One of the pleasures of summer is attending live shows in arenas and open-air theatres: Versilia and its surroundings offer varied, rich and excellent programmes. Let’s take a look at the most interesting appointments.
Villa Bertelli – Forte dei Marmi
From 12 July to 19 August, Forte dei Marmi offers the 12th edition of Villa Bertelli Live, with Italian and international artists in the evocative setting of Villa Bertelli.
After Skunk Anansie (12 July), it will be the turn of Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals on 17 July. Among the most anticipated artists are Alfa (30 July), Alessandra Amoroso (2 August), Fabri Fibra (13 August), Francesco Gabbani (16 August) and Fedez (19 August).
Special events include Gianluca Gotto‘s motivational show (3 August), Sal Da Vinci‘s concert (8 August), Alex Wyse (12 August) and a tribute to Ennio Morricone with the Massimo De Bernart Orchestra and Choir (17 August).
Marina di Pietrasanta – La Versiliana
Dire Straits Legacy (9 August), which reunites some of the legendary British band’s historic members on stage, and the show Mania (1 August), a tribute to ABBA, coming from London. On 27 August it will be the turn of Tony Hadley, former frontman of Spandau Ballet, with the band’s most famous songs.
Sottovoce is a series of encounters in which leading figures from the worlds of film and music will tell their stories through anecdotes, images and live performances. Guests include Diego Abatantuono joined by Ale & Franz.
On the theatre front we will see Elio with Quando un musicista ride (25 July), storyteller Federico Buffa with La milonga del Fútbol (17 August), Giovanni Storti and Stefano Mancuso with Alberi (16 July) and Stefano De Martino with Meglio stasera (27 August).
Space is also given to popularisation thanks to Stefano Nazzi with Indagini live (31 July), Roberta Bruzzone and Giuseppe Lavenia with Genitori sull’orlo di una crisi di nervi (7 August) and Umberto Galimberti with Il bene e il male. Educating the new generations (29 August). Il bene e il male. Educare le nuove generazioni (29 August).
The musical programme features Alice (26 July), Simone Cristicchi (2 August), Marco Masini (6 August), Serena Rossi (10 August), Nek (13 August), Patty Pravo (12 August) and tenor Matteo Macchioni (11 August).
Comedians include Paolo Hendel (17 July), Andrea Pucci (14 and 16 August) and Andrea Paris
Also new is La Zanzara Tour with Giuseppe Cruciani and David Parenzo (20 July). This will be followed by the charity evening C’è da ridere, in favour of the association C’è da fare ETS, with Paolo Kessisoglu, Luca Ravenna, Antonio Ornano and other surprise guests. The show alternates comic and musical moments, tackling sensitive issues with lightness and irony.
Torre del Lago — 71st Puccini Festival
The 71st edition of the Puccini Festival is scheduled from 18 July to 6 September at the open-air Gran Teatro in Torre del Lago.
Five operas are on the programme: starting with Tosca in a new production directed by Alfonso Signorini and conducted by Giorgio Croci. La bohème will be directed by Ettore Scola and conducted by Pier Giorgio Morandi. Turandot will follow, again directed by Alfonso Signorini and conducted by Renato Palumbo. August will see the staging of Madama Butterfly in the production by Manu Lalli, with the orchestra conducted by Antonino Fogliani, and Manon Lescaut with the direction of Daniele De Plano, who conducted it here in 2003, and the musical direction of Valerio Galli.
Performers include singers Aleksandra Kurzac, Eleonora Buratto, Roberto Alagna, Michael Fabiano, Luca Salsi, Nino Machaidze, Vittorio Grigolo, Anna Pirozzi, Olga Maslova, Gregory Kunde, Yusif Eyvazof, Maria Agresta, Vincenzo Costanzo, Maria José Siri and Luciano Ganci.
In terms of dates, the opening is Tosca (18 July) and La bohème (19 July). The following weekend, 25 and 26 July, it will be the turn of Turandot and again La bohème; more dates are available for these operas. There will be two performances for Madama Butterfly, on 8 and 23 August, and two for Manon Lescaut on 30 August and 6 September to close the event.
On 24 July there will be a special event, Morricone Story with the Festival Orchestra conducted by Marcello Rota, and the participation of soprano Susanna Rigacci and trumpeter Nello Salza.
On 13 August, Michelangelo Mazza will conduct the Gran Galà Lirico, with Anna Netrebko, Martin Mühle and Jérôme Boutilier.
Lucca — Summer Festival 2025
Variety of genres and styles for the Lucca Summer Festival, which returns to Piazza Napoleone until 27 July, with a rich programme of international artists.
Among the artists on the bill are Pet Shop Boys (20 July), Jennifer Lopez (21 July), Alanis Morissette (23 July), Simple Minds (24 July) and Bryan Adams (27 July).
