Simply Red @ Locus Festival 2027

Simply Red will perform in Bari on Wednesday, July 28, 2027, as part of Locus Festival 2027. The concert will take place at Fiera del Levante, on Bari’s Adriatic waterfront, and is scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM. It will be the band’s first appearance in the Apulian capital.

The Simply Red concert in Bari is part of the Summer Funk ’27 tour, which brings Mick Hucknall and his band back to the United Kingdom and continental Europe during summer 2027. The programme focuses on the group’s more energetic material and major hits accumulated during more than four decades of recording and touring.

The Bari date was the first artist announcement for the 23rd edition of Locus Festival 2027. General ticket sales opened on September 25, 2026, following earlier presales. Standard tickets and separate VIP packages are available, subject to availability.

Simply Red

Simply Red were formed in Manchester in 1985 around singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall. Their music developed from a mixture of soul, pop, funk, rhythm and blues and soft rock, with Hucknall’s distinctive voice becoming the central element linking the band’s different lineups and musical periods.

Before creating Simply Red, Hucknall sang with The Frantic Elevators, a Manchester group formed during the punk and post-punk era. After that band ended in 1984, he began developing a new musical project whose sound moved decisively toward soul and contemporary pop.

The original lineup included Hucknall alongside musicians such as Fritz McIntyre, Tony Bowers, Chris Joyce and Tim Kellett. Personnel changed repeatedly during the following decades, while Mick Hucknall remained the permanent member, principal vocalist and central songwriting figure throughout the band’s recording history.

International recognition arrived rapidly after the release of Picture Book in 1985. The album produced Money’s Too Tight (to Mention) and Holding Back the Years, with the latter becoming a number-one single in the United States and establishing Simply Red as an international act.

Throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, the group maintained a particularly strong commercial presence in Britain and Europe. Songs including If You Don’t Know Me by Now, Stars, Something Got Me Started and Fairground became important parts of the band’s catalogue and recurring features of its live performances.

Simply Red initially ended touring activities in 2010, but the hiatus did not become permanent. The band returned in 2015, coinciding with its 30th anniversary, and resumed recording and extensive international touring, beginning another phase of a career that had already spanned three decades.

For the Summer Funk ’27 tour, Hucknall is joined by Ian Kirkham, Kenji Suzuki, Kevin Robinson, Roman Roth, Gary Sanctuary and Orefo Orakwue. The tour places particular emphasis on the funkier and more upbeat side of the band’s catalogue.
 

Simply Red Discography

The Simply Red discography began with Picture Book, released in 1985. The record reached number two in the United Kingdom and included the band’s breakthrough recordings. Holding Back the Years, originally developed from a song Hucknall had written before Simply Red existed, became one of their most internationally successful singles.

Their second studio album, Men and Women, appeared in 1987 and continued the band’s combination of contemporary production with American soul influences. It included The Right Thing and featured songwriting collaborations with Lamont Dozier, one of the major figures associated with the Motown songwriting tradition.

A New Flame followed in 1989 and became Simply Red’s first studio album to reach number one in the United Kingdom. Its best-known recording, If You Don’t Know Me by Now, was a reinterpretation of the song originally made famous by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes.

The band reached an even larger commercial peak with Stars in 1991. The album contained Something Got Me Started, Stars, For Your Babies and Thrill Me, and spent twelve weeks at number one in Britain. It became one of the defining British albums of the early 1990s.

Simply Red released Life in 1995, producing another UK number-one album. Its lead single Fairground became the group’s first and only single to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, adding another major hit to a catalogue already established across Europe and other international markets.

Blue followed in 1998, while Love and the Russian Winter appeared in 1999. These albums reflected a period in which the band continued combining soul-based songwriting with contemporary pop production. The latter record also incorporated stronger electronic and dance influences than many earlier releases.

In 2003, the band released Home, which included Sunrise and a version of You Make Me Feel Brand New. It was followed by Simplified in 2005 and Stay in 2007, the final studio record issued before Simply Red’s original farewell period.

The reunion era produced Big Love in 2015 and Blue Eyed Soul in 2019. Four years later, Simply Red released Time, their thirteenth studio album, consisting of original material written by Hucknall and extending the group’s studio catalogue almost four decades beyond its debut.

Simply Red Awards and Sales

Simply Red have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, making them one of the most commercially successful British soul-pop acts to emerge during the 1980s. Their sales have been particularly substantial in the United Kingdom and continental Europe, where several albums achieved multi-platinum status.

