Milan: music finds space in the city
Milano ha definitivamente accolto la musica. Di eventi musicali non ne mancano, ma ora il Comune di Milano ha dato il via a un progetto di ampio respiro.
Milan has definitively welcomed music to the city. There has never been any shortage of musical events, but now the Municipality of Milan has approved a far wider-ranging project.
During the press conference held on Wednesday 24 February at the Palazzo Marino with Filippo Del Corno, council member for culture for mayor Pisapia, event organiser Vittorio Quattrone unveiled the project.
Following the problems of last year, with protests from residents in the Qt8 neighbourhood irritated by the festival held in the nearby Montagnetta di San Siro, the organisers of City Sound have found the perfect venue for the event.
A former industrial area of 68,000 m2, just waiting to be redeveloped, near the Maggiore Cemetery and a long way from the ears of any residents who do not wish to join in. It is the Arena Certosa, near Viale Certosa in Milan. It is well-connected by public transport and also has a large car park.
For the next six years, it will be a hub for culture and gathering for citizens, a place with plenty of space for concerts, an area that can be adjusted to hold events from 5,000 to 32,000 guests.
So what’s the problem? Well, we’re going to have to wait for a while.
Quattrone stated “We will start getting serious about the music in 2017. It is too late now to book dates, by February most of the summer has already been planned. No names for now, we’ll start discussing it in March.”
But there will be some movement beforehand, the first concerts are planned for 2-4 evenings in summer 2016.
The project will not only involve concerts; the idea is to provide citizens with a location that is constantly open and offering varied activities: a sort of large resort organising workshops for children and families, musical get-togethers for young people and team sports such as basketball and football. And this will all take place in a green setting and with a focus on environmental education.
In short, it will be a theme park for music fans and many others besides, a place where parents will be happy to bring their children and young people can experiment with fun and educational activities.
Perhaps it was this that convinced the Municipality of Milan to support the initiative. The council member for culture Filippo Del Corno commented “I think it is an excellent resolution of a cultural and performance initiative with the real needs of Milan and the people who live and work here every day.”
So some very good news that we are happy and impatient for!
