Fedez is no longer playing in Gioia Tauro: Luchè takes over on 13 August

Piazza Matteotti · Gioia Tauro, Costa Viola, Calabria

13 August 2026

Concluded event

The Fedez concert announced for 13 August 2026 in Gioia Tauro will not take place. The artist cancelled his entire summer tour on 27 July, after a hospital stay and on medical advice, and the Calabrian date was among those called off. The evening is going ahead all the same: the municipality has replaced the name on the bill and Luchè takes the stage in Piazza Matteotti at 10 pm. The day, the square, the time and the free entry all stay the same, as does the setting of the patronal feast of Sant'Ippolito, the most awaited moment of the Gioia Tauro summer. There was nothing to refund, because the concert was free from the start and still is: anyone who planned to go on 13 August can still go, simply with a different artist on stage.

What happened

Fedez was the headline name of «Gioia d'Estate 2026». The date had been set for months: 13 August, Piazza Matteotti, 10 pm, on the evening of the patronal feast of Sant'Ippolito.

On 27 July 2026 the artist announced he was stopping. After a hospital stay, and on medical advice, he cancelled all the concerts scheduled between August and September for a period of treatment and recovery. Gioia Tauro was among the cancelled dates, along with the September show at the Unipol Forum in Assago.

It was not a decision by the municipality nor an organisational problem: the evening fell through because of the artist's health.

Who plays now: Luchè, same evening and same square

The municipality of Gioia Tauro replaced the name on the bill without moving anything else. On 13 August 2026, at 10 pm, Luchè takes the stage in Piazza Matteotti, with Diecielode management.

The day, the place, the time and the format stay the same: entry is free, as the official poster states. There are no tickets to buy and no advance sales.

Luchè, born Luca Imprudente, is one of the historic names of Italian rap: from Naples, raised in Marianella, he founded Co'Sang with Ntò in 1997 and has pursued a solo career since 2012. In 2022 he reached number one on the FIMI chart with «Dove volano le aquile» and in 2026 he is competing at the Sanremo Festival with «Labirinto». The full details of the evening are on the Luchè in Gioia Tauro page.

I had a ticket: how do refunds work?

For the Gioia Tauro date there is nothing to refund, because there were no tickets: the concert was part of the patronal celebrations organised by the municipality and was free from the moment it was announced. It still is, now with Luchè.

It is a different matter for the other, ticketed dates of the Fedez tour: for those, the box office has issued instructions on refund procedures, to be followed through the channel where the ticket was bought.

What remains of the 13 August evening

The concert is only the closing part of the most important day of the year for Gioia Tauro. On 13 August the city celebrates Sant'Ippolito, its patron saint: the religious part opens the day and the civil part closes it, with the stage in the square coming alive at 10 pm.

After the concert there is a fireworks display at Pontile dei Massi, on the South Pier. It is the night when the city is at its fullest, with those who emigrated returning for the occasion and the towns of the plain converging on the centre.

The rest of the summer programme, from concerts to food festivals and the September events, is on the Gioia d'Estate 2026 page.

Getting to Piazza Matteotti

Gioia Tauro is reached by car from its own exit on the A2 motorway and is served by a railway station on the Tyrrhenian line. Piazza Matteotti is in the city centre.

On the night of the patron saint the central streets are closed to traffic and parking fills up early: it is worth arriving well before 10 pm and leaving the car outside the central area. As this is a free concert in a square there are no assigned seats, so those who arrive first stand at the front.

For dinner before the concert there are the places listed under where to eat in Gioia Tauro and the other businesses in the city; if you are staying a few days on the coast there are holiday homes in the area.

Frequently asked questions

Will the Fedez concert in Gioia Tauro on 13 August take place?

No. Fedez cancelled his entire summer tour on 27 July 2026, after a hospital stay and on medical advice, and the Gioia Tauro date is among those called off.

Who is playing instead?

Luchè. The concert takes place on Thursday 13 August 2026 at 10 pm in Piazza Matteotti, as stated on the official poster of the municipality of Gioia Tauro.

Have the date and the venue changed?

No. It is still 13 August, Piazza Matteotti and 10 pm, as part of the patronal feast of Sant'Ippolito. Only the artist on stage has changed.

How do ticket refunds work?

For Gioia Tauro none are needed: the concert was free from the moment it was announced and still is with Luchè, so there were no tickets to buy. For the other, ticketed dates of the Fedez tour, refund instructions have been issued by the box office and should be followed through the channel where the ticket was purchased.

Why did Fedez cancel?

For health reasons. On 27 July 2026, after a hospital stay, he announced he was stopping on medical advice, cancelling the concerts scheduled between August and September, including the September show at the Unipol Forum in Assago.

Who is Luchè?

He is the stage name of Luca Imprudente, a Neapolitan rapper and producer born in 1981 and raised in Marianella. He founded Co'Sang with Ntò in 1997, went solo in 2012, reached number one on the FIMI chart in 2022 with «Dove volano le aquile» and in 2026 is competing at the Sanremo Festival with «Labirinto».

Are there fireworks that evening?

Yes, the programme includes a fireworks display at Pontile dei Massi, on the South Pier, after the concert in the square.

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