11 Ukulele Clubs and Groups Well Worth the Visit

Playing music is simply more fun if you’re in the company of others. Ukulele clubs and groups make this possible.

By gathering lovers of the uke together not only do you find players of all levels​, but you are able to network with people you know you have at least one thing in common with. What a great way to start a friendship!

We support all Ukulele groups, simply on principle. They are a great idea and most likely fun for everyone involved.

Some groups are special, though. Whether it’s years of performances, a special cause, or simply years of meetings, we want to acknowledge them with a little head nod in the form of this article!  ​

Notable Ukulele Clubs and Groups

Right from the start, I will admit this list is slightly biased. Many of these music clubs are ones I’ve visited, had a friend visit, or have a reputation that is much larger than the average club. That being said, I’m sure there are hundreds of great ukulele clubs and groups around the world that are not on this list, many of which I and my small group of musical friends will never even hear of.

If your club is not on this list feel free to email me and I’ll check it out and possibly add it. When you do reach out please tell me a little about the club and why you feel it is a good addition to this list!

Without further ado, here are the 11 Ukulele clubs worth noting, paying respect to, and visiting if you’re in their area!

 

1. The Allegheny Ukulele Kollective

A group that started back in 2010 jamming wherever they could find a little place to gather, this group now has 4-5 scheduled events monthly.

Not only do they now have scheduled events they are planning to expand. The current goal is to help the community with jams at places like local schools and nursing homes!

If you are anywhere near Altoona, PA you should look into this club. If not, visit the site for their songbook at AlleghanyUkes​!

2. Survivor Girl Ukulele Band

A group with possibly the most heart-touching mission on this list.

Each year, Laurie Kallevig journeys to Southeast Asia to battle human trafficking by teaching Ukulele to young girls often affected by this act.

In 2016 she taught a group of children to play, those kids ended up doing ten shows in Kolkata! She also brought eight of these girls into a recording studio!

There are a lot of things you could donate to this year, but few are better. Check out more at Survivor Girl’s website and ​”Join the Band!”

 

3. Vermont Ukulele Society

One of the older Ukulele clubs on our list, this group has been growing and forming for 8 years. If you’re headed to New England anytime soon, don’t forget to bring your Uke!

Today they have a performing group that can be found in places like Stowe, VT on Spruce Peak and their normal bi-monthly meeting at Howden Hall in Bristol.

The VtUkes website is also extremely helpful. You’ll find information about all their gatherings and performances, photo and video libraries (Including Jim D’Ville’s basic 26 lessons), recordings, and the song library! ​

 

4. Long Island Ukuele Strummers Club

A self proclaimed ‘rag-tag group of uke-crazed wanna-be musicians, the Long Island Uke club has put together a wonderful Ukulele resource for players of all levels.

​The group gets together two or three times a month to strum, and if you have any questions concerning what a get together is like they have a bunch of recordings on the site, great to check out.

While you’re waiting for the next live meeting spend some time on the site, it is full of videos, resources and fun YouTube clips you’ll enjoy for hours! ​

 

5. Schoodic Arts For All Ukulele Club

To say that Schoodic is a Ukulele Club is probably selling the entire rest of their teachings and performances short.

Scoodic has close to twenty different clubs and programs that they teach to budding artists of all interests, so while we talk about the Ukes, don’t forget they have plenty else to offer!

​Born from a Ukin’ Do it workshop, instructor Gene Nichols turned this group into a weekly meetup and has expanded to any acoustic instrument.

6. Brisbane Ukulele Musicians Society

Affectionately referred to as “BUMS”, the Brisbane Ukulele Musicians Society is one of the largest and longest running clubs to make our list!

If you live in Australia near Brisbane the clubs jams are held at 7 different locations, and they have anywhere from 10-15 meetups a month!

They are also the powering force behind SPRUKE, a bi-annual ukulele festival held in Queensland. This even may be a great reason to plan a vacation if you’re not already “down under”.

Last but not least, the website is a great resource for songbooks, beginner Uke topics, tuners, and links to other Uke sites. If you can’t be in Australia, it’s the next best thing.

 

7. Toronto Ukes

Toronto Ukes is possibly the most active of all the groups on this list. With three weekly gatherings they provide ALMOST enough Uke content to keep us happy (that will probably never happen!)

They started in 2009 with the Corktown Ukulele Jam and since then have added the “Annex Ukulele Jam” at Toronto’s legendary Tranzac Club! get together and a Monday morning kickstart to get the week off to the right start.

If you’re interested in this club sign up for their newsletter and never miss an event that the Toronto Uke Club is putting on!

 

8. People of Lewisham’s Ukulele Club

With over seven years of experience, this London based club has something for everyone. Weekly Tuesday meetings give plenty of time to explore new tunes, teach beginners, and simply have fun!

The long-running meetings has also allowed People of Lewisham’s Ukulele Club to put together a very strong performance group, having played at events like the Hither Green Festival, Doctor Jazz, and Va Pensiero!

The site also has a good list of popular posts, many of which are tuned to beginners and newer players. The also have a great collection of links to other sites that will help you learn the Uke!

 

9. Prescott Ukulele Guild

The first Thursday of each month is when you can find members of Prescott Ukulele Guild (PUG) assembling to share their love of this instrument. While the monthly meetings are great, it’s the sub groups of this origination that make it special.

PUG has set up smaller bands that go to Veterans Affairs, Assisted living centers, elementary schools, and various organizational meetings around the area. Doing great deeds while playing music!

They also host some very good side events. In fact, friend of StringVibe – Jim D’Ville put on an event demonstrating his “Play By Ear” methodology ​early in 2017 for the guild!

10. San Jose Ukulele Club

Surprisingly, The San Jose Ukulele Club is our only West Coast entry! That being said, not only is this a great group, but they are partnered with groups like the ‘Son of the Beach’.

They do have one of the fullest calender’s you’ll find as well, plenty of opportunities to break out your Ukulele! Maybe you feel like an Open Mic night, a quick session of Kanikapila, or simply the bi-monthly meeting of SJUC, they have it all!

Last but not least is their songbook, which is arguably the largest you’ll find online! ​

11. Boulder Ukulele Group

It is hard to beat the scenery that the Boulder Ukulele Group (BUG) enjoys. Nestled at the base of the the Colorado Rocky Mountains, join this group and enjoy strumming in the mountain air!

The group has a monthly meeting that normally tries to stick with a theme to help the creative juices-a-flowing. They’ve also developed a Ukulele Social Club with two different courses, one for beginners and another for more advanced strummers!

The Final Notes

Each of these clubs brings something special to the world of Ukulele, but we realize it is no where near a complete list! Please comment below with your favorite Ukulele group or club so we can recognize them as well!

Also, check out our ukulele guide to see the rest of our great ukulele related content!