Music Festivals in Pisa in 2022

If you're traveling to Pisa sometime during 2022 and are hoping to catch a music festival while there, you may be hoping in vain. Pisa isn't a city that embraces the festival movement in any major way, but one that much prefers to present its music-related events in a more intimate way by staging concerts.

As you might expect in such a historic Italian city, the onus here is on classical music and opera performances rather than rock, pop, and techno. There are some events in Pisa though that may well satisfy your festival cravings even though they're briefer, less wild, and definitely not always somewhere you can really let your hair down. Headbanging or throwing a few tecktonik moves at classical concerts doesn't go down well at all, but will get you lots of attention even if you're not very good.

Whether you're attending a concert or going to a festival you can't go with bags or you'll be refused entry. Security for events is as tight in Italy as it is elsewhere in the world. You won't want to miss out on the chance of catching some great acts on the rare occasion they appear so leave your belongings at a Bounce luggage storage facility in Pisa. They'll be stored in an economical-to-hire luggage locker that's security tagged for safety. Do that and if you're heading off to listen to Puccini, you'll walk into the concert looking like a class act.

The concerts you will be able to attend in Pisa if you're there at the right time are as diverse as Puccini's operas are to Jethro Tull or Duran Duran. If you can't get over your festival fever then really the only remedy is to jump on a bus, one of the best ways to get about in and around Pisa, and take the twenty-minute ride to the neighboring city of Lucca for the Summer Festival. Your only other option is to head for Florence, which is also not far away, for the huge metal festival held there every year.

Music Festivals In Pisa In 2022

When you're in Pisa you may not have the chance to get a three-day-long dance-in-the-mud experience like you would if you attended a music festival such as Glastonbury in the UK or Loveland in Amsterdam. The festivals and concerts are still worth going to, though, as who knows? You may even discover a love for classical music or opera you never knew you had.

Cappodano Pisano

If your favorite annual celebration is New Year's Eve then you'll want to be in Pisa for March the 25th when the Cappodano Pisano is held, but don't expect a modern celebration. This is totally medieval.

The Cappodano Pisano is a New Year's celebration that dates back to the mid-18th century when the calendar that decided events like the end of the year was completely different. The group of celebrants who continue to adhere to the old ways and maintain this part of Pisa's rich culture alive, do it in traditional style by dressing up in medieval costumes, parading through the streets, and having a good old boogie on down to medieval music. It might not be your average music festival or New Year party, but it's great fun if you enter into the spirit of it.

Musica Sotto La Torre

Even if you don't speak Italian, you can make a half-decent guess where the series of upcoming events known as the Musica Sotto La Torre is going to be held. Give yourself a pat on the back if you said under or near the Leaning Tower of Pisa because you got it right. Molto bene – you'll be fluent in no time, which could come in handy when you're out searching for some of the best street food in Pisa.

Musica Sotto La Torre, or Music Under The Tower is a series of four classical and operatic concerts in Pisa that take place in the Camposanto, sacred grounds, of the city's cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo under the shadow of the leaning tower. The concerts take place between the 27th of June and the 4th of July beginning at around nine in the evening so the atmosphere is totally magical.

To be able to attend any of the concerts you have to acquire a ticket. Tickets are not available online or via email. The only place you can get tickets is from the information desk at the Sinopie Museum on the day of the concert you want to attend between the hours of eight in the morning until ten minutes to nine at night which is literally twenty-five minutes before the performance starts. Admission is free, but there's no entry without a ticket.

Tip: Go to the museum in the morning as early as you can as about half the city will be wanting to attend the same event.

Festival of San Ranieri

While the Festival of San Ranieri isn't exactly a music festival, it is the day that the entire city of Pisa puts its party hat on. If you're in Pisa on the 17th of June, there is no way you'll be able to avoid the celebrations for the patron saint of Pisa without leaving town.

The festivities began on the night of the 16th with a fiesta known as La Lumina which is a festival of light that illuminates the entire historic center. There are parades and marching bands too so it's not a peaceful party. While an effigy of the saint is carried through the city on a litter, it's his unique appearance and he has no other upcoming tour dates on his agenda.

June 17th is more about watching than participating as the event takes to the River Arno in the form of a regatta where men in medieval costumes have boat races. No, it's not a music festival, but as far as amazing events go in Pisa, it's one of the best.

Borderline Rock Fest 

The Borderline Club is a no-frills live rock music venue on the Via Giuseppe Vernaccini in Pisa which hosts its own rock festival.

