8th Annual Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival

The Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival, presented by Kala Koa Entertainment, is an annual celebration of the small four-stringed wonder that has been captivating hearts and bringing musical joy into people’s lives for over 100 years. This unique, family-friendly festival includes workshops for all levels of playing ability and live all-star performances by some of today’s most popular ukulele players (included in admission).

The 8th annual Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival kicks off with a Luau Meet-and-Greet Friday, September 20; continues Saturday, September 21 with a full day of unlimited access to workshops for all levels, live performances throughout the day, play-alongs and presentations, all for one low, flat entrance fee; and concludes Sunday, September 22, with an afternoon concert featuring international ukulele star Feng E from Taiwan and the Langley Ukulele Ensemble from Vancouver BC (co-presented with the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation).

Come & learn to play ukulele - for FREE! There will be free classes for absolute beginners in the Nakano Theatre all day Saturday, along with demonstrations and prizes. Seats are first come, first served; attendees must bring their own ukulele (there will be a variety of entry-level instruments for sale as well). Classes with Bernadette are great for all ages; classes with Melanie will focus on seniors who want to get started playing ukulele.
 
Friday, September 20, 2024

VIP Luau Meet and Greet

Join us in the Ken Miller Recreation Center Auditorium for an evening of Hawaiian food, Kona coffee from the island of Hawaii, performances, mingling with festival artists, and prizes. Space is limited so grab your spot before they're gone!

Performances by

Timmy Cruz & Friends

Timmy + friends will jam on some tunes sure to delight! This San Diego native's got chops and will be fresh off his stint as a featured performer at the Berlin Ukulele Festival.

Sonia Wilson

Born and raised in Paris, UK-educated and now based in Auckland New Zealand, Sonia's music has taken her from the streets of Paris, across the Kenyan savannah and through remote Himalayan villages. She will be making her way from New Zealand to L.A. by way of Hawai'i, Reunion Island (next to Madagascar) and across the U.S. to share with us her original songs in French, English, Spanish and Te Reo M?ori/Hawaiian. Click the pic to learn more about Sonia

Saturday, September 21, 2024

9:00am to 6:00pm

Paid admission includes unlimited access to workshops for various levels of playing ability and a variety of topics, plus live all-star performances by some of today’s most popular ukulele players continuously throughout the day (included in admission).

For those just getting started on the path to making music and discovering the ukulele, the festival offers FREE ukulele classes for beginners of all ages and free access to Ukulele Marketplace where festival goers can browse a variety of entry level instruments and fun stuff and grab a bite to eat or cool off with refreshing island style shave ice.

Free Beginner Ukulele Classes

All Day Saturday! Nakano Theatre, Torrance Cultural Arts Center

*Does not include entry into main festival event

Free beginner classes & demonstrations throughout the day Saturday Sept 21! No admission required but seating is first come, first served. Bring your ukulele; if you don't have one, there will be a variety of entry-level friendly instruments available for purchase. Prize giveaways, too!

Ukulele 101 Beginner Bootcamp 9:30am, 11:00am

Teens and adults: join us and jumpstart your musical journey - you'll be strumming your first song by the end of the hour! Pre-teen kids are welcome with parent supervision and encouragement. Bernadette Plazola is a certified music teacher and holds a bachelor's degree in music and a master's degree in education.

Seniors: Get Started Playing Ukulele 12:30pm, 2:00pm, 3:30PM

For all rank novices who have never played an instrument before but with a focus on seniors seeking mental exercise - because learning something new is great for brain health! Melanie Lawson Kareem is the Founder and Creative Director of Get Started Playing Ukulele; her proprietary teaching materials and methods simplify and expedite the learning process.

Workshop & Performance Schedule (Subject To Change)

Did we mention all workshops and performances are included in the price of admission? Take as many classes as you like that you feel are level appropriate, join in on open mic, or, if you prefer, simply hang out and enjoy the continuous stage performances in the Torino Plaza.

