Whitney To Perform During Winter Olympics...

[Torino 2006 Winter Olympics Report]

Medals Plaza: Fifteeen Evenings of Award Ceremonies, Entertainment and Great Music

It will be a real Festival of entertainment, in one of the most beautiful sceneries in Italy. Piazza Castello will be the Medals Plaza of the Olympic Winter Games and, aside from the award ceremonies of many of the competing athletes, every night it will host a show with the best stars of the international music scene and the most promising artists in Piemonte. From February 11 to 25, on the state-of-the-art stage created between Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama Andrea Bocelli will kick off the festival, followed the next day by American Kelly Clarkson, on February 13 by Ennio Morricone and on February 14 by Gianni Morandi. On February 15, it will be over to Duran Duran, followed on February 16 by Jamiroquai and on February 17 by Anastacia. After an Italian music interlude with Paolo Conte (February 18), on February 19 it will be the turn of Whitney Houston, on February 20 of Nek, on February 21 of Avril Lavigne and on February 22 of Ricky Martin. The series of concerts will be drawn to a close by Lou Reed (February 23), Max Pezzali (February 24) and Riccardo Cocciante (February 25).


“A cast thought up according to different criteria – said Roberto De Luca, art director of the event – in order to bring together the internationalism of the occasion with the city of Torino, in order to cater for all the audiences of the Olympic Winter Games and to promote the best artists on the local scene”. Among the leading names of the “Torino Festival”, the show within the show that every night, from 18.30 to 20.00 will see Italian artists play a key role, there are Lou Dalfin, Linea 77, Yo Yo Mundi, ATPC, Mambassa, Discoinferno.

“The organisation of the fifteen evenings was the result of the work of an entirely Italian team, with the exception of David Goldberg, experienced American show producer that had already worked for Atlanta 1996 and Salt Lake City 2002”, as the Councillor of the Olympic Winter Games, Elda Tessore, underlined “it is the first time that a show of this calibre has been held in Italy for two weeks in a row”. The tickets for the show, free of charge, can be collected from January 26 to February 8 from the “Vetrina per Torino” (Showcase for Torino) in piazza San Carlo 161 and the “Punto ritiro ingressi concerti Medals Plaza” (Collection point Medal Plaza concert entries) in via Garibaldi at the corner with Piazza Castello. The programme always entails the opening of the piazza at 18 (there will be strict security checks with the 36 metal detectors giving access to the area), the first concerts at 18.30, the award ceremonies between 20 and 21 e, finally, the “Celebration”, the day’s key event with live music.

NEWSFILE: 24 JANUARY 2006