45 years on, David Gilmour to return to Pompeii

David Gilmour will perform in Pompeii for the first time in 45 years this July.

The ex-Pink Floyd guitarist last played in the ancient Roman town in 1971 for the concert film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, which saw Gilmour and bandmates Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason play in a ruined amphitheatre to an audience of the film’s production crew and some local children.

The news was announced yesterday by Italy’s tourism minister, Dario Franceschini, who tweeted: “Agreement reached. After 45 years David Gilmour will play at Pompeii again on 7 and 8 July.”

Accordo raggiunto.Dopo 45anni David #Gilmour tornerà a suonare a #Pompei il 7 e l'8 luglio #PinkFloyd #LiveAtPompeii pic.twitter.com/rx3HLXJobI

— Dario Franceschini (@dariofrance) March 16, 2016

Gilmour will play on 7 July, probably at Pompeii’s Roman amphitheatre, rather than the ‘Large Theatre’ where Live at Pompeii was filmed, a spokesman for the town told Reuters.

He begins a short US tour at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on 24 March before heading to continental Europe for late June and July, playing in Poland, Belgium, France and Germany, plus two more dates in Italy, at the Arena di Verona on 10 and 11 July.