Summer is the season of music festivals in Italy.
From north to south and from east to west, every city hosts at least one summer music festival, where big international names or less known local artists perform on stage.
The champion is Milan, with many important music festivals taking place in the city during the summer months, but Rome and Bologna are serious contenders for the title.
The most important thing for a music festival, in our opinion, is the lineup, and this is the main criterion we used in the conception of the following list. Let’s see below what are the top 10 most important music festivals in Italy in 2023.
10. THE RETURN OF THE GODS 2023 – July 2, 2023, Bologna
The heavy metal festival Return of the Gods 2023 will take place on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at the Arena Parco Nord, in Bologna.
Arena Parco Nord is a natural amphitheater located in Bologna, used primarily for open-air concerts. The Arena is located about 4 kilometers away from the historical center of Bologna, and about 3.5 kilometers from the Bologna Centrale railway station.
So far, the names included on the lineup of the Return of the Gods 2023 are Pantera, Kreator and Behemot.
9. KNOTFEST ITALY 2023 – June 25, 2023, Bologna
Knotfest Italy 2023 will take place on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at the Arena Parco Nord, in Bologna.
Knotfest is a music festival created in 2012 by the American heavy metal band Slipknot. After the United States, Japan, Mexico, Colombia, France, Germany, Finland, Chile, Brazil and Australia, the iconic metal festival comes for the first time to Italy.
The lineup of the festival features names like Slipknot, Architects, Amon Amarth, I Prevail, Lorna Shore, Nothing More and Destrage.
8. UMBRIA JAZZ FESTIVAL 2023 – July 7-16, 2023, Perugia
Umbria Jazz Festival 2023, one of the most popular jazz festivals in the world, will take place between July 7 and 16, 2023, in Perugia.
The wide appeal of the event attracts people in the main squares of the city, especially in Piazza IV Novembre, where Fontana Maggiore, Palazzo dei Priori and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo act as a backdrop for the musical show.
However, since 2003, the most important concerts of the festival take place on the Arena Santa Giuliana, a stadium in Perugia, used mainly for soccer games.
The lineup of the festival includes artists like Mika, Brad Mehldau Trio, Branford Marsalis, Rhiannon Giddens, Snarky Puppy, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Stewart Copeland and Joe Bonamassa.
7. ROCK IN ROMA 2023 – June, July, August, 2023, Rome
Rock in Roma 2023, one of the most loved music festivals in Italy, will take place during the months of June, July and August, 2023, in the beautiful city of Rome.
The Capannelle Racecourse (Ippodromo delle Capannelle) is a horse racing venue in Rome. The racecourse is the main venue of the Rock in Roma 2023.
Some of the artists announced so far for the Rock in Roma 2023 are Arctic Monkeys and Imagine Dragons.
6. MANTOVA LIVE ESTATE 2023 – June-July, 2023, Mantua
Mantova Live Estate 2023 will take place during the summer months of 2023, in the beautiful city of Mantua.
The concerts are usually held in Piazza Sordello, but the festival also uses venues such as the courtyard of Palazzo Te, the Bike-In Arena, located in Campo Canoa, or the historical theater Teatro Sociale.
The lineup of the Mantova Live Estate 2023 features names like Sting, Sigur Rós and OneRepublic.
5. FIRENZE ROCKS 2023 – June 15-18, 2023, Florence
Firenze Rocks 2023, one of the most important music festivals in Italy, will take place between June 15 and 18, 2023, at the Visarno Arena, in Parco delle Cascine, in Florence.
Visarno Arena is an outdoor arena located within the Visarno Hippodrome, in the Cascine Park, in Florence. The arena is located about 2.5 kilometers away from the Santa Maria Novella railway station, and can be easily reached by public transport from the center of Florence.
So far, the artists announced for the Firenze Rocks 2023 are The Who and Maroon 5.
4. MILANO SUMMER FESTIVAL 2023 – June-July, 2023, Milan
Milano Summer Festival 2023 will be held during the months of June and July, 2023, at the San Siro Racetrack (Ippodromo Snai – San Siro), in Milan.
The San Siro Racetrack, built in the 1920s and renovated in 1975, can be considered a monument of national interest. The area, dedicated to live concerts and equestrian sport, is located on the outskirts of Milan, in Piazzale dello Sport.
So far, the artists announced for the Milano Summer Festival 2023 are Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard and Iron Maiden.
3. I-DAYS FESTIVAL 2023 – June-July, 2023, Milan
I-DAYS Festival 2023, one of the most important music festivals in Italy in recent years, will take place during the months of June and July, 2023, at the Ippodromo Snai Milano Trenno, in Milan.
Ippodromo Milano Trenno is a new arena created by Snaitech within the historic equestrian center of San Siro Racetrack (Ippodromo Snai – San Siro). The space is destined for the organization of major musical events and festivals, a beautiful urban location surrounded by greenery.
So far, the lineup of the festival features names such as Florence + The Machine, Travis Scott, Liam Gallagher, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Arctic Monkeys.
2. ROMA SUMMER FEST 2023 – June, July, August, September, 2023, Rome
Roma Summer Fest 2023 will take place during the months of June, July, August and September, 2023, in Rome.
All the concerts of the festival will be held in the beautiful Cavea amphitheater, the main venue of the Auditorium Parco della Musica. The Cavea is an open-air amphitheater in the heart of the Auditorium, which can accommodate up to 3,000 spectators.
The lineup of the Roma Summer Fest 2023 includes names like Mariza, Pet Shop Boys, The Lumineers, Beth Hart, Sigur Rós, OneRepublic and Sting.
1. LUCCA SUMMER FESTIVAL 2023 – July, 2023, Lucca
Lucca Summer Festival 2023, the most important music festival in Italy and one of the most important in the world, will take place during the month of July, 2023, in Lucca.
The concerts will be held, as usual, in the historical center of the city, in Piazza Napoleone, or outside the historic walls of Lucca, in the former Ballila Field.
The lineup of the 2023 edition of the Lucca Summer Festival features artists like KISS, Simply Red, Placebo, Norah Jones, OneRepublic, Sigur Rós, Blur and The Chemical Brothers.
