Tom Jones in Lucca: a voice connecting six decades of music
Tom Jones is coming to the Lucca Summer Festival with a concert at Piazza Napoleone, in the very heart of the city's historic center. The performance is scheduled for Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 21:30, and it is the artist's only Italian concert during this touring season. This brings together an audience from different parts of Europe in an open-air square, just a few steps from palaces, theaters and streets within Lucca's Renaissance walls.
The title of the current tour, "Come Gather Round", aptly describes what Tom Jones does on stage today. He does not perform merely as an artist presenting a series of famous hits, but as a singer who connects his own history with blues, soul, country, pop, gospel and rock 'n' roll. His deep baritone and powerful diction have remained his trademarks, but today's concerts leave more room for slower songs, storytelling and interpretation than performances focused exclusively on the biggest radio hits.
Tickets for this event are in high demand, and the only Italian date further increases interest among audiences planning a trip to Lucca.
Why Tom Jones is still compelling live
Tom Jones's career began at a time when modern pop was only beginning to take shape, but his repertoire has never remained locked within a single era. The broadest audience recognizes him through songs such as "It's Not Unusual", "What's New Pussycat?", "Delilah", "Kiss", "Sexbomb", "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "If I Only Knew". Behind those titles is an artist whose foundation lies in rhythm and blues, with a pronounced feel for gospel, country ballads and dramatic pop arrangements.
That range is precisely what matters for the concert in Lucca. The audience is not coming only for nostalgia. Over roughly the past fifteen years, Jones has built a more mature phase of his discography in which he selects songs by other writers and adapts them to his own voice, experience and perspective on life. He places the emphasis on lyrics, phrasing and emotional weight.
His latest studio album, "Surrounded By Time", was released on April 23, 2021. The album was produced by Ethan Johns and Mark Woodward and conceived as a collection of songs that are personally important to Jones. The material combines contemporary production with stripped-down, often meditative performances. Among the songs that have remained present in his more recent concerts are "I Won't Crumble With You If You Fall", "The Windmills of Your Mind", "Talking Reality Television Blues", "Pop Star" and a cover of Dylan's "One More Cup of Coffee".
Within a few minutes, the concert can move from an almost confessional ballad to a rhythmic song that the audience sings in unison. The center of the performance remains the voice: deep, rough around the edges and flexible enough for quiet verses and sweeping choruses.
A repertoire connecting classics and later recordings
The exact set list for Lucca has not been announced and should not be assumed in advance. Nevertheless, previous performances provide a clear framework for what the audience may expect. At a concert in Athens in June 2025, Jones combined intimate songs such as "I'm Growing Old", Leonard Cohen's "Tower of Song" and Bob Dylan's "Not Dark Yet" with the hits "It's Not Unusual", "What's New Pussycat?", "Sexbomb", "Delilah" and Prince's "Kiss".
The beginning may be calm and reflective, focusing on the lyrics and the color of his voice. It then opens up space for rhythm, humor and recognizable choruses, together with covers through which Jones pays tribute to Cohen, Dylan, Cat Stevens, Terry Callier, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and The Waterboys.
At more recent performances, the contrast between major hits and less expected interpretations stands out in particular. "It's Not Unusual" can trigger instant recognition after only the opening bars, while "Lazarus Man" or "This Is the Sea" demand silence and concentration. "I Won't Crumble With You If You Fall" shows how little production is needed when a singer controls the space through voice and tempo.
For visitors, it is therefore best to arrive without expecting a predetermined compilation of hits. The strongest element of Tom Jones's performances today is precisely the transition between the familiar and the unexpected. Songs the audience has known for decades acquire a different weight, while covers fit in as an equal part of his story.
Songs and musical directions defining the evening
- Major pop hits and choruses recognized by a multigenerational audience.
- Soul and rhythm and blues, the foundation of Jones's vocal style.
- Country ballads and songs about time, loss, endurance and memory.
- Covers of writers such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Cat Stevens.
- Rock 'n' roll and gospel moments that give the concert a more energetic final surge.
Who this concert is for
Long-time fans will have the opportunity to hear the voice that has accompanied them since the 1960s, but in performances that are not intended as copies of old recordings. Today, Jones changes the tempo, emphasis and mood of songs in accordance with his own voice and age. That is precisely why familiar titles often sound more serious, slower or more blues-oriented than on their original releases.
The concert is also appealing to audiences who know only a few of the biggest hits. "Sexbomb", "Kiss" and "Delilah" have the immediacy needed for a large open-air space, while the quieter songs give the evening breadth. Lovers of soul and blues can hear why Jones has been more than a conventional pop singer throughout his career. His way of sustaining long notes, changing volume and emphasizing the endings of verses comes from a tradition in which interpretation is worth as much as the melody itself.
For younger audiences, the concert may be interesting as an encounter with an artist whose songs have been present in films, on television and on the radio for decades. At recent performances, the audience has not consisted of only one generation. Alongside visitors who grew up with the first singles are listeners who discovered Jones through the album "Reload", the song "Sexbomb", television appearances or his newer, more introspective discography.
