Waiting for Santa Maria – Music Festival

Music that heralds the feast

In Lucera, a city of art in the Province of Foggia in the heart of the Capitanata, summer begins with Waiting for Santa Maria – Music Festival, the event that marks the first act of the long journey toward the Patronal Feast of Santa Maria Assunta, celebrated during the triduum of August 14th, 15th, and 16th. The initiative, promoted by the Lucera Patronal Feast Committee, takes place in conjunction with the European Music Festival on June 21st, transforming the historic center into a stage for devotion, tradition, and community participation.

Two evenings in the Bishop's Palace courtyard

The heart of the event beats in the courtyard of the Bishop's Palace, next to the Cathedral and Piazza Duomo, providing an ideal setting for the two evenings that make up the festival. The program is divided into two distinct yet complementary appointments, both starting at 8:00 PM with free admission.

• Cori in Coro: the section dedicated to choral, sacred, and folk music, uniting different generations around the voices of the Diocese of Lucera-Troia.
• Bande in Festa: a tribute to the great Apulian band tradition, featuring an evening concert by the city band.

The voices of the places

The protagonists of the festival are the local choral and band ensembles: the Corale Santa Cecilia – don Eduardo Di Giovine of Lucera and the Corale Santa Cecilia of Castelnuovo della Daunia for the choral portion, and the Banda di Lucera for the band evening. The repertoire ranges from sacred music to folk songs, from classics of the band tradition to the most beloved pages of choral music, in an interweaving of identity and memory that gives voice to the places and the community.

A ritual that renews the city's identity

More than just a concert, Waiting for Santa Maria is a collective ritual through which Lucera prepares for its most heartfelt celebration. The festival accompanies citizens and visitors on a journey of music, faith, and tradition, inviting everyone to "walk together" and rediscover their shared cultural identity through local musical heritage. For those visiting Puglia in the summer, it is an opportunity to discover the medieval historic center of Lucera, its Gothic Cathedral, and the intimate atmosphere of the Bishop's Palace as the city gradually enters the spirit of the patronal feast.