words by Gabi Logan
This Tuesday, Italians are on holiday for the Festa del Lavoro (Labour Day). Also known as May Day, the Primo Maggio (May First) concert in Rome will commemorate the 1st of May holiday at the Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano with a full schedule of popular Italian musicians.
Francesco Pannofino, famous Italian voice actor, and Virginia Raffaele, a comedian and past participant in Mai Dire Grande Fratello (Never Say Big Brother), will headline the concert.
Pop and rock singers and bands, including Caparezza, Afterhours, Almamegretta, A Toys Orchestra, Dente, Teatro degli orrori, Alessandro Mannarino and Young The Giant, will join them, along with classical musicians from the Rome Symphony Orchestra.
“La Speranza, La Passione, Il Futuro” (Hope, Passion, Future) are the themes of this year’s Primo Maggio concert, corresponding to the values of the Labour Day Holiday. First celebrated in Italy in 1891, the holiday recognizes the work of the labour rights movement to secure safe and equitable working conditions.
Three Italian trade unions—CGIL, CISL, and UIL—host the concert and also coordinate protests against the government’s labour policies in other parts of Rome for the holiday.
During the Primo Maggio concert’s 22 year history, Piazza San Giovanni di Laterano has become the event’s de facto home. Last year, when the concert coincided with the beatification of Pope John Paul II, talk of moving the concert outside the city encountered heavy public protest.
To reach the piazza during the event, take the metro line A to Manzoni or Piazza Re di Roma.
