Tony Hadley in Monforte d'Alba: the voice that marked eighties pop in the intimate amphitheatre of the Langhe
Tony Hadley performs on 26 June 2026 at 21:30 at Auditorium Horszowsky in Monforte d'Alba, in a venue that does not function as a classic concert hall, but as an open amphitheatre at the top of the old settlement. For the audience, this means a concert in a more immediate setting: without the feeling of a large arena, with a view of the stage from the stone cavea and with the atmosphere of the historic core, which itself becomes part of the evening.
Hadley comes to Monforte d'Alba as part of the project "An Englishman in Italy", a tour that brings him back to the Italian audience after more than four decades of career. For listeners who remember him as the distinctive voice of Spandau Ballet, this is an opportunity to hear songs that have long since separated from the time in which they were created. For a younger audience, the concert is an encounter with a vocal that can move from elegant pop and soul nuances to swing and big band moods.
Tickets for this event are in demand.
What the "An Englishman in Italy" tour brings
"An Englishman in Italy" has been announced as Tony Hadley's new Italian tour, launched in the spring of 2026. Its concept does not rest only on nostalgia. The description of the tour emphasises a cross-section of his career, but also the current phase in which Hadley includes new songs, his solo catalogue and major hits that have defined his status as one of the most recognisable British pop vocal figures.
This is an important detail for the audience's expectations: the concert is not conceived as a museum-style overview of the eighties, but as an evening in which that repertoire is connected with his later solo work. Earlier tour announcements mention the songs "True", "Gold" and "Through the Barricades", but also material from Hadley's more recent period. This does not mean that a complete set list has been confirmed in advance for Monforte d'Alba. It has not been published, so it is safer to expect a combination of recognisable highlights and newer or carefully selected performances, rather than the exact order of songs.
On this tour, Hadley performs with Fabulous TH Band, a line-up with which he has developed a stage language based on a live band, a clear rhythm section and an emphasised role for the vocal. Such a format suits particularly well songs that rest on melody, chorus and vocal phrase, as well as interpretations that require more room for dynamics than strict pop arranging allows.
From Spandau Ballet to a solo career
Tony Hadley became internationally known as the singer of Spandau Ballet, a band connected with the New Romantic movement and the pop sound of the eighties. His baritone voice was one of the key elements of songs that crossed the boundaries of the pop scene of that time. "True" has remained one of the most recognisable ballads of that period, "Gold" has acquired the status of a concert refrain that the audience easily takes over, while "Through the Barricades" carries a more dramatic and more emotional arc.
After the period with Spandau Ballet, Hadley continued his solo career. He performed with his own band, swing ensembles and orchestras, and his concerts often use precisely that range: pop songs gain more concert breadth, while standards and reinterpretations show how well his vocal phrasing works outside a strictly pop framework.
For the audience in Monforte d'Alba, this is especially interesting because Auditorium Horszowsky is not a space in which a voice is easily lost in the distance. A concert in an amphitheatre of around 800 seats emphasises details: the beginning of a phrase, the transition from a quieter part into the chorus, the audience's reaction after a familiar introduction. In such a space, Hadley's voice can come to the fore without the need for an overly large production gesture.
The current discographic context: "If I Can Dream" and the swing period
Tony Hadley's more recent period is marked by releases that clearly show his inclination toward vocal classics, swing aesthetics and elegant arrangements. The 2024 album "The Mood I'm In" connected swing classics, reinterpretations and additional material, including songs such as "Touch Me", "Feeling Good", "That's Life", "One for My Baby" and "Walk of Shame". That material is not just a discographic footnote, but explains why Hadley's more recent performances often have a broader musical framework than a pure pop concert.
The album "If I Can Dream", released in 2025, continues that vocal line. Its track list includes "Too Close For Comfort", "Mission Impossible", "Fly Me To The Moon", "The Good Life", "Sea Of Love" and the title track "If I Can Dream". In such a selection, Hadley's inclination can be seen toward songs that require breath control, stage elegance and interpretation, not only the recognition of a chorus.
This gives additional context to the concert in Monforte d'Alba. The audience can expect an evening that does not rely only on synth-pop memory, but also on a more mature vocal approach: more space for the band, more dynamics between big choruses and slower moments, and possible transitions toward a swing and big band feeling. This is especially attractive to listeners who like concerts in which the performer does not hide the years of his career, but uses them as an advantage.
