The most daring fans arrived in the morning in front of the closed gates of the Cagliari fair. Then at 6.30pm, when the security men began to allow entry into the concert area, the party began.
Cagliari's New Year's Eve with the superstar Marco Mengoni has officially started: the winner of the latest Sanremo festival will go on stage at 11.30pm to toast with the twenty thousand people who have arrived in Cagliari for the longest party of the year.
But for hours beforehand we have been singing and dancing. Under the stage they take selfies. Little by little everyone begins to arrive.
«Waiting is a sacrifice that can be tolerated», says Martina, 23 years old. Together with Lorenza he comes from Modena. «I don't remember how many Marco concerts I've already seen this year, as soon as we heard that Mengoni would be in Cagliari for New Year's Eve we bought tickets and came». "It's a shame about some of the organization's flaws," some complain as they wait their turn at the gates.
«No bathrooms outside and no possibility of respecting the queue. At concerts it works like this: numbers are assigned to ensure that when the gates open the order of arrival is respected. In Cagliari, however, no. There were those who arrived several hours later and entered earlier." There were also some complaints about the queue that was created inside to access the food and beverage area.
Small problems aside, Mengoni's long wave is very strong.
A wave of people of all ages, from the very young to couples with children in tow to more mature fans. «Mengoni makes everyone agree because he is one of us», says Eugenia, 65 years old from Carbonia.
From 8pm some Sardinian DJs will be on stage to entertain the twenty thousand until Mengoni's arrival. Valentina Caruso's management masterfully ties everything together.