Trident Concert Cancels Jovanotti Show After Asbestos Found Near Venue in Italy

The discovery led the local health authority (Asl Bat) to declare the venue unsuitable during a meeting of the public entertainment venues oversight commission at the Barletta Prefecture. In the afternoon, organizer Trident Concert held a press conference via Zoom to officially announce the cancellation and explain the background. CEO Maurizio Salvadori said the former paper mill, which spans 50 hectares, was chosen last November after he and Lorenzo Jovanotti visited "20 or 30 places" while planning the tour in southern Italy.

Problems began in June when a complaint was filed with prosecutors questioning the safety of an asbestos storage area about 600 meters from the concert site. An initial inspection at the end of June found no asbestos on the property. To be thorough, Trident hired an independent company accredited by the Health Ministry that works with the Puglia region. That inspection found asbestos behind and on the left side of the factory, though in a position very distant from the public, with the structure located 200 meters from the stage.