Smiling H1 - 1920 x 116
Smiling H1 - 1920 x 116
Smiling H1 - 1920 x 116
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Primo Maggio: Italy celebrates Labour Day with 1 May holiday

Italy marks International Workers' Day with national holiday.

Italy celebrates Labour Day - known as the Festa dei Lavoratori or Festa del Lavoro - with a nationwide public holiday on 1 May.

The event, marked in more than 80 countries, is held in commemoration of the labour movement and the social and economic achievements of trade unions on behalf of workers.

The holiday on Saturday 1 May - Primo Maggio - is normally marked in Rome with a large, free May Day concert however this year - due to covid-19 - the annual "concertone" will not take place in Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano.

For the second year in a row the concert will move to television and radio, being broadcast on Rai3, Radio2 and RaiPlay.

The 2021 line-up includes Alex Britti, Fedez, Max Gazzè, Noel Gallagher, Francesco Renga, Modena City Ramblers, Gianna Nannini and Piero Pelù, among many others.

The concertone - now in its 31st edition - will be broadcast live from 16.30 to 19.00 and again from 20.00 to midnight.

The televised performances will take place, minus crowds, in the Cavea amphiteatre at the Auditorium Parco della Musica.

A year ago, organisers had envisaged being "back in the piazza" for this year's concertone however this is not possible under Italy's covid-19 restrictions.

The first Labour Day celebrations in Italy date back to the late 19th century. The event was cancelled for about 20 years during the Fascist era but was reintroduced in 1945.

AOSR H2 724 x 450
AOSR H3 1920 x 190
AOSR H3 1920 x 190
AOSR H3 1920 x 190
RIS H3 320x480
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia