Hello Il Volo Flightcrew,

You might remember me from a kilometre long article last year where I wrote about two concerts in Florence and in Prague.

There have been several reviews and articles about Tutti per uno 2026 (Uno per tutti) from Mantua posted already but I am still so excited that I had the opportunity to attend all three concerts and thought … I might write another article myself.

I know Daniela will certainly write about the concerts shortly after they run on tv and will explain all the context of the songs; the tv concerts will also probably be cut very differently from the live versions… I do not want to spoil too many surprises so I thought I would concentrate on the small things in between, the jokes that probably won’t make it to tv, little observations and some personal experiences.

FINALLY IN ITALY

Let me tell you that I love Italy (don’t we all?) and the week I spent there this time was one of the best times of my life. 🥰

Apart from Italy I also love Flix buses (long-distance buses), especially the night ones; I got on a bus in Pilsen, Czech Republic, around 10 p.m., took a nap and at 8.30 a.m. I was in Como (near Milan)! 🚌

HAPPY IN ITALY

There, among other things, I took the funicular that brought me to a village called Brunate located above the sea…. Funiculi, funiculà! ….Then I moved to Milan and finally to Mantua.

The funicular in Como

Lake Como

I had an (maybe) ambitious plan to use Mantua as “base camp”, make as many trips as possible during the day and then attend the concerts in the evening. And everything worked out so well. I went to Cremona and visited the violin museum, went to Peschiera del Garda at the lake Garda and read a book on a beach there, went to Parma and met my friend there, visited Verona and saw the impressive Arena di Verona…😲

Violin Museum in Cremona

Lake Garda

Parma

Verona

REHEARSALS

Every day I returned to Mantua really early from my trips and hurried to Palazzo Te; I arrived there maybe way too early… but I got to listen to the rehearsals! The rehearsals were not open to the public, of course, but there is a huge park around the palace and even though you couldn’t see anything, you could quite clearly hear what the guys were rehearsing.

It’s probably not a surprise that Ignazio was “directing” the whole rehearsals. His “Gianlu, where are youuuu?” was heard in the whole park! 😂

The guys were rehearsing Caruso, over and over and over, with their guest.

Then I noticed that they were singing another song and after they finished, Piero asked:  “Hmmm, for you and me, hmm, shouldn’t it be for you and for me, though?” And they sang it again from the beginning with the correct lyrics, this time.

It was great to catch some remarks here and there, parts of songs, guess who might be the guests, and sometimes you even didn’t have to guess, for example when Ignazio shouted:

“Applause for NOOOEEEEMIIIII!” 😁

The park around Palazzo Te

THE VIEW

Before the concert

I had the ticket for row seven for the first concert and it was really good; I was sitting among a group of fans who were loudly cheering for the guys.

Before the second concert, I got to my seat really early, this time I sat in row 4 but a bit sideways, not directly in front of the podium. There were six seats and then a gap and other part of the seats. And I was the only one sitting there. The beginning of the concert was getting closer, and I was still alone there. Looking around. Nobody in my row. I got so worried because on Thursday, Amadeus – who turned out to be the co-host of the evening – was at first sitting among the public and pretending to be a normal spectator. Only then he got on stage. I was so worried that I will unknowingly end up next to the host of the second evening because they might repeat this entrance. What’s worse! What if I don’t even recognize that I’m sitting next to the host-to-be?! Because naturally, I don’t know Italian artists that well. 🤔

But don’t worry, just before the beginning a group of four friends finally came to their seats, another lady arrived and sat down on the last vacant chair and none of them was the host! Phewww. 😃

I also made sure to use all the advantages my seat offered. I may not have had the stage directly in front of me, but what was in front of me was the tent situated backstage, just immediately next to the stage. I, of course, very carefully observed the guys, especially Gianluca, whenever they weren’t singing and were in this tent. They got their make-up retouched there, hair combed, Piero ate there and there were so many people just popping up to hug the guys. Awww, this was so nice to see. 🥰

The tent

THE ATMOSPHERE

I loved the atmosphere of this event – seeing the fans meet each other, talk about their favourite artists, and take photos. It is such a big concert, an important event filmed for tv and yet it is so relaxed. For example, the security guards were so polite and helpful, which is something I don’t always see in my country. And the atmosphere on the stage was amazing, too.

The camaraderie and understanding between Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio was palpable. Ignazio was so visibly happy and content ,  I mean he always jokes and makes fun, so you would rarely pause and think whether he is happy or not. But then when he is really happy, you really see it.