Torino Plaza Performances - Heidi Swedberg, MC

9am - Welcome! First Prize Drawing

9:30am - Cali Rose & CC Strummers

10:30am - Danilo Vignola

11am - Victoria "Viggy" Kolasinski

12pm - Sammy Turton

12:30pm - Hi'ikua

1:30pm - Bernadette Plazola & Friends

2pm - Boris Mogilevski

3pm - Jeff Peterson

3:30pm - Langley Ensemble

4:30pm - Daniel Ward, Prize Drawing #2

5pm - Aldrine Guerrero

6pm - Closeout Strum-Along W/Heidi Swedberg

Ken Miller Auditorium

9:30am - Open Mic

Click to signup

10:30am - Robert Krout, Music Therapist: “Therapeutic Ukulele – Healthy Vibrations”

Descriptions of the roles of the ukulele in therapeutic music interventions date to the 1950’s and 60’s and have continued through today. This presentation will explore how the ukulele can be used as a motivating instrument of health and healing with children, teens, adults, and seniors. Uses of the ukulele in creative self care and therapeutic community music will also be examined.

11am - Open Mic

Click to signup

12pm - Strum-Along w/Peter Luongo

12:30pm - Open Mic

Click to signup

1:30pm - Strum-Along w/Peter Luongo

2pm - Open Mic

Click to signup

3pm - Robert Krout, Music Therapist: “Therapeutic Ukulele – Healthy Vibrations”

Descriptions of the roles of the ukulele in therapeutic music interventions date to the 1950’s and 60’s and have continued through today. This presentation will explore how the ukulele can be used as a motivating instrument of health and healing with children, teens, adults, and seniors. Uses of the ukulele in creative self care and therapeutic community music will also be examined.

3:30pm - 4:30pm - Open Mic

Click to signup

Ken Miller Assembly Room Workshops

9:30am - Jeff Peterson - Fingerstyle Ukulele

11am - Jeff Peterson - Fingerstyle Ukulele
 
12:30pm - Victoria "Viggy" Kolasinski - Percussive Ukulele

2pm - Sammy Turton - Build your own chords

3:30pm - 4:30pm - Victoria "Viggy" Kolasinski - Percussive Ukulele

Toyota Meeting Hall Workshops

9:30am - Kamuela Kimokeo - Hawaiian Slack Key Ukulele

11am - Kamuela Kimokeo - Hawaiian Slack Key Ukulele

12pm-1:30PM - Boris Mogilevski - Blues Ukulele

2pm - Aldrine Guerrero - Chord Melody

3:30pm - Aldrine Guerrero - Chord Melody

Garden Room Workshops

9:30am - Sammy Turton - Build your own chords

11am - Daniel Ward - Flamenco Ukulele

12:30pm - Daniel Ward - Flamenco Ukulele

2pm - Danilo Vignola - Mediterranean Style Ukulele

3:30pm-4:30pm - Danilo Vignola - Mediterranean Style Ukulele

Sunday, September 22, 2024

2pm - Opening for Feng E: Langley Ukulele Ensemble

Young musical sensation (born in 2007) from Taiwan, Feng's notoriety continues to skyrocket, with over 600K YouTube subscribers and millions of views. His expert renditions of popular music and inventive approach has turned the heads and stolen the hearts of some of the biggest stars in the world.

Presented in cooperation with the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation.

Established in a suburb of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1981, the Langley Ukulele Ensemble is made up of 28 middle and high school students whose ages range from 12 to 18 years, with a rigorous performance schedule that includes as many as 80 concerts per year locally, regionally, and internationally. Led by Musical Director Peter Luongo, they have traveled across Canada, throughout the United States, and Japan and have performed at major ukulele festivals in Honolulu, New York, Reno, and Japan. The Langley Ukulele Ensemble was also prominently featured in the award-winning documentary film the Mighty Uke: The Amazing Comeback of an Underdog and they have appeared annually at the Sheraton Waikiki resort in Honolulu, Hawaii each summer for more than 25 years.

The Langley Ensemble’s mission is to model excellence in musical performance while representing their community and displaying the best attributes of today’s youth.

Purchase Tickets

Date: September 20 - 22, 2024

Location:

Torrance Cultural Arts Center,
3330 Civic Center Drive North,
Torrance, CA 90503

Click Here for more information....