Summer in Florence is not only about gelato that drips down the side of your coppetta, bathing by the Pavoniere pool in the Cascine and escaping the city for the balminess of the coast. It’s about exploring Tuscany’s lesser-known sights and sounds. Here is a list of events that will have you catching trains to new places and enjoying music in unusual settings. From jazz to surf, from the heart of Florence to the beaches of Livorno, here are 12 music moments you cannot miss this summer!
#1
Prato is on fire
Dieci/Ottavi, Prato
June 5–August 5
This summer Prato offers a wealth of events, but one of the most interesting venues is the former textile factory along via Targetti, hosting the Dieci/Ottavi botanic bar. A short walk from the Porta al Serraglio train station, this unique location will be presenting a crammed schedule of concerts, book presentations, DJ sets and performances. It’s a great way to tune into some quality Italian indie music, like Celluloid Jam and Bad Love Experience. Free entrance. One more thing: on September 1, New York sensation Interpol will be playing in Prato’s beautiful piazza Duomo. Tickets (35 euro) are already on sale from ticketone.it and in Box Office Toscana locations.
#2
Big time experimentation
Progetto Primavera, Florence June 6–13
Tempo Reale is one of Florence’s most important cultural institutions and it organizes a year-long calendar of events, seminars and workshops focused on new musical technologies. Progetto Primavera offers an intense season of live experimental music concerts and events that bring together sound, social awareness and new electronic music. Check out the June dates held in the evocative Limonaia of Villa Strozzi. Ticket prices vary from 5 to 10 euro. The Tempo Reale Festival 2015 will take place from September 26 to October 10.
#3
Music at the racecourse
Ippodromo del Visarno, Florence June 13–September 15
Nestled in the Cascine park, Ippodromo del Visarno racecourse will up the pace on the Florentine music scene this summer. This show-stopping venue’s poster of events will include new metal pioneers Limp Bizkit, West Berlin avant-garde Einstürzende Neubauten, punk-rock priestess Patti Smith, Florentine favourite Litfiba, and (already sold out) Pink Floyd leader David Gilmour. On June 4, American rock band The Last Internationale will perform at the Anfiteatro delle Cascine. Tickets can be bought online and at the Box Office in via delle Vecchie Carceri 1.
#4
Busking the night away
Maraviglia Street Arts Festival, Calenzano
June 13–14
If you’re looking for something truly authentic, venture to Calenzano, 11 kilometers northwest of Florence. Well connected by bus and train, the perfectly preserved medieval town hosts the Maraviglia Street Arts Festival. Marching bands, traveling performances and busking musicians of all genres will whisk you away on a unique two-day journey dedicated to the pursuit of creativity, art and typical street food. Don’t miss the three-piece acoustic folk band Werner. One-day tickets cost 6 euro; the two-day pass costs 10 euro.
#5
Rocking sweet Fiesole
Estate Fiesolana, Fiesole June 17 onwards
This annual rendezvous with the breath-taking backdrop of Fiesole’s Roman amphitheatre must not be missed. Though the festival’s full program has not yet been revealed, we suggest hastily booking tickets to see New York new wave legend Television’s live rendering of their 1977 debut album Marquee Moon on June 17.
www.facebook.com/EstateFiesolana
#6
Surf’s up!
Surfer Joe Summer Festival, Livorno June 18–21
Believe it or not, the world’s first 100% surf music event was born in Tuscany, in Livorno! Surfer Joe Summer Festival will have you twisting and shaking with its mix of legendary groups, surf music seminars, rare records, brunches and tiki cocktail tastings. Representing every aspect of modern surf music, from the most traditional reverb drenched sounds to the latest progressive style, this unique outdoor festival takes place on the wonderful checkerboard floor of the Terrazza Mascagni, just 50 metres from the sea. It’s free.
www.surferjoemusic.com/festival/2015
#7
Singing the blues
Torrita Blues Festival , Torrita di Siena
June 25–27
Rising from its murky southern origins, the ‘Devil’s Music’ has crossed countless geographical boundaries. The Torrita Blues Festival, in the province of Siena, is a clear example of the conquering power of this mysterious genre. Over the years leading names have taken the stage in this town of great cultural and gastronomic traditions, mixing sacred and profane, gospel, spirituals and Dixieland jazz. This year, the crowded central square of piazza Matteotti will be celebrating the festival’s 27th edition with live performances of artists like Luke Winslow King and Sharrie Williams.
