La Notte Rosa (Pink Night) is an annual summer event in Emilia Romagna that began in 2007 and seems to get bigger every year.
All the major towns along 110 km of the Riviera Adriatic coast go pink for the occasion and many revellers dress accordingly. The colour is supposed to signify a spirit of hospitality and openness. It also means that you are likely to encounter the rare, and sartorially challenged, sight of grown heterosexual Italian males wearing pink trilbies and trousers!
The commercial motives for this initiative are obvious and most shop owners are more than happy to enter into the party spirit and stay open throughout the night. Fortunately, there are also a healthy number of free events so that it isn’t just an excuse for festive consumerism.
Cesenatico was probably the most chaotic place to be with a Radio Bruno Estate concert featuring a selection popular singers and TV entertainers strutting their stuff. I was happy to leave my daughter to contend with the hordes and head a short distance along the coast for the relative calm of Cervia.
The main attraction there, was a free open air concert by Transglobal Underground (TGU). I knew this band only by reputation and this was the first time I’ve had the chance to see them live. Continue reading
