Moon & Stars Festival Locarno

Every year in July the Piazza Grande in Locarno becomes a big concert area. They build a big stage at the beginning of the piazza and the rest is the space for the audience.  Last year, they added a Food Street, going from the stage to the lake. To make it easier for you guys, here a few pictures. 

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At the end of the food street, there is a ferris wheel. The food street opens before the concerts start and is still open, when it ends. The variety of foods is incredible and so yummy. There are lots of lights and decor, it really looks fab. On the Piazza Piccola there is also a little stage, where not that well known artists can perform, most of them are Swiss. 

This is how the piazza usually looks like:

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Now, let's start with the actually festival, with the music. The festival runs over two weekends for about ten days. It always takes place in July. From about 6 pm onwards they close down the piazza, so no-one walks around anymore. You either have to wait until the gates open at 7pm or you eat at one of the restaurants. You have to reserve early and of course you need a ticket to the concert. They come and scan your ticket. Being at the restaurant is fab, because you don't have to stand in the big crowd and on these unconformable stones. You can also sit downing between and you are covered when it stars raining. 

The concert then starts at 8pm with the first act, the first act usually plays for an hour. At 9.45 pm the second act comes on stage and plays for about an hour or maybe a bit more, depending on if the other was just the supporting act. The concert stops with a firework. 

The atmosphere on the piazza is phenomenal. The crowd sings along and the lights on the houses make it very intimate and cosy. 

This year we went to see The Script & James Blunt and the second concert was Adel Tawil and Sunrise Avenue. I have been previous years as well, but the fact that they changed the structure a bit is great. The line-up of acts now is fabulous, so many to choose from. I would have loved to got to the Rita Ora concert as well. 

The years before I have seen Bryan Adams, Rosette, Green Day, Ellie Goulding, Alain Clark and some others. It's always a pleasure to go back. 

After the concert you can go to the food street and enjoy a drink before going home. It's not a typical festival type festival, which makes it interesting for me. I don't like camping and standing in the mood. It's really like a concert in a big arena, but you are outside and you have the possibility to eat at a restaurant. The ones who just want some fries and a beer can do that too and of course you can be there early, run to the front and stand the whole time. 

It's a always a great mixture of young and older people.