MONOPOLELE 2026
The Ukulele Event of the Year
Monopolele Mediterranean Ukulele Fest is held every year in the charming coastal town of Monopoli, in Puglia, Southern Italy. Five days — from Thursday 28 May to Monday 1 June 2026 — of live concerts, workshops, jam sessions, street performances and one-of-a-kind musical encounters under the southern sky. Musicians and ukulele enthusiasts from across Europe and beyond come together to celebrate a small instrument with an enormous heart. The festival atmosphere perfectly captures the spirit of Monopoli: warm, open, and impossible to forget. Almost all events are free. No admittance fee. No need to book in advance — just show up and join in.
Evening concerts
The beating heart of Monopolele is its evening concerts, and in 2026 there are more of them than ever. The festival opens on Thursday night with a concert full of energy and surprise, then continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Piazza Palmieri — one of Puglia’s most beautiful outdoor venues — with artists from across Europe and beyond. Every evening brings a different mood: from the intimate and experimental to the euphoric and danceable, from Grammy-winning fingerstyle to Irish collective energy. The best ukulele performers in the world are coming to Monopoli. Come and be part of it.
Late Night Jam Sessions
As usual in Monopolele’s history, every evening of the festival ends the same way: with a late-night jam session at Caffè Mezzopieno, under the open sky. Four nights, four sessions — Thursday through Sunday — starting around 10:30 PM. Each night is led by a different group from the international ukulele world but you can apply as well to lead the jam. Lyrics and chords are projected on screen until around 12:30 AM, then the night goes unplugged. Whether you pick up a ukulele for the first time or you’ve been playing for years, this is your space. Bring your instrument. Or just your voice. Or just yourself.
Sound Embraces
Three intimate concerts in one of Monopoli’s most beautiful hidden spaces: the ancient Chiesa di San Pietro. These are the Sound Embraces — moments where music steps out of the festival’s main stages and into something quieter, more personal, more unexpected. Saturday evening brings together sound artist Arlo Anwin and double bassist Paolo Damiani for an immersive encounter between loop, texture and improvisation. Sunday afternoon sees Strade Aperte — already beloved by the Monopolele community — return with their world of recycled sounds and circular rhythms, again alongside Paolo Damiani. And on Monday, the special performance “Specchi” transforms the church into a stage for dancers, movement and the extraordinary ukulele of Daniel Ho. Free entry. No booking required. Just arrive early — these fill up fast.
Workshops
Want to go deeper? Throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday, thematic workshops take place at the Chiostro di San Martino — each one led by one of the festival’s performing artists. Fingerstyle, jazz, composition, technique: these are focused, hands-on sessions for players who want to learn directly from the masters. Places are limited and registration is required. Find the full list and sign up on the workshops page.
Street performances
Six times across three days, the streets and squares of Monopoli’s old town become the stage. From Largo Garibaldi on Friday to Piazza Garibaldi on Saturday and Largo Castello on Sunday, artists of all backgrounds and skill levels take a turn in the spotlight — 90 minutes of spontaneous music in some of the most beautiful corners of the city. You don’t need to be a virtuoso. You need a ukulele, ten minutes of material, and the courage to play outside. Want to perform? Head over to Play at the Fest to find out how.
Young musicians
One of the most moving moments of the festival has nothing to do with virtuosity or world-famous artists. Every year, Monopolele opens its stages to the youngest players — and 2026 is no exception. On Friday afternoon at the Sagrato della Cattedrale, nearly a hundred students from three Italian schools — in Monopoli, Bari and Sulmona — take the stage together, joined by a class travelling all the way from Cuba. Ukuleles in hand, they’ll play together for the city: a simple, powerful message about harmony, music and peace sent out in a few bright notes by the generation that will inherit the world. Free. Unmissable.
Daily activities at Santa Maria Amalfitana
Never picked up a ukulele in your life but always wondered what the fuss is about? Join us at Santa Maria Amalfitana — the festival’s home base — for completely free Ukulele 101 lessons, available every day of the fest. We’ll lend you the instrument. No experience needed, no booking required — just walk in and start strumming. Santa Maria Amalfitana also hosts an exhibition of fine instruments from leading vendors, and a few more surprises waiting to be discovered in person. The HQ opens Thursday at 2 PM.
Grand Finale
Monday 1 June is not an afterthought — it’s a whole day of its own. It starts gently at noon with Italian UkePostcards, an open-air aperitivo concert with three ambassadors of the Italian ukulele scene: Ukulollo, Vincenzo Vona and Alessandro Pedroni. In the afternoon, the Sound Embraces series closes with “Specchi” — a choreographic performance at Chiesa di San Pietro with Daniel Ho. Then, as the sun goes down, the whole city gathers for the grand finale at Piazza XX settembre. What happens that night? Check the program when the time comes. Let’s just say: don’t leave before Monday.