NIGHTLIFE AND FOLCLORE

Gibò Disco Club and Restaurant (Ciolo location): Awarded as the most beautiful location in Italy, Gibò is an exclusive and elegant club that provides excitement and fun during the long summer nights in Salento. Renowned artists and DJs perform here until dawn, facing the power of the first rays of sunlight.
Remember that the nightlife scene may vary depending on the season and special events, so it’s always a good idea to check ongoing events or parties organized by the venues before planning an evening out.
For lovers of folklore and popular traditions, here are the festivals, festive events that celebrate local culture, traditional cuisine, and often have their roots in religion or ancient agricultural customs.
The patron Saint’s festival of San Rocco in Torrepaduli with the “dance of knives” from sunset on August 15th to dawn on the 16th, near the sanctuary dedicated to the patron saint, is a complex and evocative ritual that involves a “duel” between dancers, ready to challenge each other as if wielding knives, accompanied by the sound of tambourines and mouth
harmonicas. Tourists form a circle around the musicians and dancers, while members of the audience take turns replacing the dueling participants. Among the main rules to be respected during the fight, it is crucial never to turn one’s back on the other, always be vigilant, and maintain the right distances.
Taranta, tarantella, or pizzica tarantata. The tarantella, on the other hand, has its roots in religious belief, which is common to many Southern Italian realities, albeit with some differences in rhythm, dance steps, and chosen musical instruments. In Salento, once again, the main protagonist of these music forms is the tambourine. One of the focal points of local tarantism is Galatina, near Lecce, where until a few years ago, on June 29th, the “tarantati,” those who had been bitten by the poisonous tarantula, were brought to obtain healing through the water contained in the well of the small chapel dedicated to Saint Paul. The most important event of the year, originating from the phenomenon of tarantism but evolving over time to include numerous musical influences, is The Night of the Taranta in Melpignano. It blends Salento folk songs and international rhythms, with significant special guests. Before the final concert, which takes place in the last days of August, the squares of the main towns host a series of
itinerant pizzica shows, especially in the territory of the socalled “Grecìa Salentina,” an ancient Greek colony.