GOING TO A CONCERT IN ITALY WITH KIDS – Our Experiences + Tips

Last week I went to see the Gorillaz in Tuscany with two of my boys (ages 12 and 8), but I’ve been to concerts here in Italy with my boys since they’ve been babies. 

I wanted to share our experiences, with a focus on this last concert, in the hope that it will help you decide if it’s a good idea for your family to see a concert together while you’re in Italy.

To give you an idea of our experiences, we’ve seen a handful of bands and singers here with our kids, including:

• The Gorillaz
• Jonathan Wilson
• Macklemore
• Local bands

I’m sure I’m missing something, but I’m one hugo deep* on a Friday evening, so I’ll just stick with those. 

*my grand total for the night was 1

Good To Know:  I have also been to plenty of concerts in the US and other countries, but only one with kids (Pearl Jam in Chicago with my oldest son).  So this post is coming from that perspective.

Things to Consider

So, if you’re thinking about attending a concert here, some things to consider:

• Location – Can you drive or take public transport?  Are you ok if you have to wait for transport (for example, if the metro is full for 30 minutes post-show)?
• Time – Does the concert start after bedtime?  At the Gorillaz concert we just attended, the main act didn’t come on the stage until 10:30pm.  And we arrived late at 8pm.  The gates opened at 6pm.  That’s a long day!
• Temperature – If it’s a daytime music festival or concert, check the forecasted temps.  If you’ll be marinating in a swamp of fans in 35° C heat, you may want to skip the concert.
• Band – Do your kids like the band?  Or are you going for the adults in your group?  It certainly helps if your kids are interested.  My oldest definitely was keen to see the Gorillaz (it was his birthday present), but I heard the choir of my other son singing, “is it done yet?” throughout the show.
• Italian Experience – Does the concert enhance your Italy experience?  If it’s a band or singer you can see at home (in an easier and more comfortable and familiar way), it may be better to skip it in Italy.  However, the band may be more accessible (read: cheaper) here in Italy than at home.  For example, I had plenty of readers contact me about attending the Taylor Swift concert in Milan instead of purchasing tickets for her US concerts.
• Age of Your Kids – How old are your kids?  We’ve been to concerts with babies (hello, Jonathan Wilson), but purposely only in small venues, in cooler temperatures, and with BabyBanz ear protection headphones. 

Ok, so if you still want to go to a concert in Italy as a family, first you’ll need to buy your biglietti (tickets).

Buying Tickets for a Concert in Italy

I recommend sticking to the main ticket sellers like TicketOne and Ticketmaster Italia. 

You can purchase tickets online through your web browser or apps.  Even though I sometimes use 3^rd party sellers like SeetGeek and Stubhub for US ticket purchases, I’ve yet to use a non-official seller in Italy. 

We used TicketOne for our Gorillaz tickets. 

Heads Up: You may need to assign a name to each ticket, which can be a pain if you want to be flexible with who’s going and who isn’t.  Just assign each ticket and know that you can change the name if you need to, usually for a small fee.  I had to change one of our Gorillaz tickets through TicketOne and I paid €5 for the name change.

What to Bring to a Concert in Italy with Kids

What you bring will depend on many things (like the venue, time of year, etc), but here are some ideas and suggestions:

• Photo ID for everyone in your group.  Our Gorillaz tickets were purchased online and I had them in my phone wallet.  There was a note saying we needed to have photo ID to enter the event.  We weren’t asked for ID, but it would’ve been a bummer to be turned away for not having it.
• Credit card and cash.  Some concert venues are cashless, so you’ll need a credit card or contactless payment method.  Even if that’s the case, it’s still a good idea to have cash on hand for pre- or post-concert (taxis, food, etc).  Also, we’re in Italy and ‘cash-free’ may be used lightly (the merch tent was also taking cash because the WI-FI for the payment machines was less than optimal).
• Sunscreen, sunglasses, hats. 
• Water.  There’s a chance you’ll be asked to leave it at the entrance, but at least you can hydrate until you enter the concert.  At the Gorillaz, we were able to enter with water bottles as long as we removed the cap.  Inside, 500ml water bottles were for sale for €2.
• Ear protection.  It’s loud, just like a concert anywhere.  I didn’t have ear protection for my 8- or 12-year-olds and I was cringing at my poor planning.  I wish I’d brought headphones for them, even if it would’ve been a battle to get them to wear them.

Transport to Your Concert in Italy

Before I get to the actual transport modes, I want to remind you that you don’t have to show up when the gates open.  The band you want to see may not come on until later, or much later.  The gate for the Gorillaz opened at 6:00pm but they didn’t come onto the stage until 10:30pm.  If you want to get an idea of when they’ll come onstage, take a look at online forums (like Reddit) to see when they’ve been coming onstage on the same tour. 

