Val Tidone Festival — Dirotta su Cuba concert in Gragnano Trebbiense

A night of groove in Piazza Verdi

The Val Tidone Festival once again chooses Gragnano Trebbiense, in the heart of Val Tidone in the province of Piacenza, for one of the most vibrant stops on its summer program. On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 9:15 PM, the central Piazza Verdi hosts the concert by Dirotta su Cuba, a symbolic group of Italian funk and soul.

"Into the Gruv": thirty years of funk

The show is titled "Into the Gruv" and celebrates thirty years since the band's debut album. It's an energetic evening, built on funk, soul, and contemporary groove, featuring the unmistakable voice of Simona Bencini. The project, premiered with a double sold-out show at Milan's Blue Note, reinterprets the band's historic repertoire with new arrangements and an expanded lineup, true to the singer's motto: life without groove isn't truly lived.

The Val Tidone Festival

The concert is part of the 28th edition of the Val Tidone Festival, the major traveling review organized by the Fondazione Val Tidone Musica and artistically directed by Livio Bollani. From June 7 to October 16, 2026, the festival will bring seventeen concerts to the villages of Val Tidone and Val Luretta, as well as to Piacenza, alternating major names in singer-songwriter music, jazz, and pop with young talents emerging from the International Music Performance Competitions.

Free music in the villages

The festival's philosophy is to bring quality music to the squares and most picturesque locations in the area, always with free admission until seats are filled. For Gragnano Trebbiense, a town in the Piacenza plain overlooking the Trebbia valley, the evening in Piazza Verdi represents a well-established summer event, capable of attracting audiences from all over the province.

• When: Tuesday, August 4, 2026, 9:15 PM
• Where: Piazza Verdi, Gragnano Trebbiense (PC)
• Admission: Free until seats are filled, no reservation required
• Genre: funk, soul, groove