#8
A desert in Florence
Festival au Désert, Florence July 2–3
The Festival au Désert has become a special cross-cultural occasion, an opportunity to show the profound social dimension of music. Hosted in the Murate complex, between via Ghibellina and via dell’Agnolo, this year’s edition will showcase artists from all over the world: Mali, Senegal, Morocco, Algeria and special guest Greg Cohen, bass player for Tom Waits and John Zorn. The events are all free.
www.festivalpresenzedafrica.eu
#9
Inside Pistoia’s old walls
Pistoia Blues, Pistoia July 1–24
Off the usual tourist track, Pistoia offers a unique setting for a festival that has now reached its 36th edition. The concerts are held in piazza Duomo with the magnificent San Zeno cathedral towering over the stage and seating. Over the years the internationally renowned festival has hosted myriad blues and rock legends such as David Bowie and The Blues Brothers. This year’s calendar carries on the tradition of hosting stars: Sting, Mumford & Sons, Hozier and Counting Crows. Ticket prices vary from 25 to 75 euro.
#10
Living la vida Lucca
Piazza Napoleone, Lucca July 1–28
The annual Lucca Summer Festival is one of the best loved music festivals in Italy. Active since 1998, it has hosted legends like Neil Young, Ray Charles and James Brown. Held in the striking surroundings of the central piazza Napoleone, this year’s varied line-up is bound to satisfy everybody! From July 1 to 28, the spotlights will shine on some top performers: Bob Dylan, Ms Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Robbie Williams, Lenny Kravitz and, last but not least, the suave Snoop Dogg. Prices vary from 35 to 100 euro.
#11
Free is the key
Lars Rock Fest, Chiusi July 10–11
This free-entry event offers festival-goers a succulent music menu serving up both Italian and internationally famous indie artists. Held in Chiusi’s piazza XXVI Giugno, the festival is a place of exchange and discovery, where market stalls sell handmade merchandise, comics, records and craft beers. This year’s line-up features, among others, Portland-based band psychedelic band Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Turin indie-rock sensation Drink to Me and Oakland spawn neo-post-punk project The Soft Moon. It takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to get to Chiusi by train from Florence.
#12
Free rock in Valdichiana
Live Rock Festival, Acquaviva di Montepulciano
September 9–14
Don’t miss out on the Live Rock Festival, an eco-friendly gluten-free music-packed opportunity to discover the lovely hillside town of Acquaviva in the Siena province of Valdichiana. Its awesome line-up includes UK electronic group We Have Band, Australian beatboxing performer Dub FX and the brain-melting Belgian electronic duo Aerotronic. The festival is admission-free and there’s even a useful car-sharing platform on its website!
Though the following festivals have not yet released their full programs, keep them in mind if you’re planning your Tuscan summer on a shoestring. From June 11 to 13, the vast parkland surrounding Villa Montalvo in Campi Bisenzio will come alive with the fifth Montalvo Music Festival and its Balkan beats, LGBTQ parties and electronic music. (Catch the 30A bus from Florence or go by car.) From July 8 to 11, Arezzo’s Via Alfieri park will host the annual Mengo Music Fest—New York indie-rock band Blonde Redhead will be playing on July 10…for free! Get away from the urban heat island and head for the seaside: from August 12 to 16, the Musica W Festival in Castellina Marittima (Pisa) offers the perfect opportunity to chill and set a tent for only five euro per night. Only one headliner has been revealed: Brooklyn crossover metal pioneers Biohazard.
