Music Festivals in Bologna in 2022

While Bologna is not necessarily known for its music festivals, there are plenty of outdoor concerts for you to get your music fix. The city is best known for its food and wine festivals and while there might be some live music played at those types of festivals, do not expect too many outright music festivals where you can rock out with other music lovers unless you head to one of the concerts on tap for 2022.

From classical to jazz to rock n roll, artists of almost every genre make a stop in Bologna at some point throughout the year. When you are ready to get out and party while listening to live bands, check out the different festivals and concerts that are scheduled to invade Bologna.

Find Bounce luggage storage in Bologna before you make your way to the festival or concert. Don't lug your bags with you throughout the city or while you are dancing the night away to live music.

The best music festivals in Bologna in 2022

Bologna Festival - Concerts Bologna 2022 – 41st Edition

The Bologna Festival has been around for over 40 years and the concerts generally take place from May to October. This concert series is extremely popular with locals and tourists with many people coming in from out-of-town to enjoy these concerts.

This year’s concert series is dedicated to the following musicians: Giuseppe Verdi, Farinelli, Claude Debussy, and Giuseppe Sinopoli. There are two different piano recitals scheduled; one by Alexander Gadjiev paying homage to Chopin and the other by Khatia Buniatishvili regaling the audience with renditions of Couperin, Liszt, Bach, Satie, and Schubert.

From classical to comical to popular, the music stylings vary throughout the concert series and you will find that there is something for everyone. You do not have to be a lover of classical music to find delight in these concerts, they are entertaining and bring a new level of culture to the city. The pianist Maria Grazia Bellocchio will mesmerize you as her fingers fly over the keys.

Tartini and Mario Brunello team for an amazing concert while Vivica Genaux partners with Musiciens du Louvre. The Eos Quartet is also on the schedule as are the Soloists of the Camerata Academica. The list goes on and on and it is best to check the website for more information and a complete program of artists and concert dates.

 Bologna Sonic Park

This fantastic rock music festival is held during June and July in the Parco Nord Arena which is a natural amphitheater that is mostly used for outdoor concerts. This amphitheater is also used for the Independent Days Festival that was held in Bologna until 2018.

Be sure to get your tickets ahead of time as this festival is always packed. The festival debuted in 2019 with an awesome lineup including Weezer, Amon Amarth, Slipknot, Skunk Anansie, Greta Van Fleet, Bring Me the Horizon, and Testament. 

Due to COVID, the festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 but is back with a lineup that rocks. The lineup includes Deep Purple, The Chemical Brothers, My Chemical Romance, and Iron Maiden. The artists featured range from heavy metal legends to modern hard-core rock. This is the best music festival in Bologna where you get a little bit of hard rock, a little bit of heavy metal, with a splash of emu and pop.

Thru Collected & Dirty Socks

Thru Collected is coming to Bologna on June 10th at the Covo Club on Viale Zagabria. For those not familiar with Thru Collected, this is a group of independent artists that collaborate on projects. They have developed close working relationships and friendships, making their collaborations that much more special.

The artists that make up Thru Collected include Sano, Alice, Altea, and Luky Iapolo. Alice is the main collaborator and is credited with founding Thru Collected. The music is electrifying and the group really stretches their musical abilities when they are together. You never know what they will come up with next.

With backgrounds in folk, percussion, rock, metal, and techno their concerts have a little something for everyone. When Thru Collected comes to Bologna, tickets do tend to go fast so make sure you secure your tickets early.

Dirty Socks is another collective group of artists that have been working together to create unique and moving music. They have teamed up with Thru Collected to tour together in 2022. Dirty Socks is best known for their single “DSTRZN”. You will fall in love with this group when you see them live.

Lezione Aperta di Pizzica

June 10th finds Circolo La Fattoria on Via Pirandello hopping when Lezione Aperta di Pizzica comes to Bologna. The venue is actually located in the Piazza Libera and the audience will spill out into the piazza for a great night of live music, amazing street food, and of course, craft beer. Admission is free of charge, but get there early before it gets too crowded.

The concert will feature Domenico Celiberti playing the barrel organ, guitar, violin, and doing vocals. Gianluca Carta will be on frame drums and also singing while Simone Pistis will also be on barrel organ and guitar while singing. While the group is generally popular in Southern Italy, they have a pretty good following in Northern Italy making it a nice concert to be a part of.

Chet Faker Concert

Head to Sequoie Music Park in Parco delle Caserme Rosse on Via di Corticella on June 23rd to hear Australian singer-songwriter Chet Faker perform his new music along with his older songs that are always crowd pleasers.

