A major night of live music in Piazza Santa Croce with Paola Iezzi, Tiromancino, Franco126, SARAFINE, LAYANA, TOMASI and Lele Sacchi. Plus gospel and jazz performances in Piazza Santissima Annunziata and Piazza del Carmine, and a light show in Piazza della Signoria.

Piazza Santa Croce will be the heart of New Year’s Eve celebrations in Florence. On the night of 31 December 2025, the city will welcome 2026 with a major free live music event, promoted by the City of Florence and organised by Fondazione MUS.E in collaboration with Sky. The evening — with Plures as Main Sponsor — brings to the stage some of the most significant artists from the contemporary Italian music scene. Celebrations will also extend to other squares, with free gospel performances in Piazza Santissima Annunziata, jazz in Piazza del Carmine, and light shows in Piazza della Signoria.

Taking the stage in Piazza Santa Croce will be Paola Iezzi, singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and DJ who has shaped Italian pop music over the past decades and served as a judge on the last two editions of X Factor; Tiromancino, the historic band led by Federico Zampaglione, renowned for blending sonic exploration with lyrical refinement; Franco126, one of the most recognisable and charismatic voices of the new Italian indie songwriting scene; SARAFINE, a singer-songwriter and producer combining electronic and pop sounds in an original mix; and LAYANA and TOMASI, among the standout artists of X Factor 2025, praised for their expressive power on Sky’s music show. Opening and closing the event will be an exclusive DJ set by Lele Sacchi, who has electrified leading clubs around the world.

The event runs from 9.00 pm to 1.00 am and is structured in three main moments: an opening DJ set, a central live music show with alternating performances and storytelling, and a closing DJ set. Hosting the evening will be Leo Di Bello, a familiar face of Sky Sport, who will guide the audience throughout the event, weaving together music and commentary.

The Piazza Santa Croce concert, part of “New Year’s Eve in Florence 2026”, is produced by Sky Content Factory and will be broadcast live on Sky channels 501 and 251 (Italy), as well as streamed on the Sky TG24 website. Main Partner of the event is Plures, alongside Partners SAP, Lutech, Almaviva and Nord Engineering Spa, and Technical Partner Polestar.

But the celebrations do not end there. New Year’s Eve in Florence will also offer major performances for gospel and jazz lovers, with two free, open-air concerts promoted by the City of Florence as part of the cultural programme for New Year’s Eve in Florence 2026.

In Piazza Santissima Annunziata, within the Loggiato of the Spedale degli Innocenti, the spotlight will be on “Gospel Symphony – Florence Sings the New Year“, curated by the Orchestra da Camera Fiorentina. Set in a Renaissance setting of exceptional beauty, the concert combines the power of gospel voices with the elegance of chamber music. From 10.30 pm to 1.00 am, two outstanding choirs — The Pilgrims Gospel Choir and Light Gospel Choir — will perform alongside the orchestra, moving from a cappella spirituals to traditional and contemporary gospel, with surprising pop and rock reinterpretations. A powerful musical embrace to welcome the New Year with energy and shared celebration.

In Piazza del Carmine, jazz takes centre stage with “Piazza del Carmine in Jazz“, organised by the Music Pool Association. From 10.30 pm to 12.45 am, the forecourt of the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine will become an open-air stage for the Nico Gori Young Lions, joined by special guest Fabrizio Bosso, one of the most acclaimed trumpet players on the international scene. An evening dedicated to swing and bebop, blending American jazz tradition, original compositions and Brazilian influences — a New Year’s Eve celebrating musical quality and diversity. Admission is free, subject to capacity.

Finally, a countdown will also take place in Piazza della Signoria, where, as midnight approaches, the audience will witness a spectacular projection on the façade of Palazzo Vecchio, accompanied by the artistic video mapping of Florence Lights Up, curated by Fondazione MUS.E.