The arrival of the first warm weather and the first days of June means only one thing for Italian (and European by now) fans of dance/electronic music (and not only by now): Nameless Festival.
As never before this year Nameless amazed everyone with a production never seen in Italy in terms of number of stages, production and line-up.
On June 2-3-4 Nameless welcomed over 100,000 people to attend one of the most important festivals in Italy.
Check out all our highlights here, where for this edition we decided to do mini-surveys on the most anticipated artists and stages!
Picking up where we left off last year, there was the confirmation of the important location change from the historical venue of Barzio to Annone di Brianza.
In this edition there were 4 stages and a “special” one:
– new Mainstage OpenAir where world-famous DJs performed together with established singers in Italy and new realities already successful in other countries (such as 070 Shake and Tokisha)
– the Molinari Tent, hangout for all the historical clientele of Nameless linked to the first fully dance/electronic editions where to inaugurate the three days were the winners of the traditional contest that out of 10 finalists awarded Cave Studio, Thai.oh and AVE.
– the new OpenAir Live Stage with a ledwall stage very similar to last year’s, where established rappers like Ernia, up-and-coming rappers like Icy Subzero, Anna and Diss Gacha, and live bands that moved the audience like La Sad performed;
– the Igloo Stage whose special feature this year from a sustainability perspective was the 100% green energy supply.
– Finally, the “special” stage was like last year the RedBull Unforeseen and was full of surprises such as the B4B on Sunday afternoon between Greg Willen, Marauda, AutomHate and Young Miles.
Check out all our highlights here, where for this edition we decided to do mini-surveys on the most anticipated artists and stages!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yhI0-iVUxVM
Nameless Festival’s musical offerings have never been as diverse as this year. In the lineup there were not only historical figures of electronic music such as Paul Kalkbrenner, Skrillex and Benny Benassi. Of course, there was no shortage of Italian chart-topping artists capable of selling out stadiums and arenas such as Salmo and Ernia and international artists present in the world’s major Lineups such as 070 Shake, Tokisha and ArrDee. This mix made us savor the taste of being in an international festival where the customer has the chance to enjoy the performance of that foreign artist he has always found in the mammoth Line Ups of Festivals like Lollapalooza and Coachella and that until now he had heard just a few times on Spotify, seen in Instagram reels or considered going to listen abroad.
Coming to the individual days we start with the now renowned date 0 for residents. This bonus day is once again a tribute to the residents of Oggionese: in fact, on Thursday, June 1, Albertino, Fargetta, Molella and Prezioso took the stage for an unforgettable Deejay Time on the notes of 90s hits and dance music. The evening, needless to say, successfully anticipated the following three canonical days. All local residents enjoyed the experience with joy and happiness; seeing children, families and people of a wide range of ages dancing and singing along to the notes of Deejay Time demonstrates the attachment and curiosity citizens have for the festival. This tribute to the people of the Oggionese area is the litmus test of what Nameless wants to represent: no longer just a festival targeting the electronic scene and its audience, but an all-around musical experience that brings the love of music and art to unite different worlds and people.
DAY 1
Leading the way was the headliner: Paul Kalkbrenner. The crowd appeal was immense, in his two-hour set he was able to thrill the crowd with tracks like “Sky and Sand,” “Feed Your Head,” “No Goodbye” and “Part Ten.”
The audience greatly enjoyed guest performances representing the Drum n Bass scene such as Hedex, DJ Hype and Gyrofield.
Here is Hedex’s intro, one of the moments when Nameless’s ever-present (crazy and crazy) communities such as TBA Crew and Molest Sector were at their best.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TZ7QHmbbhRk
The Live stage featured Olly, Rose Villain, Rosa Chemical and the controversial Rondodasosa, among others.
They did not disappoint expectations The Caracal Project, Sonny Fodera, Malaa and Matroda who offered a set from the Molinari Tent where it was impossible not to dance.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IMvHyaR2t0Q
DAY 2
It was the most anticipated day for the audience. After his last two appearances in 2015 in Milan and 2016 in Gallipoli, one of the most important artists of the scene returned to Italy: Skrillex. In the 90-minute performance he entertained the audience with his new sound, appreciated in the last two albums “Quest For Fire” and “Don’t Get Too Close” and all the new productions that have been accompanying his new found musical creativity for some time, including “Rumble” and “Jungle” and unreleased like “Badass.” There was no shortage of moments of emotion and nostalgia with historic tracks such as “Where are u Now,” “Make it bun dem,” “Right In,” “Summit” and “Cinema” closing the set.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8cLCUtD2Cxc
Also performing on Saturday were artists who drew huge audiences such as Salmo, Merk & Kremont, Chris Lake, Ernia, Mara Sattei and many others.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RjyDycBbu4U
And then our beloved EDMMARO, the latter performed at the Molinari Tent and as usual he did not fail to draw the whole Nameless historical audience to him so much that he created a real migration from all the other stages.
DAY 3
While in the Live stage performed Il Pagante (with the new single produced by MorganJ), Slings, ANNA and in the Molinari Tent it was the turn of Mau P who won everyone over with his hit “Drugs From Amsterdam” and the new “Booty Bounce” (check out our interview with him at ADE 2022), Hugel and Dom Dolla (both with the former’s fresh new singles “Es Un Secreto” and the latter’s “Eat Your Man” released on June 2) and Gordo in the Molinari Tent who invited Lazza to the console and then played a remix of “Cenere”!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/T9hXPWbvvlI
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/M9a1M4CilAQ
@namelessfestival Lazza with Gordo playing Cenere Remix #nameless #festival #Namelessfestival2023 #techno
Also on the Line Up in the Mainstage were the great Benny Benassi who tested 3 new IDs with a crazy reaction, Oliver Heldens and Lost Frequencies who warmed up the audience for good with their hard-hitting sets ahead of HARDWELL‘s last big return to Italy.
