Simply Red @ Lucca Summer Festival 2027

Simply Red will return to Lucca Summer Festival on Friday, July 30, 2027, as part of their Summer Funk ’27 tour. The concert will take place at Mura Storiche (Ex Balilla), the large outdoor venue beside Lucca’s Renaissance walls, and is scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM.

The Simply Red concert in Lucca will mark Mick Hucknall’s seventh appearance at the festival. The British band will perform a selection of their greatest hits, including Fairground, Something Got Me Started and Money’s Too Tight (to Mention), drawing on a musical career spanning more than four decades.

Tickets for Simply Red at Lucca Summer Festival 2027 went on general sale on September 25, 2026, through TicketOne. Standard tickets and VIP packages are available, subject to availability. The concert is also part of the festival’s 30th-anniversary edition, which will be held entirely in the Mura Storiche area.

Simply Red

Simply Red are a British pop and soul band formed in Manchester in 1985. The group is led by singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, its only remaining original member. Their music combines soul, pop, R&B, funk and soft rock, drawing considerable inspiration from American soul music and British popular music.

Before founding the band, Hucknall was the lead singer of the Manchester punk group The Frantic Elevators, active between 1977 and 1984. Following its dissolution, he began assembling a new group with manager Elliot Rashman. The name Simply Red developed from Hucknall’s nickname, Red, a reference to his distinctive hair colour.

The original lineup included Hucknall, guitarist David Fryman, bassist Tony Bowers, keyboardist Fritz McIntyre, trumpeter Tim Kellett and drummer Chris Joyce. Fryman was subsequently replaced by Sylvan Richardson. The group signed with Elektra Records in 1985 and began a recording career that would bring them considerable international success.

Their musical breakthrough came with Money’s Too Tight (to Mention), a cover of a song originally recorded by the Valentine Brothers. The subsequent success of Holding Back the Years, which Hucknall had previously written with Neil Moss, established the band internationally and demonstrated Hucknall’s distinctive approach to soul vocals.

Over the following decades, the group underwent numerous personnel changes, with Hucknall remaining its central creative figure. Simply Red disbanded in 2010, following a farewell tour, before returning in 2015. Their reunion marked the beginning of another period of recording and international touring.

The current touring lineup includes Ian Kirkham on saxophone, EWI and brass, Kenji Suzuki on guitar, Kevin Robinson on trumpet, horns and percussion, Roman Roth on drums, Gary Sanctuary on keyboards and Orefo Orakwue on bass. Together with Hucknall, these musicians form the lineup announced for the Summer Funk ’27 tour.
 

Simply Red Discography

The Simply Red discography comprises 13 studio albums, beginning with Picture Book, released on October 11, 1985. The debut reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and included Money’s Too Tight (to Mention) and Holding Back the Years. It introduced the combination of soul, pop and socially conscious songwriting that characterised the band’s early recordings.

Their second album, Men and Women, appeared in 1987. Produced by Alex Sadkin, it incorporated additional funk and soul influences and included The Right Thing and Infidelity. American songwriter Lamont Dozier collaborated with Hucknall on two compositions, strengthening the connection between the band’s music and the Motown tradition.

The third studio album, A New Flame, was released in 1989 and became the band’s first UK number-one album. Its most successful single was If You Don’t Know Me by Now, originally recorded by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Simply Red’s interpretation also reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Stars, released in September 1991, became one of the most commercially successful British albums of its decade. It included Something Got Me Started, Stars, For Your Babies and Thrill Me. Combining pop, soul and funk, the record topped the UK Albums Chart and achieved 12-times platinum certification in Britain.

The band followed with Life in 1995, another UK number-one album. Its lead single, Fairground, became Simply Red’s only UK number-one single. The album also included Remembering the First Time and Never Never Love, continuing the group’s development of contemporary soul and accessible pop arrangements.

Their next studio releases were Blue in 1998 and Love and the Russian Winter in 1999. Blue reached number one in the United Kingdom and included Say You Love Me. The following album incorporated more electronic and dance-oriented influences, reflecting a broader stylistic approach at the end of the decade.

Home, released in 2003, included the successful singles Sunrise and You Make Me Feel Brand New. It was followed by Simplified in 2005, which featured acoustic and rearranged interpretations of earlier material, and Stay in 2007, the band’s tenth studio album.

Following their reunion, Simply Red released Big Love in 2015 and Blue Eyed Soul in 2019. Their thirteenth studio album, Time, arrived in May 2023, featuring twelve original compositions written by Hucknall. Every Simply Red studio album has reached the UK Albums Chart’s Top Ten.

Simply Red Awards and Sales

Simply Red have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, establishing themselves among Britain’s commercially successful pop and soul acts. Their catalogue includes five UK number-one albums, counting the 1996 Greatest Hits compilation, alongside numerous internationally successful singles and albums certified gold or platinum in multiple countries.

The band received three BRIT Awards. Simply Red won Best British Group in 1992 and 1993, while Mick Hucknall received the Best British Male Solo Artist award in 1993. These distinctions followed the international commercial success of A New Flame and Stars.

Simply Red have also received three Grammy Award nominations. In 1987, they were nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for Holding Back the Years. Their interpretation of If You Don’t Know Me by Now received another performance nomination in 1990.

