Notte della Taranta 2026 gathers 150,000 in Melpignano under Ermal Meta

Concert in Melpignano

The 29th edition of the Notte della Taranta concert took place on Saturday, 22 August 2026, in Melpignano, located in the Salento area of southern Italy. Organizers projected an attendance of 150,000 people across the square and lawn adjacent to the former Augustinian convent. Crowds arrived during the early afternoon carrying tambourines and wearing bandanas to dance to traditional pizzica rhythms. The concert was broadcast live on television across Italy on Rai 3 and distributed through the Eurovision network. Organizers also dedicated this edition to the Italian Festa della Repubblica and marked the 80th anniversary of women's voting rights in Italy.

Mediterranean themes and musical direction

Singer and composer Ermal Meta served as concertmaster for the 2026 edition, building the program around the theme of Mediterranean routes. His arrangements paired Salento folk pieces with syncopated, melancholic, and rock tempos, combining the Salentino, Griko, and Arbereshe dialects alongside Portuguese fado and urban pop. Meta described the Mediterranean Sea as a cultural force that gave Salento tradition an impure and unique identity through centuries of interaction. Fondazione La Notte della Taranta president Massimo Bray explained the goal of linking regional heritage with wider international issues.

I want to thank the Foundation for entrusting me with this task, which is a great responsibility but also an immense joy, and all the musicians of the Orchestra, who represent a history, a land, and deep bonds, which I imagine as the roots of an olive tree.

Original compositions and political commentary

During the performance, Meta introduced Nu simu nienti, an unreleased song written in the Salento dialect in collaboration with musician Claudio Prima. The piece expressed resilience against outside corporate powers and referenced protests over plans by the Trump family to convert the Albanian island of Sazan into a luxury resort. Meta stated that the song defends land belonging to everyday people against unnecessary destruction by powerful entities. He explained the collective philosophy behind the lyrics and the power of unified choral voices.

The sense starts from a simple thought: despite being nothing, together we can still do something. We see it in folk music and we see it in the union of people, because people together have an overwhelming strength. I always say that, if in a very large group we made each person sing individually, probably many would be out of tune; but when they all sing together they end up tuning in. The people, when united, can never be out of tune.

Guest performers and stage production

The production on the Melpignano stage combined traditional instruments with a diverse group of guest vocalists. The lineup included Italian singers Alessandra Amoroso, Levante, Maria Mazzotta, Sayf, and Giulia Vecchio, alongside Portuguese fado singer Gisela Joao. Urban artist Welo performed a rock rendition of the traditional track Core meu with the orchestra. Dancers accompanying the musical numbers performed choreographies designed by Fredy Franzutti throughout the open-air event.