Arezzo Wave Love Contest & Festival 2026

Arezzo Wave celebrates forty years of music with concerts, talks and young talents, through to the national finals of the Love Contest at Teatro Tenda

Arezzo Wave turns forty. The 40th edition of the Love Contest & Festival is scheduled from 2 to 4 October at Teatro Tenda in Arezzo, preceded by a number of events open to the city linked to “ARÌA DI MUSICA – Arezzo Rock Italian Academy”.

Founded in 1987, Arezzo Wave has crossed four decades of music, helping to make Arezzo known in Italy and around the world and always offering an important space to emerging artists. The 2026 contest involved over 900 bands and artists from all over Italy: after 30 regional live events, 18 finalists were selected and will perform during the two evenings of 2 and 3 October at Teatro Tenda.

The programme for the fortieth anniversary intertwines with “ARÌA DI MUSICA – Arezzo Rock Italian Academy”, the training and production project that involved 18 young artists. From 27 September, a series of talks and concerts will accompany the city towards the festival, through to the closing evening on 4 October, when the protagonists of ARÌA will reinterpret selected songs from the repertoire of artists who have marked the history of Arezzo Wave.

Guests at the 2026 edition will include Ganna, Elasi, Atwood, the British band Electric Enemy and, for the final evening, Modena City Ramblers.

The events open to the public are free admission, with a voluntary donation to Calcit Arezzo.

PROGRAMME

Sunday 27 September
Spazio Seme – Arezzo
9:30 PM
ARIA NUOVA IN CITTÀ
Presentation and concert by the 18 young artists and groups featured in ARÌA DI MUSICA.

Monday 28 September
Spazio Seme – Arezzo
9:30 PM
AREZZO WAVE TALK
Massimo Bernardi meets Claudio Trotta. A journey behind and in front of the scenes of a major concert. Guest: Giovanni Canitano, Italian rock photographer.

Tuesday 29 September
Spazio Seme – Arezzo
9:30 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AREZZO WAVE
40 years of music, images, stories and people. Meeting with Mauro Valenti and a celebration open to the city, with historical materials, testimonies, memories and previews of the projects dedicated to the fortieth anniversary.

Friday 2 October
Teatro Tenda – Viale Amendola, Arezzo
8:30 PM
AREZZO WAVE NETWORK NATIONAL FINALS – FIRST EVENING

• La Nova Beat Orchestra – Campania
• Dipas – Abruzzo
• Lisandro e lo Stretto Superfluo – Marche
• Bluannika – Umbria
• Micojoao – Emilia Romagna
• Novella – Tuscany
• Jaen – Lombardy
• Giorgio Nieloud – Piedmont
• The Light Drown – Lazio

SPECIAL GUESTS:
• Ganna – Ukraine
• Elasi – Italy

Saturday 3 October
Teatro Tenda Hall – Viale Amendola, Arezzo
6:45 PM
THE BRIDGE WITH LONDON
Future projects between Arezzo and London. Meeting with Maya Valenti, Guy Stanton and Electric Enemy.

Teatro Tenda – Viale Amendola, Arezzo
8:30 PM
AREZZO WAVE NATIONAL FINALS – SECOND EVENING AND 2026 WINNERS AWARD CEREMONY

• Emanuele Pintus – Sardinia
• Kyunos – Calabria
• Kalpa – Friuli Venezia Giulia
• MANGi – Basilicata
• Emilya Ndme – Liguria
• Korov’ev – Veneto
• Medaglia – Trentino Alto Adige
• Zurara – Sicily
• Dimaggio – Puglia

SPECIAL GUESTS:
• Atwood – Italy
• Electric Enemy – UK

Sunday 4 October
Teatro Tenda – Viale Amendola, Arezzo

8:30 PM
NOLO GROUP BAND
Opening of the evening with the winning band of “Attraversando Fossati”.

9:00 PM
ARÌA CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF AREZZO WAVE
Final public presentation of the ARÌA DI MUSICA artistic project.

On stage: Meri Lu Jacket, Maria Novella Palazzeschi, Greta Vernizzi, Paolo Brunacci, Kevin Koci, Violet, Sofia Manara, Serena Berneschi, Gaia Mazzoli, Rachele Olianti and Riccardo Roma – Dimaggio, reinterpreting songs by Gianna Nannini, Elisa, Baustelle, Fabri Fibra, Negramaro, Jovanotti, Ivano Fossati and Carmen Consoli.

10:30 PM
MODENA CITY RAMBLERS
Closing concert.

> Download the programme