by InTrieste
Thousands of music fans are expected to descend on Trieste this weekend as two major concerts transform Piazza Unità d’Italia into one of Italy’s largest outdoor music venues.
British virtual band Gorillaz will perform on Saturday before a crowd of nearly 16,000, followed on Sunday by a free concert from Italian dance group Eiffel 65 expected to attract about 10,000 people.
The influx of visitors has pushed hotel occupancy to near capacity. Only a handful of rooms remain available for Saturday night, with rates approaching €500. Local hoteliers said they had monitored prices to discourage excessive increases, reporting some listings to local authorities after unusually high rates appeared online.
Organizers have spent several days assembling the stage, while security checkpoints will screen spectators entering the square on both evenings.
The Gorillaz performance, the band’s only northern Italy stop on its current tour, has drawn audiences from across Italy and abroad. Of the nearly 16,000 tickets sold, only about 3,200 were purchased in Friuli Venezia Giulia, with roughly 30% of attendees expected to travel from outside Italy.
