Milan – Day 1: Festival Fever
Milan
Day 1: Festival Fever
June 04, 2024
ogether with Akash, Zara and Rohan – the same gang I’d been to Turkey and Egypt with – I’d be embarking on a new adventure. Joining us would be two new additions: Ved from India and Zado from Azerbaijan.
While this trip would revolve around two concerts, Akash had done his best to include a few stops in the little free time we’d have. I, for once, had little to do with the planning and so I just tagged along mindlessly, without many expectations. I was just happy to be off work, given the insane number of hours I’d been working over the previous few months.
And that’s how I found myself in the city of Milan – Italy’s financial and fashion powerhouse. Famous for its sleek skyscrapers, designer boutiques and vibrant cultural scene, the city is also home to world-class art and culture. Though we had come here for the acclaimed I-Days Milano festival, we had a few hours to kill and did our best to explore some of the city’s main highlights.
The Legendary Duomo
In fact, as soon as we got settled into our apartment, we headed out and made our way to Piazza del Duomo, where the magnificent Duomo di Milano sits.
Also known as Milan Cathedral, the impressive Duomo is a Gothic cathedral that took nearly six centuries to complete, blending Gothic, Renaissance and Neo-Gothic elements. Dedicated to the Nativity of Saint Mary, it features a white marble façade, thousands of statues and towering spires. Inside, its vast nave, stained-glass windows and towering pillars inspire awe, while the rooftop terraces offer panoramic views of Milan and, on clear days, the surrounding Alps – all crowned by the golden Madonnina statue watching over the city.
After exploring the cathedral to my heart’s content – keyword being “my”, as it didn’t quite pique the others’ interest – we crossed the piazza and entered the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of Milan’s most elegant and historic landmarks. Built between 1865 and 1877 and named after Italy’s first king, it’s one of the oldest shopping arcades in the world.
The grand structure features a soaring glass-and-iron dome, intricate mosaics and marble floors forming a cross-shaped passage that connects Piazza del Duomo with Piazza della Scala. Inside, luxury boutiques sit alongside historic cafés. Here, we simply had to take part in the popular tradition of spinning on the bull mosaic on the floor for good luck – a small ritual that has been part of Milanese tourist lore for generations.
While Zara, Akash and Ved indulged their craving for designer clothes, Rohan (my food brother) and I found ourselves a cheap local joint where we stuffed ourselves full of the most delicious pizza without breaking the bank.
The Prelude
After going around the city, we headed back to our apartment to get ready for the main event. Watching the others get dressed, I found myself looking back on the metrosexual life I had left behind as I got ready in a couple of minutes – donning a simple tee and jeans.
Our walk to the Ippodromo SNAI La Maura, where the festival would take place, was long, albeit exciting. Gathered around the streets of Milan were thousands of fans who had come to the city simply to attend Lana del Rey’s concert. Old and new fans alike, we were all drawn here by our love for the same artist. Speaking for myself, I practically spent my entire adolescence listening to her music – being in her presence would be nothing short of a dream come true (though I had already seen her live once!). And I’d be sharing this dream with thousands of other fans.
In fact, as we marched along, I could feel a sense of camaraderie. Admittedly, that didn’t quite last. The minute we were let inside the hippodrome, it was everyone for themselves – a literal stampede of people shoving and pushing each other to get to the front. We ended up in a comfortable position where we could enjoy both the show and some free space.
Lana del Friggin' Rey
When it was time for her to come on stage, a sort of reverence descended on the crowd. Then, to the Love Theme from The Godfather, the queen herself – Lana Del friggin’ Rey – finally appeared on a makeshift balcony on the stage, and the crowd roared.
While I don’t usually tend to idolise people, I have to admit that being in her presence felt surreal – as if I didn’t deserve such an honour. It was the same exact thing I had felt the first time I watched her perform live. Guess that’s the definition of being starstruck, huh?
She went on to play some of her main hits, with others feeling more like tributes to her die-hard fans. I felt this deep sense of melancholia as she sang Without You, freedom unlike any other during Ride, passionate irreverence during A&W, and glamour and style during Chemtrails Over the Country Club. Needless to say, the crowd went simply wild for Summertime Sadness and Young and Beautiful, arguably two of her most popular songs – the only songs everyone in the audience seemed to know word for word.
Any fan of Lana Del Rey would understand me when I say that her performance was simply transcendental. Her voice and music create this dissociative effect in me that makes me feel as if I’m suspended between different dimensions – if that makes any kind of sense. So yeah, all in all, it was simply incredible. Thank you, Lana.!