Chet Faker is part of the electronic genre and is one of the pioneers of this music style. He has gained quite a following and his concerts are almost always sold out. Chet Faker has even received several ARIA awards including Producer of the Year, Best Male Artist, and Engineer of the Year. His new album, Hotel Surrender, was released last year but due to COVID, the tour was postponed until 2022. The album has ten new songs that are self-produced and will make his fans go crazy when they hear them live.

Sinfonia Circense featuring MagdaClan & Orchestra Senzaspine

Parco Villa Angeletti on Via Yuri Gagarin and Via Carracci Bologna will be rocking on June 24th when Sinfonia Circense comes to town. This afternoon concert will have the park in a tizzy as the poetic stylings of MagdaClan pair delightfully with the music of the Senzaspine Orchestra.

This Circus Symphony is truly a masterpiece you do not want to miss. It is so much more than just a concert, it is an entire show with circus imagery set to classical music with pop and contemporary music thrown into the mix. This show is a wonderful opportunity to expose your kids to a variety of music styles in a way that they will find exciting.

The show lasts about an hour but you will be talking about it for the rest of the year. Grab your tickets online to ensure you have a seat since seating is limited at this venue. Come back in July for another fabulous show that includes the MagdaClan Estate filled with magical performances and terrific CGI.

Fat Freddy’s Drop

Another fantastic act heading into Bologna is Fat Freddy’s Drop. Head to Botanigue on Via Filippo on July 13th for a memorable night of wonderful music. You do not want to miss the Special Edition Part 1 Album Release Tour where you will hear a lot of their new music as well as some of their older fan favorites. 

This is a smaller venue that still offers a lot of different experiences for you and your friends to have a great time without getting into trouble. Have a drink or two while you are rocking out to Fat Freddy's Drop.

Paul Weller

The Estragon Club in Parco Nord on Via Stalingrado is hosting Paul Weller on September 13th. Come out for an afternoon concert that will include so many of his hits and he will also be debuting new music that was put on hold due to COVID. You will not want to miss this concert, so get your tickets early before they sell out.

Paul Weller is a singer-songwriter who also plays piano and guitar. Much of the newer music has his bandmates collaborating with him to create some pretty special musical pieces that you will want to hear in person. If you liked Cosmic Fringes, you will love hearing it played live. Grab your friends and spend the afternoon listening to great music and having a beer or two.

The Detroit Cobras

The Covo Club on Viale Zagabria is hosting The Detroit Cobras on September 20th. Grab your tickets to hear this USA garage rock band play live. The Covo Club has food and drink available during the concert and it is a good venue to hang out and hear your favorite bands play live.

The Detroit Cobras is led by Mary Ramirez and Rachel Nagy and excels at screeching out awesome anthem songs that pay tribute to garage bands around the world. Don’t expect to hear love songs or lullabies when this band comes to town, they are hard core metal all the way and these girls do not let you forget that they are bad to the bone.

Land Rock Festival

This is an exciting music festival where young artists and musicians can get on stage in front of a live audience and showcase their own work. The dates for the festival have not been announced yet, it will be held at the Parco delle Querce e Botteghino di Zocco.

If you are a musician, head to the Land Rock Festival and put your name on the list of performers to get your name and music out there. It is a way to get your creative juices flowing while cheering on other young artists. Food and drink are available during the festival. Make a day of it and create memories with your friends.

Planning to stay some more days in Bologna?

While Bologna is not brimming with music festivals, it does have its fair share of concerts and live music. You will find plenty of opportunities to listen to wonderful music, whether it is at one of the few music festivals or at a concert, or at a small club. Grab your friends and spend an afternoon or evening listening to amazing live music.

Bologna concerts mainly take place in the spring and summer but you will find an occasional concert in the fall. This is the perfect time to spend 3 days in Bologna. Search for your favorite artists and check out the upcoming events in Bologna, Italy. Iron Maiden and Chemical Romance are coming back to rock the city, or maybe you are looking for something a little more sedate, you will find it at one of the music festivals or concerts.

If you are in the city for a concert or festival, check out Citta di Bologna, a family camping village. You can rent a bungalow, or a lodge, or rough it a bit at one of the camping pitches. The camping village is peaceful and the perfect place to unwind after a concert. Take a little time for shopping in Bologna before you head back home.

Plan to dance the night away at some of the best things to do at night in Bologna with plenty of nightclubs, lounges, and fun-filled activities. You will definitely find plenty to keep you busy after the music festival ends.

If you're planning to stay longer in Bologna, take a look at our other Bologna guides for other fun activities!

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