In 1979, Lucio Dalla dedicated a song to Milan, a gray yet proud city: starting November 20, his repertoire returns to Porta Romana for a candlelit concert

In 1979, Lucio Dalla released his self-titled album, which, in addition to timeless songs like “Anna e Marco” and “L’anno che verrà,” includes “Milano”: a song described as a portrait of a cosmopolitan, sophisticated, modern yet ancient city—gray but proud—viewed with an affectionate yet uncompromising eye.

The album was released shortly before the economic recovery that the city would celebrate in the 1980s with the slogan “Milano da bere.” Dalla thus captures a moment of transition, before the glossy image took hold.

Nearly half a century later, the singer-songwriter’s music returns to Milan in a new guise. On November 20, at Spazio Filippetti in the Porta Romana neighborhood, “Candlelight: Lucio Dalla and Other Italian Singer-Songwriters” is scheduled to take place. For 60 minutes, Giuseppe Califano will reinterpret some classics of Italian song on the piano, in a hall lit by thousands of candles.

Spazio Filippetti is located at 41 Via Angelo Filippetti. Its origins date back several centuries, when the building was used as a warehouse for storing and clearing goods entering through Porta Romana.

Today it is a multipurpose venue spanning approximately 1,500 square meters, built on the ruins of a 1930s Art Nouveau-style Turkish bath. A large mosaic from that past remains and will serve as the backdrop for the concert.

The set list includes some of Dalla’s best-known songs, from “Caruso” and “L’anno che verrà” to “Anna e Marco” and “Piazza Grande.” The program also features songs by other great figures of Italian singer-songwriter music, such as Rino Gaetano, Pino Daniele, Renato Zero, Lucio Battisti, Nada, Claudio Baglioni, Francesco De Gregori, and Edoardo Bennato.

Giuseppe Califano will perform the repertoire on piano: an instrumental tribute to Dalla and Italian singer-songwriter music by the light of thousands of candles.

• 📅 First available date: November 20, 2026, at 9:30 p.m.
• 🎟️ Tickets: on sale through February 5, 2027, starting at €27.
• 🕒 Running time: 60 minutes.
• 📍 Where: Spazio Filippetti, Via Angelo Filippetti 41, Porta Romana.

The start time and other dates have not yet been confirmed: we recommend checking the concert page before purchasing tickets.