Monopolele, the ukulele festival will return once again to Monopoli from 28 May- to 1 June.
Concerts, workshops, jam sessions and street performances
Italy’s most important ukulele festival, and one of the most renowned around the world, won the jury prize at the Ukies 2025 (Anarchy in the Ukulele Awards) for Best Festival worldwide. And Monopoli will once again host the event for five days, with the picturesque Apulian village transformed into an open-air musical stage. Visitors will also appreciate its how Baroque squares, ancient harbour, deconsecrated churches and cloisters will be used as venues for concerts, workshops, night-time jam sessions and street performances.
ph.Valerie Tristan
Artists from all over the world
Among the new features of this edition is the introduction of four consecutive outdoor night-time jam sessions led by international ensembles: the Ankara Ukulele Big Band, Ukulele Tuesday from Dublin, and a group from Galway. The programme features artists from all over the world, including six-time Grammy Award winner Daniel Ho. The festival will open on Thursday at Porto Vecchio, whilst the evening concerts will take place in Piazza Palmieri. The Church of San Pietro will host the Sound Embraces concerts, featuring Arlo Anwin, Paolo Damiani and Strade Aperte.
Ukulele Tuesday
A youth orchestra from Cuba
This fifth edition will also feature a musical collaboration between Italy and Cuba. On Friday afternoon in the Cathedral Square, around a hundred young musicians from schools in Monopoli, Bari and Sulmona will perform alongside Son de Sol, a youth orchestra from Cuba, which will be among the headliners at Monday evening’s Grand Finale in Piazza XX Settembre, alongside Erica Mou and the other artists. Admission to all main events is free, which means that no booking is required. The street performances are open to anyone who wants to play, and the nightly open-air jam sessions welcome both professionals and amateurs. A music festival that welcomes talents of all ages and all qualifications!
