beat festival florence
  1. You are here:
  2. Home
  3. Blog
  4. Categories: Events , Nightlife

Beat Festival: music and top-quality street food

Empoli’s green Parco di Serravalle hosts the cult favorite music festival.

The Florentine summer music scene is hardly confined to the city limits. Outside the walls—specifically, in the city of Empoli—you’ll find an event with a very special formula that’s see much public success: the Beat Festival. 

In a short amount of time, the Beat Festival has become a true benchmark for live music lovers and numerous international magazines have named it one of the best Italian festivals for millennials. 

The concept is as simple (so to speak) as it is effective: top-tier concerts from a carefully selected sample of musicians from the Italian and international scenes, paired with the chance to enjoy high-quality street food and craft beers in the same place. It all runs in the spacious green area of the Parco di Serravalle over the course of several late August evenings. 

2023 Edition

The Festival will be divided into two parts, the first which will last 4 days from Thursday 24 August to Sunday 27 August. The second will last 3 days, from Friday 31st August to Saturday 2nd September.

National and international artists will be hosted on the stage of the Main Stage. Already announced the participation of Franz Ferdinand who will perform on the Main Stage on Saturday 2 September. For the Scottish group, which will bring all its greatest hits on tour, this is a return, given that in 2017 it was the protagonist, right at Beat, of a memorable live.

  • August 24 - Gabry Ponte
  • August 25 - Villabanks
  • August 26 - The Struts
  • September 2 - Franz Ferdinand
A trifecta of a music festival

A major strength of the Beat Festival is that you can experience it in the best way you see fit: the space will be divided into three main areas. Each one has a different purpose, giving you the opportunity to choose what to do and how to enjoy the evening (or evenings) your way. 

1. The music area
Music is obviously the centerpiece of the event and there will be many different ways to take it in. The main attraction is the Main Stage, where the concerts take place and the only paid-entrance area of the festival. Next is the Jump Rock Arena, where emerging bands and DJs will take turns on stage, and finally the Orme Radio Mini Stage, a stage dedicated specifically to radio, with the aim of entertaining the audience before, after and during the concerts. 

2. The food area
After music, food is the other cornerstone of the festival and there will be an entire area of the park exclusively holding food trucks, with a rich variety of choices. As was the case with the musicians, all the ingredients and dishes here have been carefully selected and chosen for their high quality. There’ll be sweet and salty options, meat and fish, vegetarian fare and even gluten-free offerings. Craft beers from fine Italian breweries are an added plus. 


3. The entertainment area
Another portion of the Beat Festival is dedicated to sport and entertainment for all, including for families with children. During the event, numerous activities will be organized by local associations, who will aim to reach and entertain all ages. The park’s open spaces will also host a vintage and crafts marketplace.





Photo Credits: Beat Festival Empoli