See Franz Ferdinand at AMA Music Festival in Parco di Villa Negri, Romano d'Ezzelino, on 30 August 2026, with The Kooks and The Molotovs. Plan your ticket purchase for a night of British indie rock, landmark hits and current songs from the band's latest album, "The Human Fear"
Franz Ferdinand in the finale of the AMA Music Festival
Franz Ferdinand arrives at Parco di Villa Negri in Romano d'Ezzelino on August 30, 2026, as the headline act of an evening that also brings together The Kooks and The Molotovs. Gates open at 17:00, while VIP entry is scheduled from 16:30. An important distinction for planning is that 17:00 marks the start of festival admission, not the confirmed start of Franz Ferdinand's performance. Individual artist times have not yet been announced, so the journey should not be timed as if the band takes the stage as soon as the gates open.
One ticket opens up the entire evening, and the combination of Franz Ferdinand and The Kooks immediately defines its character: guitar-driven indie rock that has shaped clubs and festivals from the early 2000s onward. The Molotovs bring younger energy, so arriving earlier makes sense because the program develops across several artists.
Tickets for this event are currently on sale.
Why Franz Ferdinand is still so distinctive live
Franz Ferdinand has never been a band that depends solely on nostalgia. Their most recognizable sound still rests on tense, short guitar figures, a driving bass, tight drums and a rhythm that often pushes a rock song toward the dance floor. "Take Me Out" remains the biggest point of recognition for the wider audience, but the band's concert identity relies just as much on "The Dark of the Matinée", "Michael", "This Fire", "Do You Want To", "No You Girls", "Ulysses" and "Love Illumination".
Recent concerts show that Franz Ferdinand does not treat its own catalogue like a museum exhibit. Older songs alternate with material from the album "The Human Fear", and the running order changes from night to night. In August 2026, "The Dark of the Matinée", "Night or Day", "No You Girls", "Do You Want To", "Michael", "Take Me Out", "Hooked", "Audacious" and "This Fire" appeared repeatedly at several performances. "Build It Up", "Bar Lonely", "Evil Eye", "Jacqueline" and "Outsiders" also appeared.
This is not an announcement of the set list for Romano d'Ezzelino. Quite the opposite: recent data shows that the band rotates part of its repertoire and occasionally responds to audience requests. For a visitor, it is therefore more useful to know which songs return frequently than to expect a fixed running order in advance.
"The Human Fear" gives the concert a current context
The band's latest studio chapter is "The Human Fear", Franz Ferdinand's sixth album, released on January 10, 2025. The album was produced by Mark Ralph, who had previously worked with the band on "Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action", and it was recorded at AYR Studios in Scotland. It contains 11 songs and was the band's first studio album after a seven-year break.
The title is not merely a striking phrase. Alex Kapranos explained that the songs deal with different forms of fear and the ways in which people accept or overcome fear. That concept was not turned into a heavy, closed-off album. On the contrary, the songs are often fast, rhythmic and direct, which makes them natural concert material alongside the older hits.
Among the key songs of the current phase are:
- "Audacious" - the first single that opened the new album era.
- "Night or Day" - a song that appears very frequently in recent concert programs.
- "Hooked" - a single released shortly before the album and one of the most consistent new tracks in the live repertoire.
- "Build It Up" and "Bar Lonely" - songs that regularly alternate with the classics at performances during 2026.
"The Human Fear" is also important because it represents a refreshed band line-up. In this phase, Alex Kapranos and Bob Hardy are joined by Julian Corrie, Dino Bardot and Audrey Tait. When presenting the album, Domino highlighted that it is the first Franz Ferdinand studio album with Audrey Tait and Dino Bardot, while Julian Corrie is more strongly involved in the songwriting alongside Kapranos and Hardy.
The result is a concert that can work on two levels. Long-time fans get the songs that defined indie rock in the first half of the 2000s, while audiences following the band's newer phase get material that is not an addition at the end of the set, but part of its core.
What recent performances say about the concert experience
In 2026, Franz Ferdinand plays a broad enough cross-section of its catalogue that the concert does not feel like a tour devoted to a single album. Recent headlining performances in the United States in August lasted around an hour and a half, but the festival slot in Romano d'Ezzelino may have a different duration and should not be planned according to the length of indoor concerts.
More important is the pattern of energy. "The Dark of the Matinée" often appears early, while "Take Me Out", "Hooked", "Audacious" and "This Fire" are regularly placed in powerful sections toward the end. "This Fire" especially often functions as the final blow, while "Take Me Out" remains the moment when the concert audience and people who follow the band only occasionally most easily meet on the same song.
Recent set lists also show that Franz Ferdinand does not have to play identically every night. In some cities they added "Darts of Pleasure", "Always Ascending", "Lucid Dreams", "Evil and a Heathen" or "Glimpse of Love". This gives the concert a less routine character without any need to guess exactly what will be played in Italy.
For audiences who like dance-rock, post-punk rhythms and choruses that can be sung without a long introduction, this is a very direct live format. The guitars are certainly at the forefront, but the rhythm is equally important. Franz Ferdinand live has more to do with movement than with observing details from a seated row.
The Kooks and The Molotovs change the dynamics of the entire evening
The announced line-up makes this evening especially attractive to audiences who follow British indie and guitar pop. The Kooks arrive with their own catalogue of major songs and an audience that partly overlaps with Franz Ferdinand fans, so the final day of the festival has a clear stylistic connection instead of a randomly assembled program.
