A Spanish music industry initiative has raised nearly half a million euros for victims of the catastrophic floods that swept the country last November.

Valencia was the hardest-hit region in Spain’s worst flooding disaster in modern history and the deadliest to hit Europe in 50 years. At least 224 have died due to the weather phenomenon, known in Spain as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos).

Under the banner Som València (We are Valencia), the music industry has since held 68 concerts in 32 cities featuring 480 artists, in less than a month.

More than 26,700 tickets were sold to these shows, raising more than €469,000 for the non-profit organisation Horta Sud Foundation, which will distribute the funds.

More than 26,700 tickets were sold to these shows, raising more than €469,000 for the non-profit organisation Horta Sud Foundation

Som València is just one fundraising element of the the Spanish music industry’s response. In late November, a charity concert held in Barcelona raised €775,000 for victims of the floods. Barcelona amb València took place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on 29 November, with tickets priced between €38-80, and attracted almost 15,000 people.

The Spanish sector also united for the sold-out Music from the Heart benefit gig at Madrid’s WiZink Center (cap. 17,456) on 24 November. More recently, Live Nation Spain president Pino Sagliocco teamed up with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig: Ainhoa ​​Arteta and Ramón Vargas together for the DANA.

Valencia’s live music industry recently reported material losses exceeding €5 million and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals.

The Valencian Federation of the Music Industry, which represents 60 companies including venues, promoters, artistic agencies and festivals, has requested the creation of a short, medium and long-term recovery plan that includes financial aid, logistical support and fiscal measures that allow the reactivation of the sector.

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A charity concert held in Barcelona has raised €775,000 for victims of the Spanish flooding disaster.

Barcelona amb València took place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on 29 November, with tickets priced between €38-80, and attracted almost 15,000 people.

The event, which was coordinated by Barcelona-based promoter TheProject, featured acts such as Joan Manuel Serrat, Estopa, Andrea Motis, Judit Neddermann and Lucia Fumero.

The concert was co-organised by Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat with the support of ARC (Professional Association of Representatives, Promoters and Managers of Catalonia), ASACC (Association of Concert Halls of Catalonia) and APM (Association of Music Promoters). Donations can still be made here until 5 December.

The Spanish sector also united for the sold out Music from the Heart benefit gig at Madrid’s WiZink Center (cap. 17,456) on 24 November. Performers included Amaral, Arde Bogotá, Dani Fernández, David Bisbal, Hijos de la Ruina (Natos, Waor & Recycled J), Malú, Manuel Carrasco, Pablo Alborán, Raphael, Rozalén, Sole Giménez, Vanesa Martín and Viva Suecia.

Promoter Pino Sagliocco is teaming with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig on 14 December

Collaborators included Valencia-based promoter The Music Republic, as well as other Spanish event organisers, record labels, artist managers and music associations. The amount raised from the show is yet to be confirmed.

Meanwhile, Live Nation Spain president Pino Sagliocco is teaming with Teatro Pereyra Ibiza to present a further charity gig: Ainhoa ​​Arteta and Ramón Vargas together for the DANA. The show will be held at the theatre on 14 December.

The fundraisers come in the wake of the weather phenomenon known as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), which caused the deadliest flooding catastrophe to hit Europe in 50 years and led scores of events to be cancelled.

Valencia was the hardest-hit region, with the death toll exceeding 200, with fatalities also reported in the Castilla La Mancha region and Andalusia. Valencia’s live music industry reported material losses exceeding €5 million and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals.

The Valencian Federation of the Music Industry, which represents 60 companies including venues, promoters, artistic agencies and festivals, has requested the creation of a short, medium and long-term recovery plan that includes financial aid, logistical support and fiscal measures that allow the reactivation of the sector.

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Valencia’s live music industry has reported material losses exceeding €5 million due to the recent catastrophic floods in the region.

Valencia was the hardest-hit region in Spain’s worst flooding disaster in modern history and the deadliest to hit Europe in 50 years.

At least 224 have died due to the weather phenomenon, known in Spain as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos), with the vast majority of those tragedies in Valencia.

