The Villafranca Festival at the Scaligero Castle is approaching the milestone of 30 years, if we establish as the beginning the Bob Dylan concert in 1998, the first Italian date of the world tour at the end of the Millennium.
In these three decades the event conceived and organized by Eventi Verona in collaboration with the Municipal Administration of Villafranca, has established Villafranca di Verona among the main locations in Northern Italy in the context of national and international pop-rock-metal concerts and festivals, so much so that over the years it has become a serious alternative to the Arena of Verona as a “container” of high-level music.
In terms of inclusiveness and the breaking down of barriers, for years the Villafranca Festival has offered disabled people – who use fundamental aids such as wheelchairs – an elevated stage where they can watch concerts, even when the audience in front is standing all the time.
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The new season, scheduled from July to September 2026starts on July 3rd, the talk of Gianluca Gottowriter and traveller: with his books he helps people live a more peaceful life and his conference-shows are now an event not to be missed for those who want to listen to his Zen teachings and his life experiences around the world. And there is great anticipation, therefore, for his new tour, “Question of Karma”.
On July 4th, space for Gio Evanone of the most original voices on the cultural scene, between music, poetry and spirituality: “Extra terrestrial” is the title of his new 2026 tour. Villafranca will be the only stop in the Triveneto.
Double date with classic rock with a 70s flavor on the evening of July 7th: the English band arrives at the Scaliger manor The Darknesspreceded by the Australians Airbourneborn in the 2000s but with roots firmly planted in the sound of AC/DC, Status Quo and Motörhead. Opening, the young Florentine grunge band Spleen.
On July 8th we move into the news with the show of Siegfried Ranucci “Diary of a trapeze artist”, where the Rai journalist talks about a secret Siegfried, parallel to what we are used to seeing on air; a reporter who, to carry out his investigations, had to make sudden choices that sometimes affected his life forever.
We return to the rock scene on July 9th with the concert of Litfiba: it will be an opportunity to celebrate the 40 years of one of the most important records in the history of Italian music, “17 Re”, with the Tuscan rock band in full force: Piero Pelù together with Ghigo Renzulli, Antonio Aiazzi and Gianni Maroccolo. Villafranca is one of the highly selected (only 2) stops in Veneto.
The following evening, July 10th, big party with Goran Bregović who returns to Italy with his unmistakable Orchestra for Weddings and Funerals (the music, for Goran, is the same…) and his powerful “turbo folk”, capable of making everyone dance. It will be an opportunity to listen to the new single “God is Not Your Babysitter”, created with his Orchestra for Weddings and Funerals and the participation of Dubioza Kolektiv, a Bosnian folk-punk group.
On July 11th the megaproduction of “He's my father – Morricone directs Morricone”a show which sees Ennio's son, Andrea, orchestra director and composer himself, conducting the marvelous music written by his father, with the interventions of Marco, the other heir, author of the volume “Ennio Morricone, the genius, the man, the father”. A special evening, among notes, anecdotes and memories, with an orchestra of 55 elements and a choir of 52 voices to tell the immortal Ennio with music and words.
A dive into the recent past on July 12th, with the concert of Bluethe 2000s boy band that returns on tour to make fans all over the world sing. Having disbanded at the height of their fame, the four British singers (Duncan James, Lee Ryan, Simon Webbe and Antony Costa) perform an indestructible set with all their hits (“One love”, “All rise”, “A chi mi dice”…).
On July 14th, in the wake of the new album, “Perfetto imperfecto”, he arrives at the castle Marco Masini. The concert lineup will not miss “Male Necessario”, a song with which Fedez & Masini participated in the 76th Sanremo Festival, winning the Sergio Bardotti Award for best lyrics, and a new version of “Bella Stronza” (Fedez, Marco Masini, FT Kings), a contemporary reinterpretation of one of the songs by the Tuscan singer-songwriter who cleared swear words, in advance of the raw and splatter lyrics of trap.
July 22nd Nek brings his Nek Hits Live in an “outdoor” version to Villafranca: a solid band, songs that have been playing on the radio and in the charts for decades. In Filippo Neviani's set the hits rain down one after the other.
Who chose instead to focus on just one album – but what an album! – And Fiorella Mannoia who on the evening of July 24th at the castle rereads in its entirety a masterpiece of Italian music from the second half of the 20th century: “Anime salve”, released under the name of Fabrizio De André but the result of his collaboration with Ivano Fossati. And the show is in fact titled “Fiorella sings Fabrizio and Ivano: Anime Salve”.
On the stage of the Scaligero castle there is also space for young singer-songwriters such as Enrico Nigiottiwho recently announced the “Maledetti Innamorati Summer Tour 2026”: on the programme, the song presented at the recent Sanremo 2026 festival, “Every time I don't know fly”, and the new single, “Maledetti in love”, which gives the title to his very recent album.
On July 27th, one of the most interesting “urban” voices, between rap and songwriting, today: returns to concert Madame with the songs from his “Disincanto”, an album that contains burning confessions on taboo topics, and not just for singer-songwriters. As she sings, «Madame is not just entertainment!».
One of the events of the Villafranca Festival 2026 is the only date in the North East (and one of the very few in Italy) of CSIon August 31st, reunion of the original lineup: Giovanni Lindo Ferretti and Massimo Zamboni (protagonists of another recent comeback, that of CCCP) together with Gianni Maroccolo, Ginevra Di Marco, Francesco Magnelli and Giorgio Canali. Awaiting them is a sold-out castle, with over 9300 tickets already sold.
Another event will close the Villafranca Festival 2026 on September 1st: “D for damned naive women”, a concert by women artists for women, with Carmen Consoli leading the way (the title is taken from her song “Besame Giuda”). On stage, musicians, performers and composers committed to translating beauty into music and transmitting pure energy. A music party dedicated to women, a journey into the intense female universe. The first confirmed artists, as well as Carmen, I'm Marina Rei, Anna Castiglia and Nada.
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Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