If you come later, you’ll have less waiting around (unless you also want to see some of the opening acts).  It will also be cooler if it’s a summer concert.  However, you will also have more trouble finding parking if you’re driving.

How to Arrive – It Depends

We drove to the Gorillaz.  I wanted the flexibility.  I was not thrilled about finding parking (my legs were shaking driving around the trafficked, narrow streets by the venue), but we ended up finding a spot about a 15-minute walk from the entrance. 

Parking Tip #1:  Park a little further away so that you don’t have to sit in heavy traffic post-concert.  We walked 15 minutes to get to our car and had no traffic leaving the event.  I will admit I didn’t plan it this way, but I will do this from now on.

Parking Tip #2:  Mark your parking spot in your phone (screenshot your location in Google Maps, or make a note of the cross streets).

Parking Tip #3:  Check the parking signs if you’re street parking.  Make sure you’re not blocking someone’s driveway or taking up too much space on the street.  Stay out of grocery store or other business parking lots, especially if they have signs up stating the parking is only for customers.  Do not use the ‘but that person parked there’ excuse.  It will hold no weight with the guy (or gal) towing your car away.

Read my guide to Parking in Italy

You can also look into public transport (train, bus, taxi).  You may need to add on a little walking to get from the station to the actual event, and you may need to be patient post-concert if the public transport gets crowded.

Some larger concerts and festivals will also organize buses from surrounding towns to the venue.  For example, we saw large charter buses from Pisa and Lucca at the Gorillaz concert in nearby Versilia.

Inside a Concert in Italy – What to Expect

Again, this will really vary, so I’ll give you an example of what we found at the Gorillaz concert:

• Bag check at the entrance.  I had a waist pack and the bare essentials, so we made it through quickly.  Be sure to check the venue rules for what you can/can’t bring in.
• Lots of space.  I’ve found concerts here to feel comfortable, in that we’re not squished up too much against others and I’ve never felt worried about crowd crushes.  That being said, we buy tickets for seated sections or I pay a little more for the less crowded area if we’re bringing kids.  At the Gorillaz concert, we were about 15 meters from the front, but we also could’ve been further back and sat down on the ground. 
• Merchandise.  Similar or the same as what you see in your home country, but in €.  We bought t-shirts for the boys at €45 each.  Pricey but it was for a birthday present and my other son’s first ‘real’ concert.
• Food.  The food at the Gorillaz was much better than I was expecting.  We ended up getting loaded hot dogs for €9 each.  We also saw sandwiches and drinks, and there were more food trucks at the rear of the venue. 

Important:  There is alcohol for sale, but please do not drink and drive. 

• Viewing the concert.  If you’re in seats, great.  If you’re standing, like we were, you’ll need to make choices.  We stood close to the stage and it worked well because my older son could see well, and my younger son could see the screen.  I also held him up (on my hip) sometimes and we also put him up on my shoulders for a couple of minutes. 

Ok, So What if a Concert in Italy Doesn’t Sound Like a Good Fit?

Luckily, you’ve got alternatives!

You could go to:

• A smaller concert at a sagra, or local festival.  We’ve been to plenty of these are they’re fun because it’s a big party for locals and they’re full of families!  You can mingle with other families, eat delicious food, and come and go as you please.  They’re also free (except for the food and drinks, of course).
• A sporting event.  Check out a soccer game, a basketball game, or a tennis match!  This may even be a more fun and unique experience for your kids, as it’s an only-in-Italy thing to do. 

Final Thoughts on Concerts in Italy with Kids

I’ve been asked about the differences between concerts in other countries (I’ll compare Italy to the US).  I’ve been to more concerts at venues where you have seats in the US, so the biggest thing for me is figuring out the seating at concerts in Italy and deciding if my kids will be able to see, avoid being squished, etc.  If it’s a little more costly to purchase a seat (vs standing area) or to purchase tickets to a less crowded section, I’ll gladly do it to make the experience more comfortable with kids. 

I also find that the arrival and transport info may not be as straight forward.  If the venue website doesn’t answer your questions, try asking an Italian (the concierge at your hotel, your apartment host, etc). 

In my experience, concerts here have been better value than in the US… less crowded, less expensive, and we’ve been closer to the stage.

Finally, if it sounds fun and doable, go for it!  If it feels like you’re getting into a stressful situation, pass on the concert here with kids.  There are plenty of other kid-friendly things to experience while you’re in Italy!