Trend & Blues Festival

Two nights of blues under the Salento sky

The Trend & Blues Festival is one of the longest-running and most beloved musical events in Ruffano, a town in lower Salento in the province of Lecce. For over twenty years, at the end of July, the festival has brought two nights entirely dedicated to blues and its fusion with soul, funk, and rock to the historic center, attracting a loyal audience from all over southern Puglia.

Piazza Libertà, the city's natural stage

The heart of the event is Piazza Libertà, which transforms into a large open-air stage for two evenings. Concerts typically start around 9:00 PM, when the heat of the day gives way to the cool evening air and the square fills with residents and visitors. The atmosphere is typical of Salento summer festivals: informal, convivial, and open to everyone, with completely free admission.

A program featuring legends and rising stars

Since its first editions, the festival's formula has featured two artists or bands per night, alternating established protagonists of the Italian and international blues scene with young talents seeking visibility. Over the years, the festival has hosted guitarists, singers, and groups from all over Italy and abroad, ranging from classic electric blues to soul and rhythm and blues. The event has also paid tribute to the great masters of the genre on several occasions, confirming its educational and cultural vocation alongside its entertainment value.

A project by the Salento in Blues association

The organization is managed by the Salento in Blues association, which promotes African-American musical culture in the region, with the patronage of the Municipality of Ruffano. The festival represents an important part of the city's summer calendar and helps to showcase the historic center and local businesses, combining quality music with social engagement.

Ruffano and lower Salento

Located inland between Casarano, Ugento, and Specchia, Ruffano is a town in Puglia rich in history, with its castle, baroque churches, and typical Lecce stone architecture. Attending the Trend & Blues Festival is also an opportunity to discover this authentic corner of Salento, just a few kilometers from the Ionian and Adriatic beaches and the most famous villages in the area, amidst great music, local flavors, and Puglian hospitality.