by MK
“Ciao, Gorizia! Every year I come back here, I risk my life throughout the year, and here we are again.” With that trademark mix of humor and affection, Cesare Cremonini greeted a crowd of 25,000 people on May 31, turning a warm evening in Gorizia into one of the region’s largest musical gatherings of the year.
The concert, part of his Data Zero tour, came just one day after Tiziano Ferro opened the summer concert season in Lignano Sabbiadoro, setting the stage for months of major live performances across Friuli Venezia Giulia. Trieste, too, is preparing for its share of headline acts, including Gorillaz in Piazza Unità on July 25.
But on Saturday night, the spotlight belonged entirely to Cremonini.
The singer wasted little time before launching into a string of crowd favorites. When the opening notes of “Spegni le Luci della Città” rang out, the audience responded instantly, singing along to the song’s tale of heartbreak and lingering memories. The chorus swelled as thousands of voices merged into one, creating the kind of moment that has become a hallmark of Cremonini’s live performances.
There were plenty of other familiar hits. “Stella di Broadway,” one of the singer’s most enduring songs, prompted another enthusiastic singalong, while waves of illuminated smartphones transformed the crowd into a glittering backdrop stretching across the venue.
For much of the evening, the atmosphere felt less like a concert and more like a collective celebration. Fans of different generations sang every lyric, danced between songs and embraced the arrival of a season that, in Friuli Venezia Giulia, is increasingly defined by large-scale outdoor events.
