If you are planning on finding yourself a holiday rental in Tuscany this summer, might I suggest an activity that is just a little bit different? Each July the lovely city of Pistoia, a destination a little off the beaten track for tourists but close to both Pisa and Florence, plays host to a music festival called Pistoia Blues.
Established in 1980, with a brief interruption due to the economic climate in that decade, the festival continues to take place in the city annually to this day. The festival takes place over the course of nine evenings in July and is organised by the Associazione Blues in conjunction with the Comune di Pistoia, or City of Pistoia.
Established in 1980, with a brief interruption due to the economic climate in that decade, the festival continues to take place in the city annually to this day. The festival takes place over the course of nine evenings in July and is organised by the Associazione Blues in conjunction with the Comune di Pistoia, or City of Pistoia.
Pistoia Blues was the first ever Italian music festival which was dedicated to blues music and during its first year in existence it saw serious blues legends descend on the city.
The line-up that year included Muddy Waters, Fats Domino, B.B. King and Dizzy Gillespie playing alongside Italians Pino Daniele and Roberto Ciotti.
Today, other genres of music are also represented at the festival and it is no longer purely for blues music. Acts which identify as rock, soul and jazz are regular features.
In fact, huge rock legends have played there in the past including Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Chuck Berry and Jimmy Page.
The line-up for this year, the 36th of the festival, is particularly diverse, ranging from folk to heavy metal and with acts both young and old. The festival is taking place between the 1st and 24th of July in the Piazza Duomo.
First act up to play this year is British folk group Mumford & Sons on the 1st with Counting Crows, Hozier, Passenger, The Darkness, Black Label Society, Dream Theater plus several support acts, Santana and Sting each playing dates after that.
The line-up that year included Muddy Waters, Fats Domino, B.B. King and Dizzy Gillespie playing alongside Italians Pino Daniele and Roberto Ciotti.
Today, other genres of music are also represented at the festival and it is no longer purely for blues music. Acts which identify as rock, soul and jazz are regular features.
In fact, huge rock legends have played there in the past including Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, David Bowie, Chuck Berry and Jimmy Page.
The line-up for this year, the 36th of the festival, is particularly diverse, ranging from folk to heavy metal and with acts both young and old. The festival is taking place between the 1st and 24th of July in the Piazza Duomo.
First act up to play this year is British folk group Mumford & Sons on the 1st with Counting Crows, Hozier, Passenger, The Darkness, Black Label Society, Dream Theater plus several support acts, Santana and Sting each playing dates after that.
In addition to this, there is the Italian Blues Night on the 17th of July, the Buskers Contest which will see a panel of professionals choose ten street acts to earn slots in the official timetable of the festival and the televised Road to Pistoia Blues battle of the bands to find local talent.
If this sounds like something you might enjoy, check out the official site for the festival where you can see full line-ups and purchase tickets to the individual shows. There's something for everyone with such a wide range of types of acts and the city of Pistoia itself is full of exciting things to do.
Here's a taste of what you can look forward to!
If this sounds like something you might enjoy, check out the official site for the festival where you can see full line-ups and purchase tickets to the individual shows. There's something for everyone with such a wide range of types of acts and the city of Pistoia itself is full of exciting things to do.
Here's a taste of what you can look forward to!
Photo credits
picture 1: Mac9 / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Neon Tommy/Katie Buenneke / CC BY-SA 2.0;
picture 3: Yancho Sabev / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 1: Mac9 / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Neon Tommy/Katie Buenneke / CC BY-SA 2.0;
picture 3: Yancho Sabev / CC BY-SA 3.0;
