With its three main venues – Stadio Euganeo, Kioene Arena and Gran Teatro Geox – and other possible locations (the main city squares and the Trade Fair complex), Padua is a key concert date for great international names visiting Italy.

Since 2000, when ZED! began operations, there have been numerous great live concerts in the city. Stadio Euganeo became available for concerts on 8 September 2000, with the first being held by Luciano Ligabue, followed just a year later (27 June 2001) by the first concert there by an international rock star: Bon Jovi. 7 November 2009 saw the opening of the Gran Teatro di Padova (now known as the Gran Teatro Geox), with a concert by Porcupine Tree; having held more than 650 events, the Gran Teatro Geox now celebrates its first decade of activity in 2020. On 22 January 2010, the Padua Palasport (now the Kioene Arena) reopened, with a concert by Francesco Guccini. And the lively range of performances and concerts within Padua continues: for a full list and calendar of upcoming events, consult zedlive.com.

From the Nobel prize-winners Dario Fo and Bob Dylan to such groups and individuals performers as Metallica, Pearl Jam, Tiziano Ferro, Cremonini, Vasco Rossi and Renato Zero, any number of artists have contributed to making Padua a leading venue in the world of live concerts. As Valeria Arzenton of ZED observes: “By paying attention to the needs of spectators, we have managed to make Padua a prestige venue. This has made it possible to attract the greatest names on the international scene – benefitting both the concert-goers and the territory as a whole.”

And that attention to concert-goers’ needs is clear right at the starting-point: ticket sales, which are handled in partnership with Ticketmaster Italia, a leader in the sector. An agreement with the University of Padua also means there are events with discounted ticket prices for students and university employees, further confirming Padua as a great international venue for music and culture.