Their honours additionally include two Ivor Novello Awards and a MOBO Award for Outstanding Achievement. These distinctions recognise different aspects of the group’s contribution to popular music, including songwriting, recorded performance and their longstanding association with British soul and R&B.

Stars remains their most significant commercial achievement. The album was the best-selling album in Britain and Europe for two consecutive years, in 1991 and 1992. Its UK sales have exceeded 3.4 million copies, making it one of the best-selling albums in British chart history.

Venue – Mura Storiche (Ex Balilla)

The former Campo Balilla has a long association with local sport in Lucca. From the post-war period, the area was used as a football field, hosting local competitions and sporting activities for more than half a century. The former playing field subsequently became an open green area used for major public events.

The present walls surrounding Lucca originated from a major Renaissance defensive project. Formal preparations began in 1513, while the principal construction phase extended from 1544 until 1650. The fortifications were designed in response to the development of firearms and the changing requirements of European military architecture.

The completed defensive system extends for approximately 4.2 kilometres around the historic centre and incorporates ten monumental bastions, gates, underground structures and former military spaces. The walls were never required to withstand a major siege and gradually lost their original defensive purpose as military technology and political conditions changed.

During the nineteenth century, the fortifications were progressively transformed into the public promenade and urban park that characterise Lucca today. Their broad, tree-lined upper avenues now form one of the city’s most recognisable landmarks and provide a continuous route around the historic centre.

The Ex Campo Balilla area allows large-scale outdoor concerts to be organised beside this monumental setting. Previous major Lucca Summer Festival performances have used the spaces surrounding the city walls when a larger concert area was required than the festival’s traditional Piazza Napoleone venue could provide.

The site has accommodated major international productions, including The Rolling Stones’ 2017 concert, which attracted more than 55,000 spectators. Its extensive open space enables organisers to accommodate large audiences and install the staging, sound equipment and technical infrastructure required for major touring acts.

How to Get to Mura Storiche (Ex Balilla)

On foot: Lucca railway station is approximately 500 metres from the Ex Campo Balilla area. The station stands immediately south of the historic walls, making walking a convenient option for visitors arriving by train. The concert area can be reached from the station via the southern side of the walls and Viale Carducci.

By bus: Several services operate along Viale Carducci, close to the concert area. Current routes serving stops on the avenue include 5, 6, 51, 53, 57 and 59, together with other urban and extra-urban connections. Concert-day traffic restrictions may require temporary changes to normal routes and stopping points.

By taxi: Lucca has municipal taxi services and taxi ranks at locations including Lucca railway station. The city’s RadioTaxi service operates through +39 0583 1745, while independent taxis can be requested through +39 0583 1646464. Availability, journey times and access to the venue may vary considerably on major festival evenings.

Lucca Summer Festival 2027

Lucca Summer Festival 2027 marks the festival’s 30th anniversary, celebrating an event that began in 1998. Its inaugural edition featured international performers including Bob Dylan, George Benson and Joe Cocker, establishing a musical programme that gradually developed into one of Italy’s major annual summer concert events.

Over the years, the festival has welcomed a wide range of international musicians, including David Bowie, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, Roger Waters and Ed Sheeran. Its programmes have covered rock, pop, jazz, soul and numerous other musical genres.

The festival traditionally combines concerts in the historic centre, particularly Piazza Napoleone, with larger performances beside the Renaissance walls. For the 2027 anniversary edition, organisers have announced that every concert will take place in the Mura Storiche area, providing a single location for the programme.

Simply Red were the second act announced for the anniversary edition, following Take That, who will perform on July 20 as part of The Dreamers Tour. Muse were subsequently confirmed for July 17, marking the British rock trio’s first appearance at the festival.

For Mick Hucknall, the July 30 concert represents his seventh appearance at Lucca Summer Festival. His return follows Simply Red’s 40th-anniversary celebrations in 2025, during which the group performed almost 50 sold-out concerts across the United Kingdom, Europe and Latin America.

The Summer Funk ’27 tour is the band’s first following those anniversary celebrations. Its Italian itinerary includes concerts in Venice, Rome, Pompeii, Bari and Lucca, with the Lucca performance scheduled as the final Italian date. The festival appearance will feature material from Simply Red’s extensive catalogue of soul, pop and funk recordings.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Simply Red Concert in Lucca

When will Simply Red perform in Lucca?

Simply Red will perform on Friday, July 30, 2027, as part of Lucca Summer Festival’s 30th-anniversary edition, at the Mura Storiche concert area.

Where will the Simply Red concert take place?

The concert will take place at Mura Storiche (Ex Balilla), the large outdoor event area beside Lucca’s Renaissance city walls, near Viale Carducci.

Is the Simply Red concert part of a tour?

Yes. The performance is part of the Summer Funk ’27 tour, which includes concerts at historic venues across the United Kingdom and Europe.

How can I get to the concert venue by train?

Travel to Lucca railway station, approximately 500 metres from Ex Campo Balilla. From the station, the venue can be reached on foot via the southern walls.

Will Simply Red perform elsewhere in Italy in 2027?

Yes. The announced Italian itinerary includes Venice, Rome, Pompeii and Bari, in addition to Lucca. The performances are part of the band’s Summer Funk ’27 tour.