The disaster has also had a ‘profound impact’ on the live music industry, according to preliminary data collected by the Valencian Federation of the Music Industry.

Over 30 companies operating across the supply chain have reported more than €5m in losses and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals.

Cancellations in November are said to represent a direct loss of €1.7m but the total economic impacts on the Valencian economy amount to €35.2m in sales not made by companies, €9.2m of GDP loss and the loss of 310 jobs.

Over 30 companies reported an excess of €5m in losses and the cancellation of 300 concerts and festivals

It is estimated that the total impact could be much higher, as the damage to public spaces dedicated to music, such as auditoriums and municipal theatres, has not yet been quantified, nor has the impact on music education in schools, music societies and conservatories in the area.

The Valencian Federation of the Music Industry, which represents 60 companies including venues, promoters, artistic agencies and festivals, has requested the creation of a short, medium and long-term recovery plan that includes financial aid, logistical support and fiscal measures that allow the reactivation of the sector.

Meanwhile, the Spanish sector is uniting for a benefit gig at Madrid’s WiZink Center on 24 November in aid of those affected worst by DANA.

Music from the Heart will feature artists such as Amaral, Arde Bogotá, Dani Fernández, David Bisbal, Hijos de la Ruina, Malú, Manuel Carrasco, Pablo Alborán, Raphael, Rozalén, Sole Giménez, Vanesa Martín and Viva Suecia.

A separate charity concert, Barcelona amb València, will take place at Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi on 29 November. Tickets are priced between €38-80 for the event, which will star Joan Manuel Serrat, Estopa, Andrea Motis, Judit Neddermann and Lucia Fumero.

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Scores of events have been cancelled in Spain amid the catastrophic floods that have killed more than 200 people in the country.

Reuters reports it is already Spain’s worst flooding disaster in modern history and the deadliest to hit Europe in 50 years. The country began three days of mourning yesterday (31 October), with prime minister Pedro Sánchez urging residents to stay at home and flags flown at half-mast.

Valencia has been the hardest-hit region, with the death toll in the Valencian Community has risen to 202, according to the Interior Ministry’s Integrated Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPI), following a year’s worth of rainfall in just eight hours due to a weather phenomenon known in Spain as DANA (Depresión Aislada en Niveles Altos).

Two people have also died in the Castilla La Mancha region, while another fatality has been reported in Andalusia. Fresh weather warnings have been issued.

The Palau de la Musica de Valencia has cancelled concerts scheduled for 31 October to 3 November, saying: “We want to express our condolences and solidarity to all the families of the victims of the terrible Dana that devastated the Horta Sud.”

“We join the sadness and solidarity that the Valencian Community walks through in these difficult days”

Live music venue Radio City Valencia has rescheduled a gig by bands Diversos and Bisonte to 14 December, with other venues such as the Valencian Institute of Culture and La Plazeta Teatro also cancelling or postponed several events.

“We join the sadness and solidarity that the Valencian Community walks through in these difficult days,” says a social media post by the latter. “We know that this tragedy is devastating and we want to sincerely thank the effort of firefighters, security forces, healthcare personnel and neighbours of the affected populations.”

Additionally, all football matches in the region, including Real Madrid’s trip to Valencia in LaLiga, have been postponed, and Valencia will no longer host the MotoGP season finale, which was set for 17 November.

Elsewhere in the country, artist Xavi Sarrià has postponed his show at La Copa in Girona, slated for tonight (1 November), out of respect for the victims and the personal impact on the members of the group.

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A benefit concert has been announced for victims of the devastating flooding in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna area.

The Italy Loves Romagna event will take place at the RCF Arena in Reggio Emilia, near Bologna, on 24 June in the wake of the flooding, which has left 13 people dead and thousands homeless, and has been described as the country’s worst disaster in a century.

Domestic artists including Blanco, Elisa, Elodie, Emma, Giorgia, Luciano Ligabue, Madame, Fiorella Mannoia, Gianni Morandi, Negramaro, Laura Pausini, Max Pezzali, Salmo, Tananai and Zucchero have been confirmed for the fundraiser, as the Italian music community unites to raise funds in support of Romagna and its inhabitants.

