Porretta Soul Festival 2025

In this 37th edition, the link with the city of Memphis is further consolidated: once again this year, the Porretta Terme music festival will host the Memphis Music Hall of Fame Band, directed by Kurt Clayton, bringing the authentic spirit of American soul to the stage.

Since 1988, the festival has become the most prestigious European event entirely dedicated to soul and rhythm & blues music, with a special focus on the Memphis Sound. Born on the initiative of Graziano Uliani, a soul music enthusiast, the festival came to life after his participation in the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of Otis Redding's death in Macon, Georgia. He came up with the idea of creating an event in his honour, which has been passionately celebrating this musical tradition for over thirty years. 

Over the course of time, Porretta has hosted some of the biggest names in soul music: many arrived in Europe for the first time thanks to the festival, others - authentic legends - were rediscovered in small towns in the “deep south” of the United States and re-launched before an international audience. The press has often spoken of the “miracle of Porretta” as one of the most authentic musical events of recent decades.

The festival has thus rewritten the geography of black music worldwide, gaining prominence in the panorama of international events. This recognition is also reflected in music encyclopaedias and official biographies of the great soul performers, culminating in a place of honour in the prestigious Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis.

For more information on programming and ticket purchasing please visit the official website.