The Dutch DJ was able to instantly repay in emotions the audience that flocked to him despite the adverse weather situation to say the least. During Sunday night, in fact, over 100ml of rain fell in 2 hours that marked the last 3 hours of the festival.
Despite the fact that the rain was incessant, the audience did not stop dancing and getting excited, and if among the many inconveniences brought by the storm, between the mad search for capes, races to find shelter (and even a WC was fine) cars and people in the mud. A scene on the way out confirms that Nameless is already immortal: a group of friends, we like to think maybe even met there, who with smiles strolled hugged in the river of rain shouting in chorus “Na-me-less, Na-me-less.”
Each day of this extraordinary event was closed by a drone show that combined creativity and innovation to give the audience an unprecedented visual experience. Nameless is the first festival to present this kind of show in Italy!
They were employed as artistic instruments, dancing in the night sky and creating breathtaking light shapes. Through perfect synchronization, these flying devices generated spectacular plays of light, creating complex and engaging choreographies. The use of drones made it possible to push the limits of traditional light performances, taking art and entertainment to new heights. The drones’ fluid movements in the sky, combined with a variety of colors and patterns, captured the audience’s imagination, creating a magical and evocative atmosphere. This innovative light show was a true marriage of visual art and modern technology. It demonstrated how the creative use of drones can transform an event into something extraordinary, leaving the audience open-mouthed and with a lasting memory of the night sky being used as a light stage for Nameless’ landmark.
We are sure that this edition will be remembered for many reasons: among the main ones surely for the enormous musical offer and for what Nameless Festival now represents for the Italian audience, an experience of international level that looks to the future with the eyes and the mentality of those who believe that with commitment and sweat dreams can come true.
Similarly, this year one must also reflect on the management of some not insignificant inefficiencies faced during the three-day event, starting with the shuttle service: thousands of patrons unfortunately lost hours of festival time due to the few buses available this year, 4 available versus 11 last year. Moving from the dedicated shuttle area was a 25-minute walk through fields and woods that became impractical and potentially dangerous in the evening.
One issue encountered especially in the Molinari Tent stage was audio overlap with the mainstage, perhaps due at times to air displacement or to the proximity between stages, which were certainly positioned in the most strategic and convenient way for participants’ listening displacement.
Other minor issues that emerged were the lack of refreshment stations and bars where one could refresh oneself and lack of points to recharge wristbands. Compared to previous years, waits, especially for consuming, almost doubled.
Going to a festival, but also to a concert, means taking risks especially when the weather is uncertain. The downpour and inconveniences caused by the mud, (especially in the parking lots) were well solved by the organization (Bravo!) and before the festival they used their communication channels very well to inform the guests properly. The bad weather did not last the entire closing day and fortunately did not cause disasters like those that occurred at Creamfields in 2012, however, it always remains unpleasant to close such an important 3-day festival for our country with floodwater without the usual show where it is almost impossible not to be moved.
Despite the disruptions that occurred, both the organizational team and the participants showed remarkable resilience. Logistical problems were dealt with promptly and professionally, ensuring that issues were resolved as quickly as possible. The safety and well-being of the participants was a priority at all times, and the staff in charge worked tirelessly to ensure a safe and comfortable environment. It is important to recognize that the complexity of the event, given its growing popularity, required increasingly sophisticated planning and organization. However, despite the difficulties, the success was undeniable. The energy and enthusiasm of the participants, combined with the incredible talent of the attending artists, created a unique and unforgettable experience.
The festival registers a not inconsiderable growth in attendance and offerings from year to year, attracting an increasingly large and passionate audience. The enthusiasm generated around Nameless exceeds all expectations, consistently bringing in more participants than ever before. It is inevitable that this rapid and massive growth presents some organizational difficulties, but the tireless work and efforts of the event organizers to meet this challenge must be acknowledged.
Drawing a final line to what has been our Nameless Experience, we can say that the event has taken a huge step towards the various festivals of international caliber and with an eye to detail and services there will surely catch up in the years to come.
We hope that the institutions can also continue to support and be an active part in promoting the festival given the positive consequences it has on the whole surrounding area in terms of economy, tourism and cultural proposition. The patronage of 3 municipalities and the Province of Lecco is not enough given the importance and the role that Nameless also plays in economic terms for the whole territory of northern Lombardy. Other Italian entities such as Futur Festival enjoy important patronage, including the prestigious sponsorship of the European Commission since 2016.
The next 11th edition of this extraordinary event will be held on JUNE 14, 15 and 16, 2024.
The enthusiasm around this event has been so overwhelming that the recently announced Tier 1 tickets have already sold out. This shows the incredible anticipation and desire of the public to attend Nameless again. All that remains is to eagerly await the start of this new unforgettable experience.
28y passionate guy about music, social media, digital marketing and infographics!
I founded youBEAT in 2012 as manifesto of my passion for electronic music, with the aim of promoting artists and events.
Graduated in Media Languages at UCSC in Milan (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) with a thesis on the revolution of daily life with the streaming in entertainment and information.
Everyday more passionate and keen about data, tools and music insights and their connection in this everyday faster social connected world.
From 2017-2023 A&R, Marketing and International Manager at EGO Music (www.egomusic.net).