The Molotovs are the third confirmed name. Their position alongside two established British groups gives the evening a generational contrast: a visitor can come for the Franz Ferdinand classics, stay for The Kooks or view the entire program as a cross-section of different phases of the British guitar scene.
For travellers arriving from another city or country, this means more concert-related reasons to arrive earlier. Tickets are valid for the entire festival day, and there are categories with general admission as well as zones closer to the stage.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
Parco di Villa Negri as a festival venue
The concert takes place at Parco di Villa Negri in Romano d'Ezzelino, at Via Ca' Negri, 36060 Romano d'Ezzelino. It is an open-air festival venue rather than a traditional concert hall with numbered seats. AMA Music Festival organizes the main live program there, along with a relaxation area and a food & drink zone.
For the experience of Franz Ferdinand, such a format makes sense. The band's rhythm and short, accented guitar phrases naturally work in a crowd that stands and moves. The ticket organization additionally distinguishes general admission from the PIT area in front of the stage, so when planning, visitors should know what type of entry they have, especially if proximity to the artist matters to them.
The festival does not publish a precise individual performance schedule for this evening, so it is not worth tying arrival to an assumed headliner time. Gates opening at 17:00 is practically more important information for travel planning, security checks and finding the desired position within the venue.
Because this is an open-air venue at the end of August, the weather forecast and rules on bringing items inside should be checked before departure. A festival day lasts longer than a single set, so comfortable footwear and a return travel plan are practically important.
How to get to Romano d'Ezzelino
For international and regional visitors, the most practical transport reference point is Bassano del Grappa. For arrival by train, the festival directs visitors to Bassano del Grappa railway station, which has direct connections with Trento, Padova and Venezia. A festival shuttle from Bassano del Grappa to the event venue has also been announced.
For arrival by car, the festival publishes access routes via the SS47 and Superstrada Pedemontana Veneta, depending on the direction of travel. Because of festival traffic, it is worth checking the latest instructions immediately before the journey.
For arrival by plane, the festival lists Treviso Canova, Venezia Marco Polo and Verona Catullo as practical airports. Parking is organized as a separate part of the festival logistics and can be reserved in advance.
Romano d'Ezzelino and Bassano del Grappa for travelling visitors
Romano d'Ezzelino is located in the area between the plain and the foothills of the pre-Alpine landscape, while Bassano del Grappa is the most important nearby transport point for many visitors. The festival particularly highlights the historic wooden bridge in Bassano del Grappa and the local distillery tradition, which makes the town a sensible base for an overnight stay or a few hours of sightseeing before the event.
If the plan includes arriving on the same day, some extra time should be allowed: festival traffic, parking and the shuttle can slow down the final part of the journey. Bassano del Grappa is especially practical because of its rail connections.
Who will find this evening especially interesting
The most obvious audience is long-time Franz Ferdinand fans who want to hear how a catalogue spanning several periods sounds alongside current material from "The Human Fear". But the event is not limited only to them. "Take Me Out", "Do You Want To", "No You Girls" and "This Fire" belong to that group of songs that have outlived their own era and remained recognizable beyond the circle of indie-rock fans.
The second group consists of visitors who like festival programs with several compatible artists. The combination of Franz Ferdinand and The Kooks is especially logical for audiences who grew up with British indie of the 2000s, while The Molotovs add a younger layer to the program.
The concert is also interesting for travellers who use it as a reason for a weekend in northern Italy. Gates opening in the late afternoon leaves part of the day for arrival or a short sightseeing trip, but without a precise artist schedule it is not worth risking arriving too late.
What to check before departure
The most important confirmed information can be reduced to several points:
- Franz Ferdinand performs as part of the AMA Music Festival at Parco di Villa Negri in Romano d'Ezzelino.
- The Kooks and The Molotovs are confirmed for the same evening.
- Gates open at 17:00, while VIP entry begins at 16:30.
- The ticket is valid for the entire festival day.
- The individual performance time for Franz Ferdinand has not been published, so 17:00 should not be interpreted as the time when the band takes the stage.
- For arrival by train, the main reference station is Bassano del Grappa, with an announced shuttle to the festival.
Before travelling, it makes sense to check the current schedule, entry rules, traffic notices, parking and weather forecast once again. At an open-air festival, these are precisely the operational details most likely to change between purchasing a ticket and the day of the event.
Tickets for this event are available, and for visitors travelling from farther away, it is most practical to coordinate them with transport and accommodation before the weekend itself.
Sources:
- AMA Music Festival - line-up for August 30, 2026, gate opening times, types of daily access and basic information about the festival venue.
- AMA Music Festival, "Come arrivare" - address of Parco di Villa Negri, road routes, Bassano del Grappa railway station, shuttle and recommended airports.
- Domino - information about the album "The Human Fear", release date, production, recording, track listing and context of the current line-up.
- Franz Ferdinand website - confirmation of the current album "The Human Fear" and the band's concert activity.
- Setlist.fm - recent Franz Ferdinand set lists from 2026 used to describe frequently performed songs and the variability of the live repertoire.
- Associated Press - interview with Alex Kapranos and Bob Hardy about the theme of the album "The Human Fear" and the band's current career phase.