Music: Caserta makes La Liga history: rock, reflections, and the promise of the 2026 Olympic Stadium.

by Alessandra Del Prete

After Campovolo in 2005, Caserta has officially become part of Luciano Ligabue's career. Piazza Carlo di Borbone, in front of the main façade of the Royal Palace, was transformed into a rock arena seating 36,000 people to host "La Notte di Certe Notti," the second leg of a project that began twenty years ago in Reggio Emilia and is now coming to Southern Italy for the first time.

"An absolute beauty," the Correggio-born rocker said from the stage, visibly struck by the setting he found himself playing in. And before leaving, around midnight, he wanted to leave his fans with a gift: the announcement of a new date, June 12, 2026, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

The Caserta event wasn't just a concert, but a blend of memory, current events, and celebration. The audience celebrated two key milestones with Ligabue: the thirtieth anniversary of the album "Buon Compleanno Elvis," released in 1995 and considered one of the cornerstones of his discography, and his thirty-fifth year as a recording artist.

The setlist blended classics with moments of reflection, in keeping with the spirit of an evening conceived as a collective ritual. The opening performance was "I ragazzi sono in giro," a captivating track from "Buon Compleanno Elvis," which immediately transformed the square into an open-air choir. Behind the stage, light displays constantly illuminated the façade of the Palace, making the architectural setting an integral part of the show.

The concert also had a strongly civic spirit. Before performing "Cosa vuoi che sia," Ligabue drew attention to climate change, speaking of floods, landslides, and the inability of politicians to decisively address the issue. "But do these great men of the Earth who govern us have children?" he asked the audience, in a direct and provocative tone. Meanwhile, the giant screen displayed precise data: seven million deaths a year from climate-related causes, 15,000 extreme events every twelve months, 7,000 Italian municipalities at risk.

Another key moment was “Il mio nome è mai più,” the song written in 2009 together with Piero Pelù and Jovanotti: before the performance, unmistakable slogans appeared on the screen—“Enough massacres in Gaza,” “Enough massacres in Ukraine,” “Sudan”—restoring music to its function of taking a stand.

Among the most spectacular moments was the red Cadillac—a giant model mounted on a trailer—which transformed into a mobile stage. Ligabue and the band climbed aboard and, slowly moving down the aisle left open between the crowd, brought the music to within a few meters of the spectators, stopping right in front of the Reggia. The rocker then decided to dismount and walk back to the main stage, greeting fans along the way.

There was no shortage of tributes: “Women Know It” was accompanied by a montage of images of female figures who have left their mark on Italian history, with their courage, competence, and talent, from Rita Levi Montalcini to Sophia Loren.

Ligabue also recalled his relationship with Caserta, recalling concerts at the Palamaggiò, once a hub for basketball and live music, now closed: "We hope we can play concerts there again. I remember the enormous warmth of the crowd when we played." A thought that sparked applause and nostalgia among Campania fans.

The evening then gave way to the great classics that marked the stages of the rocker's career: "Balliamo sul mondo," "Lambrusco e popcorn," "Bambolina e Barracuda," and "A che ora è la fine del mondo." These songs got the entire square singing and dancing, transforming the monumental setting of the Reggia into a space for shared celebration.

The concert seemed to end with "Urlando Contro Il Cielo," but the final encore was inevitable: "Certe Notti," the iconic song that gave the event its title. Once again, thousands of voices joined that of the Liga, in a collective chorus that sealed an evening of music, memories, and reflections.