UPDATE: Find the ukulele festivals in 2013 here.
No shortage of ukulele festivals lined up this year. Here’s a preliminary list. If there’s any I’ve missed leave a comment or send me a message.
United States of America and Canada
Ukulele Melee
Location: Decordova Museum and Sculpture Park
51 Sandy Pond Road Lincoln, MA
Date: July 28, 2011, 5:00 PM
Performers: TBA
Website: http://www.bostonuke.com/events/23593621/
Local Amenities: Map
Mighty MO Ukulele Festival
Location: New Haven, MO
Date: May 13 – 14, 2011
Performers: The Flea Bitten Dawgs, Victoria Vox & Katie Chambers
Website: http://www.mightymoukefest.com/
Local Amenities: Map
2011 Tampa Bay Ukulele Getaway
Location: Tampa Bay
Date: November 4 to 6, 2011
Performers: Tripping Lily, Holland Greco, Jen Kwok, Taimane Gardner.
Website: http://www.tampabayukulele.com/
Local Amenities: Map
New York Uke Fest 2011
Location: The Ailey Citigroup Theater and Studios, The Joan Weill Center for Dance, 405 W 55th St at 9th Ave., New York, NY 10019
Date: May 5-7, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://www.nyukefest.com/home.cfm
Local Amenities: Map
Gorge Uke Fest ’11
Location: Hood River, OR
Date: March 4 – 5, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://www.gorgeukuleles.org/
Local Amenities: Map
Lone Star Uke Fest 2011
Location: Dallas, Texas
Date: April 7 – 9, 2011
Performers: Kimo Hussey, Mike Lynch (Ukulele Mike), Gerald Ross, Michelle Kiba, Ukulele Bartt, Pops Bayless, The Wahooligans, Mark “Spanky” Guiterrez, Dennis McBride
Website: http://www.lonestarukefest.com/
Local Amenities: Map
Reno – Tahoe Uke Fest
Location: John Ascuaga’s Nugget, Spark, Nevada
Date: March 18 – 20, 2011
Performers: Daniel Ho, Kris Fuchigami, Victoria Vox, Boulder Acoustic Society, Matt Dahlberg, Ralph Shaw
Website: http://www.playuke.net/
Local Amenities: Map
Ukulele Festival of Northern California
Location: Chabot Junior College Performing Arts Center
Date: April 3, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://www.ukulelefestivalnorcal.org
Local Amenities: Map
Ukulele Hoopla
Location: River City Omaha, NE, USA
Date: September 24, 2011
Performers: Kimo Hussey, Pops Bayless, Brook Adams, Rebecca Lowry, Mark ‘Spanky’ Gutierrez, Heather Hooton
Website: http://www.ukehoopla.webs.com/
Local Amenities: Map
Ukulele World Congress
Location: Needmore, Indiana
Date: June 3 – 4, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://ukuleleworldcongress.wordpress.com/
Local Amenities: Map
Vancouver Ukulele Festival
Location: Vancouver Live Sound
Date: March 25th – 27th 2011
Performers: Jim D’Ville, Ralph Shaw, Guido Heistek, Black Gardenia (Daphne Roubini & Andrew Smith), The Ukesters and Ruby’s Ukers
Website: http://rubysukes.vpweb.ca/
Local Amenities: Map
West Coast ‘Ukulele Retreat
Location: Asilomar, Monterey Peninsula, CA
Date: May 18 – 22, 2011
Performers: Brook Adams, Andy Andrews, Mike DaSilva, Jim D’Ville, Dave Egan, James Hill, Gerald Ross, Del Rey
Website: http://winecountryukefest.com/
Local Amenities: Map
Wine Country ‘Ukulele Festival
Location: Wine Country, CA
Date: Sept. 9, 10, & 11, 2011
Performers: Aaron Keim, Brook Adams, Faith Ako, Gerald Ross, Jim D’Ville, Ken Middleton, Mandalyn May, Li’l Rev, Steven Espaniola, and many more!
