Ukulele Summit

August 21–23, 2026
Le Barachois Art Center

From August 21 to 23, the 2026 Ukulele Summit will take place in Matane, an event that will bring together lovers of this little instrument from all corners of the province, and even from across the country and beyond!
Why Matane? Because on August 23, 1879, the Ravenscrag SV, a proud three-masted iron-hulled ship, docked in Hawaii with three Portuguese cabinetmakers and instrument makers from Madeira on board—men who would go on to create the ukulele, an adaptation of the traditional Portuguese braguinha and rajão. And where did the venerable Ravenscrag—so important in the history of the ukulele—run aground around 1885? In Capucins Bay, some 50 kilometers from Matane! The rest is history...