2026 promises to be a very rich year for live music in Italy, with a calendar that covers the entire year and involves clubs, arenas, stadiums and large festivals. We offer you a main focus on rock, in its various forms, but also an overall picture that includes the main names of international and Italian pop and songwriting.
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Indoor restart between clubs and arenas
Live activity starts again in January with a strong concentration of indoor concerts. In Milan, January 21st Slaughter To Prevail are expected at Alcatraz, while on January 29th Architects play at Fabrique: two different visions of contemporary metal. On January 24th, again in the Milan area, an appointment with a rock institution: i Dream Syndicate they perform at the Circolo Magnolia in Segrate.
In Rome, Renato Zero will pitch its tents inaugurating the new “L'orazero” tour at the Palazzo dello Sport with a series of dates on 24, 25, 28, 29 and 31 January and 1 February. Francesco De Gregori will instead leave from Nonantola (Modena) on January 23rd (Vox Club), for the tranche in the clubs of the tour for the 50th anniversary of “Rimmel”.
On January 30th the Unipol Arena in Casalecchio di Reno hosts the only Italian date of Raye, six Brit Awards won last year for “British Artist of the Year”, “Best New Artist”, “Songwriter of the Year”, “Best R&B Artist”, “Best British Album of the Year” for “My 21st Century Blues”, “Song of the Year” for “Escapism.
In February the calendar continues with events in clubs and theaters. On February 20th our metal pioneers Mass they play at the Santeria Toscana in Milan, while the only Italian date of the tour is scheduled for February 21st David Byrneex-leader of Talking Heads, for the tour of his latest album “Who Is The Sky?”, one of the most anticipated events of the winter.
February 27 i KMFDM will be in concert at the Legend Club in Milan, while Anna von HausswolffSwedish muse of the new gothic scene, will hold two concerts in Italy in February as part of the European tour linked to the new album “Iconoclasts”: the 11th in Santeria Toscana 31, Milan; on the 12th at the Locomotiv Club in Bologna.
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Spring between hip-hop and Britpop
March marks another key passage of the season. March 8th Wu-Tang Clan performs at the Unipol Arena in Casalecchio di Reno with the only Italian date of the “Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber” tour. March 9th Morrissey will return to Milan, at Fabrique, after the acclaimed live events in Italy last summer.
March 17th Achille Lauro is in concert in Milan, followed on March 18th by Poppywaiting at Alcatraz. On March 25th another highly anticipated event: the Catalan pop star Rosalia arrives at the Unipol Forum in Assago with the only Italian date of the “Lux Tour”, inspired by his latest, highly acclaimed album.
In the same period it will also be the turn of IAMXa project between dark-electro and dance attitude, on March 25th at the Legend Club in Milan, while at the Magazzini Generali the Suedehistoric champions of Britpop, on March 27, and then i dEUS (March 29) for a double pop-rock date.
Between March 31st and April 4th, however, i Subsonic present the project “Cieli su Torino 96–26” with four consecutive concerts at the Ogr in Turin (31 March, 1, 3 and 4 April).
In April, the 12th, i Tame Impala they stop in Turin, opening a more psychedelic and electronic phase of the calendar.
Appointment on May 26th, however, with i Public Image Ltd by John Lydon, pioneers of post-punk, expected at Alcatraz in Milan.
The stadium tour will kick off on May 30th Vasco Rossiwhich will debut at the Romeo Neri Stadium in Rimini and will continue on 5 and 6 June in Ferrara, 12 and 13 June in Olbia, 18 and 19 June in Bari, 23 and 24 June in Ancona and 28 and 29 June in Udine.
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Summer: festivals and major international events
June represents one of the busiest months of the 2026 calendar. June 3rd i Metallica they return to Italy with a single, highly anticipated date at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna. Ligabue instead starts the “Certe Notti 2026” tour on 5 June at the Stadio Comunale in Bibione, and then plays on 12 June at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, on 17 June at the Allianz Stadium in Turin and on 20 June at the San Siro Stadium in Milan. Cesare Cremonini is expected on June 6th at the Circus Maximus in Rome, on June 10th at the La Maura Hippodrome in Milan, on June 13th at the Imola Autodrome and on June 17th at the Visarno Arena in Florence.
On June 9th two opposite souls coexist in Milan: i Touché Amoré at Magazzini Generali ei Burial at the Magnolia Club. June 12th Psalm brings Italian rap to the stage of Firenze Rocks, a festival that will host the following day, Saturday 13 June Robbie Williams.
On June 14th, again at the Visarno Arena, Firenze Rocks hosts one of the most anticipated events of the summer: The Cure as headlineron their highly anticipated return to Italy after comeback album “Songs Of A Lost World”, with them also on stage at the Tuscan festival Mogwai, The Twilight Sad And Just Mustard.
On June 17th there will be the historic return of the Iron Maidenlive at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, the first metal date ever in the history of the stadium.
From the end of June the Litfiba with the 17 Re Tour, an event full of memory and rock identity that will stop throughout Italy.
The main summer festivals begin between the end of June and July. In Lido di Camaiore “La Prima Estate” hosts Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds on June 26th, Gorillaz on June 27th and Twenty One Pilots on June 28th.
They arrive at the San Siro Hippodrome on 3 July Florence + The Machineon July 5th at the La Maura Hippodrome in Milan it will be the turn of Foo Fighters with them Idleon July 6th the great metal with system of a Down, Queens of the Stone Age And Acid Bath at the I-Days Milan.
In Ferrara, they play on June 13th A Perfect Circlefollowed on June 14 by Megadeth, Anthrax, Cavalera, Black Label Society, Gaerea And Game over for an authentic metal feast. Him too Opeth they return to Italy on 10 July at the Amphitheater of the Pompeii Excavations and on 11 July at the Sequoie Music Park in Bologna. The Ama Music Festival of Romano d'Ezzelino debuts on 11 and 12 July with Scorpions, Saxon, Alice Cooper And The Damned. In the same period also the reverend Marilyn Manson is on tour with three Italian dates: 11 July Ferrara, 13 July Bari and 14 July Rome.
Also worth marking on your diary is one of the most anticipated Italian events of the year: the tour of Caparezzawith dates from June to September in various cities of the country.
Between pop stars and metal returns
The pop and urban front concentrates some very important events. On 18 July the Rcf Arena in Reggio Emilia hosts the only Italian date of Kanye West. July 19th Katy Perry is at the Lucca Summer Festival. From 24 to 26 July The Weeknd is in concert at the San Siro Stadium in Milan. Bad Bunny performs on 17 and 18 July at the La Maura Hippodrome, while Tyler, The Creator is expected on August 25th in Milan.
The season continues in autumn with September 20th, when Negramaro they close the tour at the Verona Arena. On October 13th the metal billboard will be completed with the concert of Behemoth at Alcatraz in Milan, together with Dimmu Borgir And Dark Funeral.
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