Piazza Napoleone as a concert venue
Piazza Napoleone is not a neutral festival field, but a square shaped by the city's history. It was opened in 1806 at the initiative of Elisa Bonaparte Baciocchi, Princess of Lucca and Napoleon's sister. The area was designed to highlight Palazzo Ducale, and today it is surrounded by historic buildings, trees, hospitality venues and passages leading toward other squares. On its southern side, it directly adjoins Piazza del Giglio with Teatro del Giglio.
For the concert experience, this means that the audience remains within a clearly defined urban setting. Instead of a distant stadium ring, the stage and viewing area are situated among the façades of the historic center. Such a configuration creates a sense of intimacy during quiet songs, while the open square gives the major choruses a sense of breadth.
Lucca Summer Festival uses different audience layouts. For certain concerts, standing-floor areas and numbered grandstand seating with an elevated view of the stage are available. Visitors should check the category stated on their ticket because the experience and entry rules depend on the selected sector. The exact duration of the performance and the opening time of the entrances have not been announced, so it is sensible to arrive early and allow enough time for ticket checks and security screening.
Places disappear quickly when an international audience, the limited space of a historic square and an artist with a catalog that attracts several generations come together on the only Italian date.
Getting to Lucca's historic center
Lucca is a city enclosed by completely preserved Renaissance walls, and Piazza Napoleone is located in its pedestrian-oriented historic center. Most of the center is a limited-traffic zone. Driving directly to the square is not practical, and additional temporary traffic and parking restrictions are in force on the streets surrounding the event area during the festival.
The simplest option for many visitors is the train. Lucca railway station is located south of the historic center, approximately 200 meters from the walls and around 350 meters from Porta San Pietro. From that city gate, the route continues on foot through the center's level streets toward Piazza Napoleone. The journey is straightforward, but after the concert it is important to check the departure time of the last train toward the intended destination in advance.
The bus terminal is located at Piazzale Verdi, already within the historic center and close to Porta Vittorio Emanuele. This is a useful starting point for those arriving by regional bus, and the onward journey to the square can be completed on foot.
For arrival by car, it is advisable to choose a parking area outside or alongside the walls and then continue on foot. The city's tourist information states that parking areas immediately around the walls are generally paid or subject to time limits, while Piazzale Don Baroni, Tagliate and Macelli are among the free options. Availability can change quickly on the day of the concert, so visitors should plan an alternative parking location and allow extra time for walking.
A practical plan before departure
- Check the sector, entrance and any numbered seat indicated on the ticket.
- Do not expect to enter the historic center by car.
- Review city notices concerning temporary traffic restrictions on festival days.
- Plan to arrive early because pedestrian flows are directed through checkpoints around the square.
- Bring only essential items and check the rules concerning bags, bottles and other objects shortly before the event.
- Arrange a meeting point outside the immediate entrance zone when arriving in a larger group.
- Check the return train, bus or parking location before the concert begins.
Municipal decisions for Lucca Summer Festival 2026 provide for the regulation of pedestrian access and traffic around Piazza Napoleone. Special rules apply to residents, accommodation guests and workers inside the closed zones, while concert visitors should follow the designated entrances and staff instructions. Because the closing time of individual streets may differ from one concert to another, it is not advisable to rely on experience from previous festival evenings.
How to combine the concert with a visit to Lucca
The square's location makes it possible to turn the trip to the concert into a full-day visit to the city without additional transportation. Piazza Napoleone is connected by short walking routes to Piazza San Michele, San Martino Cathedral, Torre Guinigi and the walkway on the city walls. Everything is located within the compact center, so sightseeing can finish earlier, with a return toward the concert zone before the largest crowds arrive.
The square is surrounded by restaurants and cafés, but a festival evening changes the usual flow of people. Reserving a table may be useful, especially for a group, although sufficient time should be left between the meal and entry. Staying within the restricted-access zone does not automatically mean that all passages will remain open until the concert begins.
For accommodation inside the historic center, the advantage is the possibility of returning on foot. Nevertheless, guests staying at properties situated in areas subject to temporary restrictions should check their host's instructions in advance because the city requires prior registration of people entitled to pass through certain zones. Visitors staying outside the walls can count on a straightforward walk, without needing to move their car after the concert.
Lucca is well suited to this concert because the venue does not separate the event from the city. The sound comes from a square that has been a center of public life for centuries, and after the final song the audience exits directly into a network of historic streets. That transition from a large communal performance into a nighttime walk through the city gives the evening a character that is difficult to reproduce in a standard arena.
Ticket sales for this event are under way. Because of the only performance in Italy, the travel of international audiences and the space limitations of Piazza Napoleone, it is worth securing tickets and planning the journey in good time.
Sources:
- Lucca Summer Festival - date, venue, tour title and information that Lucca is Tom Jones's only Italian concert during this touring season.
- Tom Jones - biography, overview of the best-known songs, current tour schedule, information about the album "Surrounded By Time" and reports from recent concerts.
- Turismo Lucca - history of Piazza Napoleone, location of the railway station and bus terminal, ZTL, city gates and parking information.
- Comune di Lucca - traffic decisions and access rules for areas around Lucca Summer Festival 2026.