Who this concert is especially interesting for
Hadley's performance in Monforte d'Alba has several clearly recognisable audiences. The first are long-time fans of Spandau Ballet, for whom songs such as "True", "Gold" and "Through the Barricades" have personal weight. The second are listeners who follow British pop and soul vocals, but are not looking only for nostalgia. The third are visitors to the Monfortinjazz programme who value concerts in a space where music is listened to attentively, and not casually.
The concert can also be attractive to an audience that comes to the Langhe because of travel, wine, gastronomy and smaller cultural events. Monforte d'Alba is not a metropolis with a concert as one item in a large urban calendar. Here, the evening is more connected with arriving in the place, climbing toward the historic core and sitting in an amphitheatre that emerged from the natural configuration of the terrain.
- Long-time fans will get the opportunity to hear the voice connected with the best-known songs of Spandau Ballet in a concert format.
- Lovers of vocal pop can expect an emphasis on phrasing, melody and interpretation, and not only on production.
- An audience inclined toward swing and big band sound will recognise the connection with Hadley's more recent releases and his stage repertoire.
- Travellers in Piedmont get a concert that naturally fits into a stay in the Langhe, among historic villages and the vineyards of Barolo.
Auditorium Horszowsky: an open space with closeness to the performer
Auditorium Horszowsky is located in Monforte d'Alba, at Via del Carretto 16. It is an open auditorium that uses the natural cavea of the old settlement, with tiers descending toward the stage. The space is connected with the history of the Monfortinjazz programme, and it is named after the pianist Mieczysław Horszowski, to whom the auditorium was dedicated after a concert in 1986.
The capacity of the venue is listed as around 800 seats, including stands that are set up during the festival period. This is large enough for a strong shared audience feeling, but small enough for the concert to retain a human scale. With performers such as Hadley, this is an important advantage: songs that were created for radio and large stages here gain a different kind of closeness.
The surroundings further strengthen the impression of the evening. Nearby are old bell towers, oratories and the walls of the historic Scarampi complex, so the stage does not stand in a neutral black box, but in a space with a clear character. Because of the open format, visitors should count on evening outdoor conditions and arrive with clothing suitable for the weather and for sitting at an open-air location.
Places are disappearing quickly.
Monforte d'Alba as host of the evening
Monforte d'Alba is located in Piedmont, in the Langhe area, known for its hills, vineyards and wine culture connected with Barolo. For visitors coming from other cities, the concert can be a reason for a broader stay: a walk through the historic core, sightseeing in the surrounding places and a calmer travel rhythm before the evening programme.
The town is small, and precisely that changes the logistics of the concert. Arrival is not the same as going to a large arena beside a motorway. The auditorium is reached through the settlement and its narrower, steeper streets, so it is useful to plan time without rushing. The organisers of the Monfortinjazz programme state that Auditorium Horszowsky is not directly accessible by car, which is important information for everyone coming by private vehicle.
For travellers who do not know the Langhe, it is worth bearing in mind that distances in this part of Piedmont are short on the map, but driving can include bends, hills and passage through smaller places. That is why it is wiser to arrive earlier, leave time for parking and the climb toward the venue, instead of arriving immediately before the start.
How to get there and what to plan before entry
For arrival by car, Monfortinjazz lists different routes from major directions. From Turin, the A6 Turin-Savona motorway is used, Marene exit and continuation via the A33 toward Cherasco, then toward Dogliani, Monchiero and Monforte d'Alba. From Milan, the A21 toward Turin is listed, Asti Est exit, then the A33 toward Cuneo and Alba, then toward Barolo and Monforte d'Alba. From Savona, the A6 is used, Mondovì exit and continuation through the Tanaro valley toward Monchiero and Monforte d'Alba.
The most practical information for the concert evening concerns parking: the organisers indicate the car park by the cemetery in Monforte d'Alba, signposted from the main square, and shuttle transport to the concert location. Since the auditorium is not directly accessible by car, this is not a secondary detail but part of the arrival plan.
- Venue address: Via del Carretto 16, Monforte d'Alba (CN), Italy.