I had this feeling last year already and felt it even more this year: Ignazio is like a great athlete who peaks at the right time. He does great at the regular comps but leaves everyone speechless at the Olympics. The broad range of songs and the collaborations he prepared for these three nights? An Amy Winehouse song, Jesus Christ Superstar, a song in French, his own song…

Deservedly, he got so many standing ovations. My Gianluca-fangirl-forever heart got even a little sad (I know, I know it’s not a competition between the guys, but still…) and I know that it was also mentioned here in the comments in a previous article – so I would like to mention that I saw an interview a few days ago and the interviewer asked the guys who gets the biggest applause and they all agreed that it’s not a question about who but it always depends on the song. ♥️

THE MUSIC

I don’t want to spoil too much and also have to admit that I didn’t know all the songs. The absolute majority were Italian songs and it was wonderful to see –even though I might not know them – the audience knew the lyrics and enthusiastically sang along with the guys.

There were many guests and again – even though I might not know them – the public clearly knew them and loved them, and I loved to see it!

And then, when it came to “Grande Amore” and “Capolavoro”, the whole audience – Italians and foreigners – sang a squarciagola (at the top of one’s lungs). I was delighted to hear “Frammenti di universo” again and could not believe my luck that the guys sang “Don’t cry for me Argentina” here in Europe.

I absolutely loved all the duets ,  every evening there were three different duets between the guys. For Piero and Gianluca I would say “Era già tutto previsto” was my favourite, I love the blend of Gianluca’s and Ignazio’s voices the most and it’s hard to pick a favourite but probably I’d say “Mi manchi” and for Ignazio and Piero “Avevo un cuore che ti amava tanto”.

Gianluca and Ignazio

And what about solos and collaborations with guests?

Sometimes I wish Piero would venture a bit from the well-known waters of operatic arias…

But then he sang ”No puede ser”, I had heard it a few times already, but somehow it was a completely different experience in Mantua, he made me appreciate it again and I thought “But with this voice, wouldn’t it be a shame to not sing opera?”

The guys are so friendly to all guests and make them feel welcome and appreciated on stage; however, it’s especially nice to see them perform with their friends and it was the case of Piero’s duet with Malika Ayane, it felt so natural, you could see how they were both enjoying the duet.

For Gianluca I have to mention his duet with Michele Bravi. I hadn’t heard about Michele before but googled and found out that he won the Italian X Factor in 2013 and is the same age as Gianluca. Even though the guys have sung with so many people I’d say they don’t sing that often with male singers their age. So, at first, I was maybe surprised by this choice. And then I was mesmerized, sitting there literally with my mouth open, I’ve never felt so much chemistry between two singers. Michele was the biggest human live representation of the heart-eyes emoji. It was so cute to see how much they admired each other. I immediately added him to my Spotify playlist. 😉

And Ignazio… It’s so hard to choose one or two favourite moments. I was impressed many times so I’m just going to say when I was surprised the most: when he sang in French, the song called Voilà!

SPEECHES

The speeches are an important part of these concerts. I loved the longer introductions of songs. Piero spoke about opera and always discovering new and new stories there to tell.

Gianluca was introducing his favourite Italian singers-songwriters the way only he can.

And then there was Ignazio. He jokes so often but then, when he says something serious, it has such an impact.

In her article, Daniela already mentioned how he talked about their music as a companion for anyone who feels lonely.

So, I’m going to mention two other occasions. The first one is that he addressed the public also in English and thanked the international audience for coming to Mantua – to a concert conducted entirely in Italian with guests and music known mainly to Italians. The guys are so aware of their fans, who they are, and know and appreciate that they come from all Europe and the whole world to Mantua.

And the second serious speech I’d like to mention happened during the first concert. After having sung Hallelujah, Gianluca dedicated the song and the applause to his grandfather (whose funeral was on that day in the morning), Piero hugged him and Ignazio said:

“When we lose someone, we remain here to live. And I would like to dedicate the applause to everyone who has had the courage to accept the loss and let go, when the loved one cannot be here, because one needs a lot of courage to keep going. It’s not easy. You know, people often say ‘our life must go on’. But it’s not always like this. When you lose someone, you need a lot of courage to go on, and I would like to applaud Gianluca at this moment and to every one of you who has had the courage to keep going.”

Simple words, short speech and it resonated with me so much and I believe not only with me.

A short video of a touching moment involving Gianluca, and the lovely words from Ignazio.

Ignazio, Piero and Gianluca do not hide their feelings, they have experienced losses, sadness like all of us and they are able to find the right words to say in such moments.

