Spoleto Festival Planning Guide
The Spoleto Festival USA is held annually in Charleston, South Carolina, during the last two weeks of May and the first week of June. This year (2025), the Spoleto Festival will run from May 23rd to June 8th. Visitors from the United States and abroad descend on Charleston to revel in this hotbed of cultural events.
As a resident of Charleston, I am frequently asked how best to take advantage of the myriad cultural events over those three action-packed weeks. Tickets for many Spoleto Festival Events are often sold out, but the Office of Cultural Affairs had the foresight to establish Piccolo Spoleto to provide both residents and visitors with cultural alternatives featuring local talent.
Piccolo Spoleto will kick off the ceremonies on May 26th with its traditional Sunset Serenade by the Charleston Symphony. Join Charlestonians seated on the steps of the US Customs House and witness the acclaimed Charleston Symphony kick off the Spoleto festival with an assortment of music that has delighted crowds for decades. Where else can you attend a FREE Symphony with the moon rising over the Ashley River?
Charleston Symphony Opening Piccolo Spoleto at Sunset on the Steps of the Custom House
Navigating Charleston during Spoleto
Charleston is generally crowded throughout the year, but it is particularly crowded during Spoleto. When possible, it is generally best to walk and schedule activities that are within walking distance.
Visitors who have been attending the Spoleto Festival for several years generally organize their visit around a few major events. Newbies can find the sheer variety of cultural events overwhelming and often overschedule. Running from one event to another can detract from the overall experience.
Planning Your Spoleto Trip
Book key Spoleto events early, as they often sell out.
Consult the Spoleto Festival Event Page and Piccolo Spoleto to identify those events you wish to see (Make reservations as needed);
Craft a detailed itinerary before arriving in Charleston.
Schedule no more than 3 events per day to avoid wear and tear.
Most restaurants require reservations; book in advance.
Allow yourself plenty of time to navigate (walk where possible) from one event to another;
Multitask where possible: For instance, attend a FREE organ concert in one of Charleston’s historical churches or listen to Shakespeare on the steps of the Charleston Library Society.
May is a wonderful time of the year to walk Charleston’s streets with its historic houses open to the public.
Get out of your comfort zone and visit the International African Museum or take a Gullah tour.
Enjoying a sandwich or iced tea in a shaded park is often preferable to waiting for reservations at a nearby restaurant. RELAX.
FREE Organ Concerts
People visit Charleston for a variety of reasons. During the Spoleto Festival, most visitors are focused on attending many world-class cultural events. In their downtime, they stroll Charleston’s enchanting streets and imbibe as much history and Lowcountry food as their schedule permits.
When I first arrived in Charleston five years ago, I felt like a kid in a candy store: I had to sample everything! On reflection, I decided that I could experience great music in places of historical significance. What’s better: It is FREE! Welcome to the L’Organo Concert Series held annually during the Spoleto Festival.
During 2025, L’Organo has organized 12 FREE concerts at 10 historical churches in Charleston. These concerts are held daily at 10:00 a.m. on weekdays and at 3:00 p.m. on weekends. This gives visitors plenty of time to grab lunch after the concert and still attend a Chamber Music Concert at the historic Dock Street Theater.
For instance, why not attend Pamela Kane’s May 29th concert at the historic Mother Emanuel AME Church featuring their new Zimmer organ? The AME Church is undergoing a major restoration effort, and your participation in supporting this iconic Church would be welcomed. After lunch, pop over to Delaney’s for oysters or Gullah crab rice.
May 29th may not work into your schedule. But with 12 planned concerts, L’Organo has one that you can fit into your already packed cultural schedule. Please consult our Calendar of Events to add one or more concerts to your schedule. Our performing artists will appreciate it.
Embracing History and Culture
As suggested above, it is possible to multitask and combine culture with a historical tour of Charleston. For those interested in a manageable historical tour of Charleston, I heartily recommend the Two Sisters Tour. These seventh-generation sisters will walk you through the residential quarter South of Broad and regale you with insights into Charleston’s rich history of the past 350 years.
If you wish to visit the plantation, a drive is required. Closer alternatives are the Aiken Rhett House, the Old Slave Mart Museum on Chalmer Street and the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. For the more adventurous, I suggest the Gullah Tour, which explores the rich history of Charleston’s enslaved people.
Culture and history go hand-in-hand in Charleston. Whether you are inspired by jazz and the blues or are more classically inclined, the annual Spoletto Festival has something for everyone.
