Awesome Ukulele in Andalucía

Three full days of musical ukulele tuition and support with Matt Parkin and Matt Stead - long lunches, stunning scenery and an unhurried pace. Eighteen places

Ronda • 7–11 October 2026

Luxury accommodation • Fully catered • Small group

A long weekend for people who play ukulele and want to grow as musicians — built around Matt's teaching and the Andalusian vibe. You bring yourself; everything else is arranged.

Put the phone away.

Wake up to birdsong.

Drink coffee in the sunshine.

Learn music with people who become lifelong friends.

Return home rested, inspired and playing better than ever.

A room by yourself

£1650.00

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Sharing a room

£1350.00

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Deposit for the Retreat

£400.00

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The Setting

A restored cortijo in the countryside near Ronda: shaded courtyards, a long communal table, and terraces that catch the late light. No more than 18 guests, each in their own room, with plenty of space to play.

The weekend...

Wednesday

Arrivals & welcome dinner

Transfers from Málaga collect guests through the afternoon. A relaxed dinner on the terrace — no agenda but introductions and a glass of local wine. Then we'll round off the evening with a fun play-along on the terrace

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday

Learn, laugh, and belong

Start the day with yoga if you want, then a relaxed breakfast followed by the first workshop of the day. Lunch is long and relaxed followed by more playing and maybe a swim. Time to wander in the gardens and chat with friends before dinner... or perhaps a trip into Ronda?

Sunday

Finishing and farewells

A final morning pulling the weekend's experience together, a gentle group share, then a slow brunch and staggered transfers back to the airport.

Technique

Having two tutors with 70+ years of experience on hand for five days to guide your practical skills is invaluable. Where will your music take you?
Ask us anything - we're here to help

Confidence

Stepping outside of your comfort zone and playing in front of an audience teaches you so much about yourself. If you can do this, what else can you achieve in your life?

Playing Together

Playing in a group uses so many soft skills. Cooperation, timing, communication, empathy - these are skills we can all take time to improve, wherever we are in life

Our Community...

Everybody is musical and everybody can improve. We come together to learn, laugh, and play, and enjoy the moments of connection that happen when people belong.

Liz, Jersey, UK

"Learning at your own pace online is great - with weekly group sessions to play along to.

Going on a retreat, to meet Matt and other expert tutors seemed a natural next step. A safe environment for personal tuition and to find out how my playing really sounded.

The group size was comfortably manageable. And who doesn’t like the idea of a long weekend in Andalusia?!

But the wow factors were many - the other people from all over the world. Some familiar faces from the online sessions, - all lovely to spend time with. Amazing catering, beautiful setting, so many laughs - and the confidence gained from playing with a mixed ability group. The next one will be my fourth!"

Jules, Uk

"I'd always wanted to play the guitar but never really had the chance. Then I saw Matt's ad for the Kickstart and the rest is history. Six months after picking up the uke I did my first open mic at the Birmingham Live event. I was so scared but I did it. Then I thought "What else can I do?" and things in other parts of my life started changing.

The retreats have been amazing. I've spent time with so many lovely people, a lot of them that I first met online, and got to play with them.

The teachers are great - they make you feel like you can do anything you want to. The accommodation is beautiful, and the foods great.

If you're on the fence about coming, just do it."

Michala, Sweden

"On the Awesome retreat, after several years of just playing on my own, I met a group of like-minded enthusiasts and I experienced the joy of contributing to shared music for the first time in my life.

I learnt to trust in the things that I am good at, and was encouraged to be even better.

I found that a seemingly simple song could come to life as we played together and were taught how to add intricacies and variations. Initially I wasn't certain about the choice of song, but by the end of the weekend, it was my favourite.

Now I can’t wait for more shared experiences and opportunities to improve as a ukulele player, so I’ve booked my next retreat for May 2027."

FROM YOUR HOST

"We created these retreats because we love music and know how precious time is."

It is so seldom that we really make space for ourselves - to experience, to learn, to live.
I want you to have that time in Spain, the country that I've chosen to make my home because here, life comes first.
Making connections, building community, and enjoying the little moments that we share are as important as the music.
Perhaps even more so.

Matt Parkin, Awesome Ukulele Academy

The meals...

Our chef, Lucy, regularly caters for visiting rockstars and is completely awesome. Whatever your dietary needs, we can accommodate. Her vegan millionaires shortbread is unbelievably good! As is her Moroccan chicken!

The accommodation...

Each room is unique, has an ensuite, and an incredible view. The dinning room is spacious, and the terrace has room for every one.

What's included...

Four nights' accommodation
All meals, from Wednesday dinner to Sunday brunch, with wine (except Friday evening in Ronda which is an addition cost tbc)
All workshops, tuition, and one2one mentoring with Matt Parkin and Matt Stead
Transport into Ronda for our sight seeing trip

Price is per person, either sharing or not sharing, and includes all soft drinks, snacks, and half a bottle of wine or a couple of beers with the evening meals. Flights and transfers are not included but we can advise and help with this. The places are held in the order that they are booked. If you place a deposit we will contact you to arrange how we can deal with the balance.