- Concert start: 21:30.
- Ticket format: valid for one day.
- Parking: parking is planned at the car park by the cemetery in Monforte d'Alba, with a shuttle toward the concert location.
- Access to the venue: the auditorium is not directly accessible by car, so arrival should be planned earlier.
Information about gate opening, possible rules on bringing in items and additional details of the evening should be checked before arrival, because such data depend on the organisation of the individual event. For an audience travelling from outside Monforte d'Alba, the most important thing is not to rely on arriving at the last moment.
What kind of concert experience to expect
Hadley's concerts rest on a voice that is easily recognised already in the first bars. His strength is not only in volume, but in the way he carries a long melodic line and lifts the chorus without losing clarity. In songs connected with Spandau Ballet, this means a powerful emotional return for an audience that knows them by heart. In more recent interpretations and swing material, it means a different type of listening: less reliance on collective singing, more attention to performance.
Auditorium Horszowsky adds a spatial dimension to this. Since it is an open cavea, the concert can have a more natural feeling than enclosed halls. The voice, the band and audience reactions remain in a smaller circle, and the visual frame of old Monforte d'Alba does not compete with the performer, but places him in context. Such a space suits well a repertoire that can move from a large pop gesture into a calmer moment without losing the audience's concentration.
One should not expect the evening to be a strictly jazz concert just because it is part of the Monfortinjazz environment. Hadley arrives as a pop and vocal performer with a rich catalogue, but the festival and the venue give the evening a more refined frame. Precisely that combination - globally known refrains, a live band, singing outdoors and a small amphitheatre - makes this date interesting also for those who usually choose concerts by the venue, and not only by the name of the performer.
Why the date in Monforte d'Alba is worth attention
The concert on 26 June is placed at the beginning of the summer rhythm in the Langhe and in the Monfortinjazz 2026 programme. This date has good concert potential: the evening start at 21:30 leaves room to arrive in Monforte d'Alba earlier during the day, and then to climb toward the auditorium when the place gradually shifts from the daytime tourist rhythm into a festival evening.
In the Monfortinjazz 2026 programme, Hadley's performance opens a strong series of summer musical dates in the same space. In such a context, his name does not stand isolated, but as part of a festival calendar that brings together different generations and styles: pop vocal, jazz, original projects and performers with an international profile. This is an important difference compared with a stand-alone concert in a neutral hall. The audience does not come only to a performance, but to a small festival space with a clear identity.
It is worth securing tickets in time.
Useful notes for visitors
Arrival at Tony Hadley's concert in Monforte d'Alba is best planned as a complete evening, and not only as entry at the beginning of the programme. The venue is on an elevated part of the town, access by car to the auditorium itself is not planned, and the walk through the old core is part of the experience. For visitors with limited mobility, it is especially important to check access possibilities and the shuttle schedule in advance.
Since the concert is outdoors, weather conditions can affect the choice of clothing and the rhythm of arrival. A light jacket, comfortable footwear and earlier arrival often make the difference between rushing and a relaxed start to the evening. In a space of around 800 seats, there is no feeling of anonymity of a large arena, so it is good to arrive early enough and find your place without pressure.
This concert will be most appreciated by an audience that wants to hear familiar songs in a live, vocally focused format, but also by those who like it when the venue is more than an address on the ticket. Monforte d'Alba gives the evening its measure, Tony Hadley brings a repertoire that connects generations, and "An Englishman in Italy" provides a frame in which old recognisability meets a new phase of the career.
Sources:
- Monfortinjazz - data on the date, time, venue, festival programme, history of Auditorium Horszowsky, capacity, acoustics and access to the venue were used.
- International Music and Arts - data on the tour "An Englishman in Italy", the concept of the tour, new songs, the repertoire framework and the performance with Fabulous TH Band were used.
- Tony Hadley - biographical data on the career, the Spandau Ballet period, solo performances, the album "The Mood I'm In" and recognitions were used.
- Revolver Records - data on the releases "The Mood I'm In" and "If I Can Dream" and track lists were used.
- Visit Langhe Monferrato Roero and Langhe.net - data on Monforte d'Alba, Auditorium Horszowsky, the position of the venue, cultural context and tourist surroundings were used.