Bologna, July 16, 2026 – Bob Dylan will perform at the Unipol Arena on Saturday November 7. After the great international success of the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, Bob Dylan will return to Italy in the fall of 2026 for three exclusive concerts. The American artist will hold a series of events throughout Europe: he will perform in Germany, Italy, and England in the months of October, November, and December. The artist, who last played in Europe last year, has confirmed 30 dates between October 17 and December 8. General sales will begin at 11 on Wednesday, July 22.
The concert announcement also reiterates a fundamental rule for the concerts of the author of Blowin in the Wind: he does not want phones, video cameras, or recording devices in the venue. At the three Italian dates, as has happened in the past, cell phones will be locked in Yondr pouches that spectators will carry with them. If they need to use their phone, they can go to a dedicated area where the pouches will be opened.
In recent years, the Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour, born from the album of the same name released in 2020, has won over audiences and critics worldwide, once again confirming Bob Dylan’s extraordinary ability to continually reinvent his live music. Dylan’s latest official release is The Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through The Open Window, 1956–1963 (2025), enthusiastically received by international critics. The album Rough and Rowdy Ways, released in 2020, instead represented one of the most significant moments of his recent career, entering the year-end charts of numerous specialized publications and reaffirming his role as an absolute protagonist of music.
The return after 11 years and the concert with Pope John Paul II in 1997
Bob Dylan has played in Bologna several times throughout his very long career, including historic dates. The last time (before the upcoming November concert) he held two dates at the Teatro Auditorium Manzoni. Even more iconic was the concert on September 27, 1997 in Piazza Maggiore in front of Pope John Paul II, on the occasion of the National Eucharistic Congress. The American singer-songwriter, then fifty-six years old, was invited to play despite initial reservations from some Vatican circles. Accompanied by his band, Dylan sang: “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall,” “Forever Young,” and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” During the performance, Pope Wojtyla followed the concert with great attention and a smile.
Read more Illness during diving in Lampedusa, Mauro Ergo dies