In 2022, the Borderline Rock Fest is a two-day event that takes place on the 23rd and 24th of July in the city's Giardino Scotto, a public park that contains the ruins of a fortress. Headlining the bill are Strana Oficina, Deathless legacy, Zerokills, and Angel Martyr.

The gates open on both days at eight in the evening and performances kick off around nine. Tickets can be purchased in advance online.

Pisa Anima Mundi Festival

The Anima Mundi Festival in Pisa might not be everyone's cup of tea as far as music genres are concerned, but it is an important music festival, and one with an undeniably classy ambiance, for sacred music not just in Italy, but internationally too.

The Anima Mundi Festival consists of seven individual orchestral concerts of sacred music performed in Pisa Cathedral and in the Camposanto from mid-September through to October.

The Anima Mundi Festival also involves a competition sponsored by the Anima Mundi Foundation and the Opera della Primaziale Pisano. Composers of sacred music are invited to create an original music score based on a different theme chosen each year. The piece chosen as the winner is performed during the series of concerts held in the cathedral of the region's capital.

Concerts and festivals Near Pisa In 2022

Villa Bertelli

If Jethro Tull is one of your favorite bands and you'd hate to miss Ian Anderson tooting his flute if you're in the near vicinity, because he's one of your all-time favorite artists, you'll want to be at the Villa Bertelli on the 8th of August.

Villa Bertelli is an event venue in Forte dei Marmi, a popular holiday region on Italy's northwest coast about half an hour's drive from Pisa. That's a very short distance to travel when you get to see the grandmaster live on stage doing his thing when you get there. It's a one-off concert so make sure you buy tickets well in advance if you plan on being in Pisa in August so you don't miss one of the best events to happen near Pisa in 2022.

Firenze Rocks

As far as Toscana music festivals go, Firenze Rocks is one of the biggest in the region. Firenze Rocks is held from the 16th to the 19th of June in the neighboring city of Florence which is around an hour and a half's drive from Pisa. That's not far to go for this festival though.

Firenze Rocks takes place in the Visarno Arena, an enormous festival and concert venue on Florence's Viale del Visarno, with a crowd capacity of over ten thousand. It's one of the largest venues of its kind in Italy and hosts all the big-name artists who come to the Tuscany region. Both the Foo Fighters and Ed Sheeran have played there.

Topping the bill at this year's Firenze Rocks are groups like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, and the Blind Monkeys, plus many more besides who you may or may not have heard of. For event updates check the official Firenze Rocks website.

Lucca Summer Festival

Lucca is a town twenty minutes north of Pisa that loves concerts performed by the biggest names they can get.

The Lucca Summer Festival is a month-long series of concerts this year featuring amazing artists like Zucchero, Robert Plant, John Legend, Justin Beiber, Celine Dion, Duran Duran, and Liam Gallagher, to mention just some of the stars attending.

The concerts are held on different dates and at various venues beginning in June and continuing through to the end of July. You can see a full program of upcoming events on the official Lucca Summer Festival website.

Puccini Festival

If the Lucca Summer Festival doesn't grab your interest then the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago near Lucca just might.

The Puccini Festival is an annual event that has been held in the birthplace of the great Italian composer, Giacomo Puccini, for almost a hundred years. Wait until 2030 to go and you'll be able to attend the centennial celebration.

The Puccini Festival consists of a series of concerts taking place throughout July and August of opera and orchestral music on a stage in a forty-thousand-seat amphitheater by the waterside. It's a magical location to sit and listen to world-renowned music. 

Tip: Even though the amphitheater has a huge capacity these are very popular concerts so if you're planning on attending any one of them, get your tickets well in advance.

Conclusion

Pisa might not be on the same level as other European cities like Amsterdam, Berlin, or even Valencia for music festivals, but there's no denying it has its own style when presenting big musical events. Yes, the music tends to be stuck in either the rock, pop, classic or operatic genres with not a lot of anything else in between, but after all, this is Italy and the home of opera, so why expect anything else?

Planning to stay some more days in Pisa?

It's fair to say that unless you're a fan of classical or rock music, the music festivals in Pisa are not going to occupy a great deal of your time in this Italian city. If you're planning to stay for more than three days in Pisa, you're going to need to find something else to do. That won't be a hardship though, believe it.

When you have time on your hands, and no music festival to go to, consider having a browse around some of the best museums in Pisa. When you're in need of some fresh air and exercise, you'll find that the best hikes in Pisa will lead you, not just around the historic areas of the city, but into the stunningly scenic landscapes of Tuscany too. What could be better than that?