Let’s understand: there is nothing wrong with performing in country festivals, far from it. They are one of the few certainties of the Italian summer from the post -war period to date, every city or town, between June and August, has one, offer entertainment at no cost – for the spectators – and often without too many pretensions, for which they are welcome. Do not tell the singers, however, for which it is widespread that they are not great as a location: performing in the squares or parking lots, in front of an audience that has not paid – and therefore, of course, is on average more selfless than the paying one – with the background of the porchetta on the background is not the best, and in fact they have always been up to the lowest class of the artists, with cachet within the reach. Do you want to put, here, perform in a sold out stadium? All the more, it is to be said, today, that everyone tries to take San Siro or the Olimpico in Rome. And instead.

A new economy

And instead the summer 2025 was that of the festivals, or rather the big names in small festivals – which thus became big in turn. Among the many, he hit Fedez’s performance at the Stocco Festa (the stockfish), in Cittanova, 9 thousand inhabitants in Calabria, for which he seems to have agreed A 100 thousand euro cachet. A figure that the Promoter, linked to the Stocco & Stocco company, which organizes everything, said to be in reality reduced (it is not known of how much) and also concerning the installation and the rest, not only Fedez in itself. So much so: it is true that today the remuneration of the artists of that level, that is, high (Fedez has two at the Assago forum in September, at a certain point it seemed to be at stake for San Siro), they are the fact that moving from the festivals to the forum within a few months is a fact, however, new. And it is not the only one: they made the over 45 thousand euros reserved for Clara discuss – also here, “all the set -up” – and to its “four songs on a base” in the province of Teramo, on 8 August, while just take a tour to see how many fairs and the related to the first -rate cards (in recent weeks in Rieti there is a respectable program, free and branded pepper fair). And they are only names among many. Behind, a fortune moves.

The reason for this turnaround, it is clear, is simple: the organizers have put obviously palatable, much higher than in the past on the plate, on which the singers have smoked. The context, moreover, tells this: the physical records are no longer sold, with streaming they earn little and many have increased their cachet, as the only way out. The point is that however people it is not ready: the prejudice on the festivals remains and as for the activity as an influencer – another on which the artists, grace to popularity on social media, threw themselves headlong – the risk is to pass either as greedy or desperate.

The hosts that the artists “hide”

If in doubt, it is better to keep silent. There is stink of burning, but it is all true: many of these hosts – Fedez above all – are not announced on the official profiles of the artists in question, nor included in their tours, so much so that to find them you have to rely on local communication and promoters. The protagonists, here, are careful not to promote them. Also because they are often not even real concerts: they are just a handful of songs, sometimes even in playback, without the setting (again, here, it is typical of a tour date for which you would pay a ticket. Who is the fault? Of nobody: at the shift festival it is convenient to have the name of cry and is willing to spend for anything, the name of cry does not want it to come out, but with the slightest effort it takes the maximum result, so here we are taking advantage of it. It was not that this is how music dies, if only because often we don’t talk about real live.

Beyond the festivals: the world of “grated”

For heaven’s sake, these scenes have always existed, there are planetary stars who have lent themselves to private events organized by sheikhs or similar for much higher figures. But it was more limited. Already in recent years – now fashion seems to have placated – in Italy instead corporate Christmas parties had been seen with incredible guests, from Elodie to nuclear tactical penguins and Mahmood, all covered with money, more than those who would have received for their concert, we put, in a sports hall. None of them probably dies from the desire to play upon receipt of a multinational or any curriculum, but the figure is too inviting, so in silence it is worth accepting. It is not rewarding, but it is the typical “grated”, to use a term dear to rappers.

That in this, it must be said, they are masters. The festivals like catwalks-not all of them, of course, there are also those who play live and make real concerts, there-they are the summer transposition of what happens in the discussion in winter, where hip hop artists, especially if very young, lend themselves to short “dj-sets”: they are not real live, not even here, but often hosted in playbacks that last less than an hour, they lead to the coffers, Cachet from tens of thousands of euros, greetings and kisses, a selfie and away. In short, what, twenty years ago Fabrizio Corona and members, tronisti and winners of Big Brother, went to the singers, rapper and beyond. But here too – again, the stench of burning – woe to talk about it on the profiles. And they have well from it: music is another thing, woe if it came out that to afford a certain lifestyle the songs, knowing how to keep the stage and the rest of any kind, well, they are not enough. At least, they said it openly.