La Notte della Taranta – Nardò Stop
The traveling festival of Salento pizzica music in the historic center of Nardò
About Notte della Taranta in Nardò
La Notte della Taranta in Nardò
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 Nardò, a significant art city in the province of Lecce, in the heart of Salento, Puglia. The stage is set in the historic center along Via Grassi, just steps away from the city's baroque squares.
An Evening of Pizzica and Dance
The Nardò program showcases the diverse facets of Salento's folk culture. The evening typically opens with a dance workshop led by the festival's dancers, who teach the public the steps of the pizzica, turning the street into a collective celebration. Alongside the workshops, concerts and performances weave together Salento tradition with Mediterranean sounds, culminating in a grand finale by the La Notte della Taranta Popular Orchestra—a musical ensemble founded in 2004, composed of pizzica musicians from across Salento.
The Traveling Festival and the Grand Concert
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 Nardò stop is a key part of this cultural journey, offering an authentic taste of tradition before the grand finale at the former Agostiniani Convent.
Nardò, a Baroque City in Salento
Hosting the Taranta is an opportunity for the Municipality of Nardò to showcase its stunning historic center, one of the most beautiful in Salento. Piazza Salandra, with its Immaculate Spire, baroque churches, and noble palaces, provides the perfect backdrop for an evening that celebrates entertainment, identity, and heritage. The event is part of the Nardò Estate summer calendar, alongside other festivities animating the city and its seaside districts of Santa Maria al Bagno and Santa Caterina.
A Free and Popular Event
The Nardò stop is free to attend and open to everyone: a community celebration uniting residents, tourists, and travelers from all over Italy and abroad to experience the unique atmosphere of these pizzica nights. Together with the La Notte della Taranta Foundation, the city helps keep alive a tradition that embodies the identity, memory, and spectacle of Salento.
Notte della Taranta in Nardò — edition 2026
The Nardò stop of the Traveling Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 8, 2026, among the approximately twenty evenings touring Salento towns between July 30 and August 19. The 29th edition is led by Maestro Concertatore Ermal Meta and is inspired by the theme "The Paths of the Mediterranean," celebrating the sea as a place of encounter between peoples and cultures.
The grand final concert will take place on Saturday, August 22, 2026, in Melpignano, on the grounds of the former Agostiniani Convent. The specific program for the Nardò evening, including the artists and performances hosted in the historic center, will be announced by the La Notte della Taranta Foundation closer to the event date. Admission to the stop is traditionally free.
Prices Notte della Taranta in Nardò 2026
Practical information — Notte della Taranta in Nardò
Location
Via Grassi, historic center of Nardò (LE), Puglia, a short distance from Piazza Salandra.
Getting There
By car: Nardò is accessible via the SS101 Lecce-Gallipoli road and provincial roads connecting it to Lecce, Galatone, and Gallipoli; parking is available on the outskirts of the center. By train: Nardò Città 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 Nardò
Via Grassi (centro storico)