Ligabue opens stadium tour in Rome with anti-war anthems and a 54,000-strong crowd, raising voices against 56 ongoing conflicts

A rock ritual turns political

Luciano Ligabue launched the stadium leg of his 'La notte di certe notti' tour on 12 June at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, the first date after a warm-up show in Bibione. With 54,000 tickets sold for the capital alone and a total of 161,000 across the four summer stadium dates, the concert became a gathering of both nostalgia and protest. The setlist split into album-themed blocks, opening with 'Balliamo sul mondo' and closing with the title track.

56 wars on the big screens

The most striking moment arrived with 'Il mio nome è mai più', the 1999 anti-war collaboration with Jovanotti and Piero Pelù. As Ligabue performed, the giant screens lit up with messages: 'Enough with the massacre in Gaza', 'Enough with the massacre in Ukraine', 'Enough with the massacres in Sudan', and 'Enough with the 56 massacres going on in the world'. Speaking before the concert, Ligabue said the song remained painfully relevant.

I've been singing this live for 27 years, and I always remember that there's not just a massacre in Gaza; there's one in Ukraine, in Sudan, and 59 others around the world.

A response to De Gregori

The political stance put Ligabue in contrast with fellow Italian singer-songwriter Francesco De Gregori, who had recently criticised artists who deliver political proclamations from the stage. Asked about the remarks, Ligabue acknowledged De Gregori as a pillar of Italian music and a free thinker, but made his disagreement clear.

Francesco is a treasure of Italian music and culture, one of the freest thinkers. I like that, but I don't share that thought. I think he wanted to show, with some annoyance, that music isn't obliged to take sides. I try to speak through my songs.

Violence against women and a new single

The concert also served as the live debut of 'Nessuno è di qualcuno', an unreleased track dedicated to women who have suffered violence. Ligabue noted that in Italy one in three women experiences some form of abuse. The song's proceeds will go to the foundation 'Una Nessuna Centomila'. Black-and-white video clips showed actors such as Pierfrancesco Favino, Luca Zingaretti, and Fiorella Mannoia mouthing the title phrase.

Family affair and box-office numbers

On stage Ligabue was joined by his son Lenny on drums and a lineup of guitarists who have shaped his sound over three decades. The tour continues at the Allianz Stadium in Turin on 17 June (30,000 tickets) and wraps its stadium run at a sold-out San Siro in Milan on 20 June (57,000 tickets). A further 15 arena dates will run from 22 September at the Arena di Verona to 24 October at the Unipol Dome in Milan.

Ligabue confirmed that after 2026 he will pause Italian dates, hinting at surprises abroad in 2027. He also dismissed any serious talk of participating in the Sanremo festival.