A night imagined, hoped for, dreamed of for 10 years. It became reality on a warm summer evening. Ultimo takes Tor Vergata, he takes Rome, he takes it all with the record-breaking concert, the one attended by 250,000 people from all over Italy that crowned him the king of live music, "snatching" the sceptre from Vasco and his 225,000 fans at Modena Park in 2017.
One of those nights to remember, to frame. "The day I waited for," like the title he gave his new album.
Last, he arrives by helicopter, wearing his signature cap and white vest. Awaiting him are the 250,000 people who braved the sun, the heat, the long distances on foot, and the inconvenience (the last rows are just a few hundred meters from the first).
A mega-stage, 140 meters by 60 meters high (with 2,500 square meters of high-resolution LED screen, topped by Ultimo's signature, and a 30-meter-long infinity-shaped catwalk) lights up, marking the beginning of the ritual. The giant screens display images of teary eyes, tight embraces, and phones ready to capture a moment to cherish for a lifetime. At the back of the spaces provided by Tor Vergata University, the words "Blessed are the last, for they shall be first" appear, followed by Ultimo, with the same teary eyes as those who had been waiting for him for hours. He's visibly tense and excited, but as soon as he starts singing "Pianeti," the first song on the set, the tension melts away, along with the bow he gives to the carpet of people before him.
"Rome, you're a masterpiece, and this isn't just a concert. This is the day I've been waiting for, this is the fairytale, this is the fairytale forever." Meanwhile, hundreds of red balloons flutter happily in the audience. The lyrics give way to songs that quickly follow one another: Lunedì, Ovunque tu sia, Bella veramente, Rondini al guinzaglio. And then Romantica, La stella più fragili dell'universo. The songs that connect him (in a still conflicted relationship) to the Sanremo Festival are one after the other: Colpa delle favole, I tuoi particolari, Il ballo delle incertezze. Fabrizio Moro arrives on Eternity (Il mio quartiere), having warmed up the crowd before Ultimo. The two share a shared origin from the suburban neighborhood of San Basilio, but more importantly, Moro was among the first to believe in Niccolò Moriconi, who later became Ultimo.
The setlist includes "Fateme Cantà," his outburst against a crushing system, followed by "Stasera," "Poetry Without Veils." "Certain songs take you back to when you wrote them and why you wrote them. I wrote this song in 2021, and I remember exactly when I did it: it's 'Solo,'" he says, recalling the Covid and quarantine periods.
And so it goes, swiftly toward the end, with Ultimo holding back and seemingly unwilling to leave the stage. A concert without unnecessary frills, without technological gimmicks or special effects, essential despite its grandeur. Everything was designed to make the experience accessible to the 250,000 people who responded to the call and sang non-stop: 38 audio lines and 18 giant screens throughout the concert area allowed everyone to feel part of a unique event. An extraordinary musical event that is also a major commercial success, generating €90 million in revenue and grossing 16 million tickets. The finale is truly thrilling: the most anticipated songs arrive: Giusy, Piccola Stella, and the inevitable conclusion with "Sogni appesi."
(Unioneonline)
