Ladispoli Music Contest (Musicamare)

A singing competition born on the Roman coast

Musicamare — Ladispoli Music Contest is one of the most popular musical initiatives of the summer in Ladispoli, a seaside town in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. The competition was founded in 2024 by the TaMà cultural association, chaired by Alessandra Fattoruso, in collaboration with the record label RossodiSera Records, led by Leopoldo Lombardi, and with the patronage of the municipal administration. The artistic direction is entrusted to Umberto Canino.

How the competition works

The mechanism is simple and transparent: a casting phase—hosted in the early editions at the Teatro Marco Vannini—selects the contestants, open to those aged twelve and up, who then compete on the stage set up in Piazza Roberto Rossellini, the beating heart of the town's evening life. Each singer performs covers and original songs in front of the audience and a technical jury.

• Main Prize: Production and distribution of an original single with RossodiSera Records on major digital platforms
• Participants: Emerging voices from all over Italy, with no maximum age limit
• Admission: Free and open to the public for all evenings

Part of the Ladispoli Live lineup

The contest is included in the municipality's summer program, which over the years has been called Ladispolive and now Ladispoli Live: a festival that enlivens Piazza Rossellini, the Arena La Grottaccia, and Marina di San Nicola from July to September with music, cabaret, dance, tribute bands, and major national guests, all with free admission. Musicamare represents the segment dedicated to up-and-coming talents, in contrast—and in dialogue—with the evenings featuring well-known names from the Italian scene.

The atmosphere of Piazza Rossellini

The square named after director Roberto Rossellini is Ladispoli's outdoor living room: pedestrianized, surrounded by bars and ice cream parlors, just a few steps from the seafront and the famous black sand beaches of the coast. On August evenings, it fills with residents and Roman vacationers, who crowd the seats and steps until late at night. It is in this informal and familiar setting that the contestants face their toughest test: convincing a real, diverse audience that doesn't pay for a ticket but applauds only those who deserve it.

Ladispoli, between sea and archaeology

Just over forty kilometers from Rome, Ladispoli is known for its sea, its spring Artichoke Festival (Sagra del Carciofo Romanesco), and its proximity to Castello di Palo and the archaeological site of Cerveteri, a UNESCO World Heritage site with its Etruscan necropolises. A summer music contest fits naturally into this tourist vocation: the evening in the square becomes a highlight of the holiday, and for many local families, a fixed appointment at the beginning of August.

A springboard for local voices

In addition to the recording prize, the event offers participants a preparation path with vocal coaches and the opportunity to perform with a professional sound system in front of hundreds of people. For many young singers from the northern coast of Lazio, this is their first real stage experience, and over the years the contest has built a solid reputation well beyond municipal borders, attracting entries from various Italian regions.