La Notte della Taranta - Ugento Stage

La Notte della Taranta in Ugento

Every summer, Salento becomes the stage for one of Italy's most renowned folk events: La Notte della Taranta. Before the famous mega-concert in Melpignano, the Foundation takes its music from town to town with its Traveling Festival. In Ugento, in the Province of Lecce, one of the most heartfelt stops in lower Salento has become a staple, held in a square overlooking the Cathedral.

Pizzica and Salento tradition

The heart of the evening is pizzica, the ancient Salento dance that originated as a healing ritual for the bite of the 'taranta' spider and has since become a symbol of collective identity and celebration. On stage, folk orchestras, singers, and dancers take turns, while in Piazza Duomo, the audience learns and repeats the steps of the traditional dance, guided by the masters of the Taranta Dance School. The hypnotic sound of the tambourine, violin, and accordion accompanies the community late into the night, weaving together peasant memory and new sounds.

The Traveling Festival

The Ugento stop is part of the widespread program of the La Notte della Taranta Foundation, which every August crosses about twenty squares in Salento with free performances, from Grecìa Salentina to the tip of Leuca. In Ugento, the evening comes to life in Piazza Duomo, the heart of the historic center dominated by the Cathedral and the Castello dei Principi d'Amore, often intertwining with local gastronomic traditions, such as the historic Sagra te Ciciri e Tria. The event combines the Foundation's major musical projects with local Salento groups, offering a vivid and plural portrait of Apulian folk music.

A defining event for Salento

More than just a concert, the Notte della Taranta in Ugento is a moment of gathering for the entire community and the many visitors who reach this stretch of the Ionian coast in summer, between Torre San Giovanni and the Ugento marinas. Families, young people, and curious travelers meet in the square to dance, listen, and share a tradition that the town of Ugento preserves and renews every year.

The 2026 edition

For 2026, the Ugento stop is confirmed for Tuesday, August 11, as part of the 29th edition of the festival, which features Ermal Meta as the master concert conductor and the Mediterranean as its central theme. The final mega-concert will be held on August 22, 2026, in Melpignano. The detailed program for the Ugento evening, featuring orchestras and traditional Salento folk groups, is usually released by the Foundation in the weeks leading up to the event.