Putignano Comedy Festival

The Putignano Comedy Festival

The Putignano Comedy Festival is an immersive stand-up comedy event that enlivens the historic centre of Putignano, in the heart of the Bari province, Puglia. Launched in 2025, the initiative features an original format: rather than concentrating performances on a single stage, it distributes comedians across multiple locations in the old town, turning squares, piazzas, and narrow alleys into intimate, open-air theatres.

A roaming, participatory format

The audience experiences the evening by wandering between the various locations in the historic centre. Performances take place simultaneously, and after the first round, the artists rotate between stations. This allows every spectator to catch multiple sets throughout the evening, changing comedians and atmosphere simply by strolling through the alleys. The six venues for the inaugural edition included Largo Fralleone, Piazza San Stefano Piccolo, Piazzetta Santa Lucia, Slargo di Via Castello, Slargo SS. Medici, and Spiazzo di Via Bruni.

Showcasing Apulian comedy

At the heart of the festival is the local stand-up scene, with collectives and comedians delivering direct, ironic, and often dialect-infused humour that captures the essence of Puglia and its people with lightness and self-deprecation. Alongside local talent, the festival also hosts guests from the national comedy circuit, fostering a continuous dialogue between emerging voices and established names in the genre.

Putignano, the City of Carnival

Putignano is famous throughout Italy for its historic Carnival, one of the oldest in Europe, but the city knows how to reinvent its spaces during the warmer months as well. With the Putignano Comedy Festival, the historic centre becomes a stage for contemporary comedy that celebrates the town's urban heritage, offering residents and visitors a chance for free entertainment and socialising on summer evenings.

A free event for everyone

The festival is promoted by the Consorzio I MAKE and the Associazione PrisciARCI, with the support of the City of Putignano. Access to all performances is completely free: a project designed to bring live culture back to the people, within the everyday spaces of the town, and to grow a community of live comedy enthusiasts throughout the south-east Bari area.