Platypus Festival

A festival that defies categorization

The Platypus Festival is one of the most original cultural offerings in Alberobello, in the province of Bari, in the heart of the Apulian Itria Valley. The name says it all: the platypus is an animal that defies classification, capable of combining characteristics of different species. Similarly, the festival mixes genres, styles, and artistic disciplines into a single event, with the ambition of breaking the mold of traditional local festivals and offering the Apulian scene an experimental and ever-evolving format.

Contemporary music and art among the trulli

Conceived and organized by Platypus APS, a collective of young people from Alberobello, the festival weaves together electroacoustic music, sound and visual installations, multidisciplinary performances, contemporary dance, and poetry slams. The underlying idea is to bring contemporary language into the historic center of the city, among the famous trulli inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996, while fostering the return and promotion of local young talent.

A widespread formula in the historic center

Platypus adopts a "widespread" formula: artists and venues change each day, transforming the city into an open-air stage. In past editions, performances have animated symbolic spaces such as the Belvedere Santa Lucia, Largo Martellotta, Villa Belvedere, and the Trullo Sovrano, the only two-story trullo in the city. Artistic installations accompany the public throughout the festival, while concerts, electroacoustic poems, and poetry slams punctuate the evenings.

From 2024 to today

The first edition was held on September 6th and 7th, 2024, at Villa Donnaloja; the second, from July 10th to 12th, 2025, solidified the festival as a summer staple. In 2026, Platypus returns on July 17th and 18th, included in the rich "We Are in Trulli – Summer Edition '26" program, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of Alberobello's UNESCO inscription, with over one hundred events distributed from June to October throughout the municipality and the Metropolitan City of Bari.

Who it is for

Platypus is aimed at those who love contemporary art, sound research, and experimental languages, but also at those who want to discover Alberobello in a new light, far from the most beaten tourist paths. With free admission, it is an opportunity to experience an authentic and creative Puglia, where tradition and experimentation dialogue among the stones of the trulli.