In the cover evening of Sanremo 2026 Tommaso Paradiso, competing with the song “I romantici” chose to go on stage with Stadio. Together they will perform “L’ultima luna” by Lucio Dalla, a singer-songwriter to whom the band has always been very close. We retrace the birth and artistic evolution of the Bolognese musical group that made the history of Italian music.
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How the band was born
Stadio were officially born at the beginning of the 1980s, but their roots lie in the most fertile period of Bolognese music. The historical nucleus was in fact formed as Lucio Dalla’s support group, an experience that profoundly marked the identity and artistic vision of the band. It’s not just a musical apprenticeship: it’s a real school of writing, arranging and narrative sensitivity.
The face and soul of Stadio is Gaetano Curreri, born in 1952. Singer-songwriter, keyboardist and refined author, Curreri has built over time a personal style made of melancholy, irony and attention to human frailties. His voice, immediately recognizable, has become the trademark of the group.
Alongside him, for decades, fundamental musicians such as Giovanni Pezzoli (1952–2022), drummer and co-founder, and Andrea Fornili (1952–2023), historic guitarist, worked. With them, and with bassist Roberto Drovandi, Stadio have defined an elegant, pop sound but with solid songwriting roots.
The years of success and collaborations
Their recording debut came in 1982, but the general public fully discovered them in the second half of the 1980s. Songs such as “Acqua e soap”, “Allo stadium” and “Ask who the Beatles were” establish them as one of the most credible bands on the Italian scene.
Their songs tell of complicated relationships, disillusionments, generational conflicts, without ever giving in to sensationalism. The center always remains the writing: carefully crafted lyrics, measured arrangements, true emotions. In the nineties and 2000s the band consolidated its path, far from trends but always present. In parallel, Curreri also wrote songs for other artists, including his long-time friend Vasco Rossi, contributing to important successes of Italian rock.
It is a phase of full maturity, in which Stadio does not chase the market but strengthens its own identity: an adult, aware band that speaks to an audience that has grown up with them.
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From the victory in Sanremo to today
The most striking recognition came in 2016 with the victory at the Sanremo Festival thanks to “Un giorno mi dirai”. The song, dedicated to the relationship between father and daughter, is intense and personal. It is not the sudden success of an emerging group, but the consecration of a long and coherent career.
After the passing of Pezzoli and Fornili, the project took on a more intimate and intimate character. Stadio remains active around Curreri, who continues to carry on the name and musical legacy of the band. Over forty years after their debut, Stadio represent one of the most solid realities of Italian music.