The setting at Palazzo Te

IL VOLO AS HOSTS

As you probably know, each of the guys hosted one evening with the help of a co-host. Alice Fontana reviewed this in depth in her articles. I would like to only add that in my opinion it was not necessarily done to show the growth of the guys as hosts during one particular evening. I think it was done very smartly to fit each of them and it just happened that Piero hosted the first evening with Amadeus, one of the most famous Italian hosts (who hosted San Remo Festival for many years) and in that case it was only natural for Piero to assume the role of the apprentice even though Piero would be a capable host on his own. And that’s how the impression of “it’s done to show the growth” might have been planted.
But for Ignazio, on the other hand, it wouldn’t be fitting to be the “apprentice” on stage, he is so natural and confident and just himself that he was just himself next to Noemi and didn’t change during the evening.

To be honest, I was a bit worried about Gianluca because on stage he likes to leave the talking and joking to Piero and Ignazio, but of course, I should have trusted the guys and their team.

They found the perfect co-host and perfect approach for him. The comedian Katia Follesa as the over-enthusiastic fan and Gianluca gently reassuring her that she’s “the light of my eyes, the breath of my breath, the mirror of my soul”. I can assure you that it sounds ten times better in Italian though, and about a hundredth time better in Gianluca’s voice (Piero advised him to use that special tone reserved for radio interviews��). 😍

THE JOKES AND SHENANIGANS

We love the jokes. I think they will not make it to the TV, and it would be such a shame to just leave them out, so I’d love to recount some of them.

For the first one I just would like to clarify that in some parts of Italy, bread is traditionally
made without salt…

Amadeus, the co-host, talked about what the guys were doing backstage and how professional they were and that they were calm even before this big concert.

“And do you know who is the most relaxed? Ignazio.
Do you know what he does backstage? He eats.
Eat bread.
Without salt.
And because it’s without salt he goes and puts salt on it.
He eats and then sings AAAAAAA.”
Gianluca: And how he sings! [to Amadeus] Try putting salt on bread and you’ll see how you’ll sing then.

On the first evening, Piero changed his jacket, took a white one, remarked how important the next song was and made Ignazio and Gianluca sit on the stage and observe (even though Gianluca protested they had to go backstage “because Ignazio has to eat more bread”)… Piero confidently came to the middle of the stage and then remembered “Oh, we will do this on Saturday, so who will be here on Saturday, will know”, took his white jacket off and continued 😂

When he wore this white jacket on Saturday, Gianluca said he reminded him of a waiter and immediately ordered “still water for table 7”, while Ignazio admitted he didn’t say it only because he wanted to be nice �� But Piero asked the spectators how they liked it and got unanimous reassuring that he was looking great. 🥰

One jacket change was not enough for Piero on the first evening, though. And the change required help from Ignazio and Gianluca. Ignazio was holding the new, sparkly jacket and Gianluca was helping him out of the black one. But then, for some reason, Gianluca was still holding the black jacket and thought Piero would put it back on. Ignazio and Piero tried to explain that he was not going to put on the black jacket and Gianluca decided to wear it himself – over his own jacket. Then Piero suggested Ignazio should give him his jacket, too.

And Gianluca gladly took the third layer on, saying he “feels cold”. Ignazio quickly marched him off stage “Because this is something I don’t even want to see.” 😂

And then when it was Gianluca who appeared in a white jacket and blue shirt, Ignazio remarked that he looked like an elegant Smurf. Ignazio did not change even once, so the guys couldn’t get revenge on him.😉

The guys also had much fun with Italian. Gianluca was repeatedly reminding Ignazio to speak “proper Italian” and not Sicilian dialect. Then he complained about what strange words the people from southern Italy were using and when Ignazio protested that Gianluca was also from the southern part of Italy he escaped “because Abruzzo is in the centre!”

Piero remarked a few times that Ignazio’s shoe was untied but he said it colloquially (literally saying “it’s melted”) and it took them all a moment to collectively come up with the right expression for untied. I loved it so much. (I also have to admit that I especially loved that I understood it; maybe that’s the reason why I bought the book Lacci [Ties] by Domenico Starnone the next day ��.)

THE FUTURE

I hope it was not the last year of Tutti per uno. There are still so many guests I’d love to see in this format.

What about Andrea Bocelli? Not long ago the guys were guests at his concert in the USA so it would be great also in reverse. I also have to say that for two years I was expecting Lucio Corsi (who represented Italy at Eurovision Song Contest in 2025) would participate, a duet with Gianluca singing “Volevo essere un duro” would be amazing, Gianluca even bought his merch, so I was almost considering it a certainty. Who knows, maybe some time in the future. In my opinion, Maura Nava or Carlos Rivera would also be a great addition, especially knowing that Tutti per uno is followed by so many international fans.

Whatever the future of Tutti per uno might be, I am sure the guys will delight us with amazing
concerts and events the next year and the next.

Until next time, from Klara in the Czech Republic!!