in the circuit, just a few days before the final Concertone.

Music, tambourines, and trance

In the squares of Martano, the La Notte della Taranta Popular Orchestra, historic Salento music groups, and local bands take turns on stage. The hypnotic sound of tambourines, accordions, battente guitars, and voices singing in the Salento dialect accompany a crowd dancing non-stop to the pizzica, in an embrace between generations, residents, and visitors from all over Italy and abroad.

Beyond concerts: Taranta Talks

Alongside the musical performances, the evenings of La Notte della Taranta host Taranta Talks—meetings and debates with scholars, journalists, and musicians who delve into the roots and contemporary relevance of Salento folk music. It is a testament to a festival that combines street parties with cultural reflection on local traditions.

The Salento of Grecìa Salentina

Martano is one of the towns where Griko, the ancient Greek-origin language of Salento, still survives. Experiencing La Notte della Taranta here means immersing yourself in a territory with a powerful identity, defined by centuries-old olive trees, historic centers built in Lecce stone, and courtyards and squares that become the natural stage for pizzica in the summer. An unmissable, free event for those wanting to discover the most authentic soul of Puglia.