The band won the BRIT Award for Best British Group in both 1992 and 1993. Hucknall was also named Best British Male Solo Artist at the 1993 BRIT Awards, during the period when Stars had established Simply Red at the height of their commercial success.

Simply Red have received three Grammy Award nominations. Their early international success brought recognition for Holding Back the Years, while their interpretation of If You Don’t Know Me by Now later received additional recognition from the Recording Academy.

Their career honours also include Ivor Novello Awards, reflecting recognition for songwriting and international achievement. Over the decades, their commercial success has remained closely connected with Hucknall’s songwriting, reinterpretations of established soul material and a consistent emphasis on vocal performance.

Stars remains their most important album commercially. It became the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in both 1991 and 1992 and has sold millions of copies in Britain alone, while also becoming a major success throughout Europe and other international markets.

Venue – Fiera del Levante

The Fiera del Levante is one of Southern Italy’s principal exhibition complexes. Located on Lungomare Giambattista e Pietro Starita, northwest of central Bari, it occupies a large site close to the Adriatic waterfront and is used for trade fairs, conventions, exhibitions, concerts and other major public events.

The organisation behind the fair was established in 1929 through an initiative involving the Municipality of Bari, the provincial administration and the Bari Chamber of Commerce. The first International Trade Fair was held in 1930, beginning a long association between the complex and Bari’s commercial development.

The exhibition district covers approximately 280,000 square metres. Its combination of halls, open spaces and service areas enables it to host events significantly larger than those normally possible within Bari’s historic centre, including concerts requiring substantial staging and audience infrastructure.

The site’s position beside the waterfront also separates large event crowds from the narrow streets of Bari Vecchia. It is located near the port area and several major urban roads.

For the July 28 concert, dedicated event parking is also available at the Fiera del Levante. Parking arrangements are sold separately from concert admission and availability may change as the event approaches.

How to Get to Fiera del Levante

By bus: Bari’s urban public transport network provides connections between the central station area and districts near the fairgrounds. Line 53 serves the wider Fiera del Levante area, although event-day diversions or additional services may be introduced.

By taxi: From Bari Centrale, the Fiera del Levante can normally be reached by taxi in approximately 10 to 20 minutes, depending on traffic and the entrance used. Journey times can increase considerably before and immediately after a large concert.

From the airport: Trains connect Bari Karol Wojtyła Airport with Bari Centrale. Visitors can then continue toward the venue by urban transport or taxi. There is no metro station directly inside the Fiera del Levante complex, so the final part of the journey requires another form of transport.

Locus Festival 2027

Locus Festival 2027 will be the 23rd edition of the Apulian music festival. Locus began in Locorotondo in 2005 and gradually developed from a local cultural event into a programme hosting internationally established artists across multiple locations in the region.

Unlike a conventional festival concentrated into a single weekend, Locus has historically operated through individual concerts distributed across the summer. Events may take place weeks apart and in different Apulian towns, allowing each performance to use a location appropriate to its audience and production requirements.

The festival’s musical identity has never been restricted to one genre. Previous editions have incorporated jazz, soul, funk, electronic music, rock, alternative music, hip-hop and experimental projects, often placing internationally recognised artists alongside contemporary performers and more specialised musical projects.

Locus was founded in Locorotondo, whose white historic centre and surrounding Valle d’Itria landscape became strongly associated with the festival. As attendance and production requirements increased, events expanded to additional Apulian locations including Bari, Ostuni, Alberobello, Fasano and Minervino Murge.

Simply Red were announced in September 2026 as the first act confirmed for Locus Festival 2027. Their Bari appearance will bring the Summer Funk ’27 tour to the festival and will also mark the group’s first performance in Bari.

The Bari show falls between Simply Red’s concerts in Pompeii on July 27 and Lucca Summer Festival on July 30. Other Italian dates announced for the tour include Venice and Rome, making Bari one of several Italian stops during summer 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Simply Red Concert in Bari

When will Simply Red perform in Bari?

Simply Red will perform on Wednesday, July 28, 2027, as part of the 23rd edition of Locus Festival.

Where will the concert take place?

The performance will take place at Fiera del Levante, the large exhibition and event complex located on Bari’s Adriatic waterfront.

Is this Simply Red’s first concert in Bari?

Yes. The 2027 performance will mark Simply Red’s first appearance in Bari.