The show comes 11 years after Italia Loves Emilia, a fundraising concert held in 2012 to support the earthquake victims of Emilia Romagna. A presale starts tomorrow (30 May) on TicketOne, Ticketmaster and Vivaticket.

The event, which is being organised by Friends & Partners, Riservarossa, Vivo Concerti and Magellano Concerti, was announced by undersecretary for culture Gianmarco Mazzi.

“There are two objectives: to raise as many funds as possible and launch an invitation to spend the summer 2023 holidays in Romagna”

“There are two objectives: to raise as many funds as possible and launch an invitation to spend the summer 2023 holidays in Romagna, to bring life and help that splendid territory to recover,” says Mazzi. “Romagna is a wonderful land that has always evoked sun, joy and well-being, a place of the soul for the Italians, today hit hard.”

The 100,000-cap RCF Arena got up and running last year after its opening was delayed by two years due to the pandemic. Harry Styles will play the venue on 22 July as part of his Love On Tour European run.

The venue is operated by the SPV C.Volo network of seven enterprises and was built on unused land at the Reggio Emilia Airport, with audio company RCF acquiring the naming rights.

A separate fundraiser – Music Valley-Romagna Mia, Live Charity Concert – is also being planned for 5 August at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit in Imola, as part of its 70th anniversary of the motor racing venue.

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The mayor of Ferrara has defended Bruce Springsteen after the star was criticised for not cancelling his show in the northern Italian city, amid devastating floods in the surrounding region.

Springsteen and The E Street Band performed a sold-out 50,000-cap concert at Parco Urbano Giorgio Bassani last night, promoted by Barley Arts, the group’s first of three dates in the Italy as part of their 2023 world tour.

However, there had been widespread calls to postpone the concert out of respect for the flooding in the Emilia-Romagna area, which has left 13 people dead and thousands homeless, and has been described by one politician as the worst disaster in a century. This Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix at Imola was called off earlier this week due to safety concerns.

But speaking ahead of the Springsteen show, Ferrara mayor Alan Fabbri argued that cancelling the gig would not solve anything and only contribute to “more economic damage”.

In a Facebook post, he said: “I’m sorry if anyone might have thought that Ferrara was insensitive to the tragedy in Romagna just because they didn’t cancel The Boss’ concert. But I can assure you that as a former mayor of Bondeno, who lived the 2012 earthquake, on the front lines, I have never asked Italy or the region to stop championships, events and production of companies in solidarity with us.

“Firstly, because it doesn’t solve anything, except to create more economic damage to territories, workers and companies that have invested large sums for the event. Secondly, because it’s a level of demagogy that doesn’t belong to me.”

“I believe that all music, and especially at these levels, has the great power to unite people and sensibility from all parts of the world”

He added: “In Italy, there’s still a part of the public opinion that thinks that the world of events is not a sector equal to others, which one can safely do without, and because of this can be sacrificed at any occasion . In reality, it’s businesses and people who have suffered the burden of two years of Covid restrictions more than any other category, and it’s a shame that someone today has already forgotten that.

“I believe that all music, and especially at these levels, has the great power to unite people and sensibility from all parts of the world… May tonight’s music reach the flood affected populations with a single big hug.”

Barley Arts’ Claudio Trotta also discussed the decision to press ahead with the concert, saying the flooding had not hit Ferrara as badly as other cities, while the weather forecast was improving.

“It was not a red zone but an orange one,” he said, as per Radio Freccia. “We have had a great experience of people, companies and a lot of passion and love for one’s work which have allowed us today to be in a position – from the point of view of the show and the preparation of the arena – to be safe and rest assured that tomorrow, when we open the doors, the public will be adequately served and the show will take place regularly.”

Springsteen, who is represented by CAA, also plays Rome’s Circus Maximus on Sunday (21 May), returning to Italy on 25 July to perform at Monza’s Prato della Gerascia.

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