Website: http://winecountryukefest.com/
Local Amenities: Map
Hawaii
41st Annual Ukulele Festival
Location: Kapiolani Park Bandstand in Waikiki, Oahu
Date: July 17, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://www.ukulelefestivalhawaii.org/en/oahu/index.htm
Local Amenities: Map
11th Annual Waikoloa Ukulele Festival
Location: Queen’s Marketplace in Waikoloa
Date: March 5, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://www.ukulelefestivalhawaii.org/en/waikoloa.htm
Local Amenities: Map
6th Annual Maui Ukulele Festival
Location: Maui Arts & Cultural Center – Kahului, Maui
Date: October 16, 2011
Performers: Herb Ohta Sr. (Ohta-San), Jake Shimabukuro, Holunape, Raiatea Helm, Manoa DNA, Paula Fuga, Richard Ho’opi’i, Brittni Paiva, Kelly Boy Delima, Derek Sebastian
Website: http://www.ukulelefestivalhawaii.org/en/maui.htm
Local Amenities: Map
United Kingdom and Ireland
Ukulele Festival of Great Britain 2011
Location: Town Hall, Cheltenham
Date: June 17 – 19, 2011
Performers: James Hill, Ukulele Bartt, The Re-entrants, Hot Potato Syncopators, Nico’o, Steven Sproat, The Anything Goes Orchestra, Krabbers, Ukulollo, Gabrielle Sproat, Paul Moore
Website: http://www.ukulelefestival.co.uk/Home.aspx
Local Amenities: Map
Hollesley 2011
Location: Alderton Road Hollesley, Woodbridge, UK
Date: July 22-25, 2011
Performers:
Website:
Local Amenities: Map
Extalgic Festival
Location: Hainault Forest Country Park, London, UK
Date: July 8-10, 2011
Performers:
Website: http://extalgic.com/about.php
Local Amenities: Map
Ukulele Hooley by the Sea ’11
Location: People’s Park, Dún Laoghaire, Ireland
Date: 20/21 August 2011
Performers:
Website: UkuleleHooley.com
Europe
Festival Belgium Mei
Location: Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Date: Saturday, May 28 at 8:00pm – May 29 at 8:00pm
Performers: Winin’ Boys, The Original Redcats and THE HULA BLUEBIRDS feat. multi-instrumentalist Martin Wheatley
Website:
Local Amenities: Map
Festival International de Ukulele de Lerrain
Location: Lerrain
Date: June 17 – 19, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://fiul.weebly.com/le-programme.html
Local Amenities: Map
Youkulele – Roma Ukulele Festival 2011
Location: Centro di Cultura Ecologica inside V Municipio
Date: September 23-24, 2011
Performers: Aldrine Guerrero, Adriano Bono & La Minima Orchestra, Jontom, Ukulelezaza, Enrico Farnedi, Shelley O’Brien, Danilo Vignola, U.K.E, Quote Latte Boys, Paul Moore, Matta Ukulele Ochestra
Website: http://festival.youkulele.com
Local Amenities: Map
Ukulele Boudoir! Le festival
Location: Les Trois Baudets : 64 boulevard de Clichy 75018 Paris-France
Date: 15 – 16 April 2011
Performers: James Hill, Les Chauds Lapins, April Shower and more.
Website: festival.ukuleleboudoir.com and ukuleleboudoir.com
Local Amenities: Map
3rd Belgian Ukulele Festival
Location: Stadspark, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Date: Saturday, May 28 at 8:00pm – May 29 at 8:00pm
Performers: Winin’ Boys, Herman Vandecauter, Hula Bluebirds
Website: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189895931037374
Local Amenities: Map
The Ukulele Hotspot Winterswijk
Location: Emma School, Vredenseweg 170, 7113 AE Winterswijk (near Bocholt / Germany)
Date: June 3 – 5, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://www.kleinleed.nl/hotspot/hotspotwinterswijk2011.html
Local Amenities: Map
Ukefesta
Location: l’Ateneu Popular de Nou Barris, Barcelona, Spain.
Date: April 1, 2011
Performers: TBA
Website: http://ukefesta.com/en/
Local Amenities: Map
Australia and New Zealand
Cairns Ukulele Festival 2011
Location: Cairns
Date: July 1-3, 2011
Performers: Daniel Ho, Sweet Hollywaiians, IWAO, Shigeto Takahashi
Website: http://cairnsukulelefestival.net/
Local Amenities: Map
Katikati Ukulele Festival 2011
Location: Katikati, New Zealand
Date: April 2, 2011
Performers: Big Muffin Serious Band from Te Pahu
Website: http://www.culturevulture.co.nz/blog/ukulele/festivals-events/katikati-ukulele-festival-2011/
Local Amenities: Map
The Melbourne Ukulele Festival 2011
Location: The Thornbury Theatre and the Northcote Uniting Church
Date: February 25th – March 1st, 2011
Performers: Bosko and Honey, Ukulelezaza, Jontom, Uni and Her Ukelele, Shelley O’Brien, Paul Moore, Dino Divo.
Website: http://www.muk.com.au
Local Amenities: Map
Asia
Location: Thailand Ukulele Festival 2011
Date: March 12-13, 2011
Performers: Abe Lagrimas, Aldrine Guerrero, IWAO, Julia Nunes, Shigeto Takahashi.
Website: http://www.thailandukulelefestival.com/
I keep getting emails from the London Uke fest about name changes and what have you, I believe now it’s not even a ukulele festival it’s “All Instruments Wahey Fest” which sounds even more dumb than “UkeyLove”. And LeFiul keep stalking me so I’m kinda scared of them.
Don’t forget about Ukuhooley 2011 either :P