Napoli Blues Festival
Three nights of blues, jazz, and musical fusion in the Parco dei Quartieri Spagnoli
About Napoli Blues
Blues in the heart of the Quartieri Spagnoli
The Napoli Blues Festival is one of the longest-running music events in the capital of Campania: every summer, it brings blues, jazz, and international sounds to the city's vibrant heart, among the narrow alleys of the Quartieri Spagnoli. The stage is set up in the Parco dei Quartieri Spagnoli, the green space created within the former Trinità delle Monache Military Hospital, now the La Santissima community hub, in the Montecalvario district of the Municipality of Naples.
An event born in 1999
Founded in 1999 and curated by the cultural association Musica dal Mondo, the festival is promoted and co-funded by the Municipality of Naples as part of the city's cultural program. Over the years, the festival stage has hosted international legends such as John Mayall, Eric Burdon, Mick Taylor, Al Di Meola, and John McLaughlin: a lineup that has never settled for a local scale, establishing Naples as a recognized stop on the Italian blues circuit.
Blues as a universal language
The core concept of the project is simple: the blues is a culture of travel, a language that crosses oceans and generations. Naples, a port city and a historic crossroads of sounds, thus becomes a hub for exchange between African American tradition and Neapolitan heritage. The festival highlights this historical bond between the city and overseas sounds, which have found fertile ground here since the post-war period and continue to nourish the Campanian music scene.
More than just concerts: talks and workshops
Each day of the festival goes beyond the evening concert. In the late afternoon, the spaces of La Santissima host free workshops and talks dedicated to music history and sonic fusion. These are informative yet curated meetings, led by musicians and scholars, exploring the journey from plantations to the stage, the relationship between dialect and spirituality, and the revolution of Neapolitan blues. This approach gives the festival a cultural profile that extends beyond mere performance.
- Evening concerts at 9:00 PM in the open-air park
- Afternoon talks and workshops with free admission until capacity is reached
- Lineup alternating international artists and Neapolitan projects
- Constant focus on the memory of Pino Daniele and Mediterranean blues
- Open-air location in a public space returned to the neighborhood
Pino Daniele and Neapolitan blues
A recurring chapter of the festival is the tribute to Pino Daniele, the musician who, more than any other, blended blues, rock, jazz, and Neapolitan tradition, creating a language recognized worldwide. The festival retraces his legacy through ensemble projects featuring musicians who played alongside him and through in-depth discussions on his impact, because telling the story of the blues in Naples inevitably means starting there.
A neighborhood and city festival
The choice of location is no accident. The Quartieri Spagnoli is one of the densest and most vital areas of Naples, and the park of the former Military Hospital represents a public space reclaimed by the city after years of neglect. Bringing three nights of live music here means returning the festival to the local community, as well as to visitors traveling to Campania in the summer. The audience is diverse and cross-generational: blues enthusiasts, families, young people, and tourists who discover an unexpected green corner just a few steps from Via Toledo.
Napoli Blues — edition 2026
The thirteenth edition
From July 17th to 19th, 2026, the Parco dei Quartieri Spagnoli hosted the thirteenth edition of the Napoli Blues Festival, promoted and co-funded by the Municipality of Naples and organized by the cultural association Musica dal Mondo. Three evenings, three concerts at 9:00 PM, and three free meetings in the late afternoon: a well-established formula built around the blues as a universal language.
The guests
The event opened with Eric B. Turner, featuring an energetic repertoire where blues meets soul and contemporary sounds. The second evening was dedicated to Blues for Pino, an ensemble production that reinterpreted Pino Daniele's repertoire through blues and jazz with Gigi De Rienzo, Ernesto Vitolo, Lele Melotti, Rosario Jermano, and Osvaldo Di Dio. The closing night featured Ray Gelato & The Giants, blending swing, jump blues, and great stage presence.
Talks and workshops
Every afternoon, in the spaces of La Santissima, free meetings were held on the history of music: from the journey of jazz from the plantations to the stage, to the revolution of Neapolitan blues signed by Pino Daniele, and the relationship between the sacred, the profane, and the mother tongue in blues singing.
Programme Napoli Blues 2026
Friday, July 17th, 2026
- 7:00 PM - free talk Jazz Story: from plantations to the stage, by Lino Volpe
- 9:00 PM - concert by Eric B. Turner, blending blues, soul, and contemporary sounds
Saturday, July 18th, 2026
- 7:00 PM - free talk Pino Daniele and the Neapolitan Blues revolution, hosted by Lino Vairetti
- 9:00 PM - Blues for Pino, ensemble tribute to Pino Daniele with Gigi De Rienzo, Ernesto Vitolo, Lele Melotti, Rosario Jermano, and Osvaldo Di Dio
Sunday, July 19th, 2026
- 7:00 PM - free talk The Blues of the soul: between sacred, profane, and mother tongue, by Lino Volpe
- 9:00 PM - Ray Gelato & The Giants, grand international finale between swing and jump blues
All events took place at the Parco dei Quartieri Spagnoli, in the La Santissima community hub of the former Trinità delle Monache Military Hospital.
Highlights Napoli Blues 2026
- Eric B. Turner opening on Friday, July 17th at 9:00 PM
- Blues for Pino, the ensemble production dedicated to Pino Daniele with some of the musicians who played alongside him
- Ray Gelato & The Giants closing the three-day event on Sunday, July 19th
- Three free talks at 7:00 PM on the history of blues and jazz
- Open-air concerts in the park of the former Military Hospital, one of the most evocative spaces in the Quartieri Spagnoli
Prices Napoli Blues 2026
Practical information — Napoli Blues
Location
Parco dei Quartieri Spagnoli, La Santissima Community Hub, former Trinità delle Monache Military Hospital, Vico Trinità delle Monache 1, 80134 Naples (Montecalvario district).
How to get there
The park is a few minutes' walk from Via Toledo. By metro: Line 1, Toledo or Dante stops. By funicular: Centrale, Corso Vittorio Emanuele or Augusteo stations. Those arriving by train at Napoli Centrale can reach the festival via Metro Line 1 in about twenty minutes. Driving is discouraged: traffic in the Quartieri Spagnoli is challenging and parking is nearly impossible.
Tickets
Evening concerts are ticketed, with presales managed by the Azzurro Service circuit. Afternoon workshops and talks are free until capacity is reached, with reservations recommended.
Practical tips
Performances are held outdoors: it is advisable to arrive early to secure a good spot. There are plenty of traditional trattorias, fry shops, and historic pizzerias nearby for dinner before the concert. July evenings are warm but breezy: a light sweater may still be useful late at night.
Contacts
Associazione culturale Musica dal Mondo, tel. +39 081 2486173 and +39 393 3325117, e-mail [email protected]
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Where does it take place — Napoli Blues
Parco dei Quartieri Spagnoli - La Santissima Community Hub (ex Ospedale Militare)
Vico Trinità delle Monache 1, 80134 Napoli