Simply Red on Piazza San Marco Venice: Concert on 25 June 2027 – Dates, Tickets, Getting There

In short: On Friday, 25 June 2027, Simply Red will play on Piazza San Marco in Venice, opening the Italian dates of the “Summer Funk ’27 Tour”, with which the British band is celebrating more than 40 years of their career. The concert is part of the 19th edition of the Venezia Jazz Festival and is organised by Veneto Jazz and Vigna PR in collaboration with the City of Venice and Vela. General public presale starts on 25 September 2026, with tickets from €86 plus booking fee. All dates, prices and practical travel information at a glance.

The Concert at a Glance

Date	Artist	Programme	Venue
Fri, 25 June 2027	Simply Red	“Summer Funk ’27 Tour” – opening the Italian dates, part of the Venezia Jazz Festival	Piazza San Marco, Venice

Source: official information from Veneto Jazz, Vigna PR and the Comune di Venezia (as of 21/22 September 2026). Programme, entry times and remaining allocations may change at short notice – the official presale is binding.

Who Is Simply Red – and Why Venice?

Simply Red have been among the most commercially successful British bands since the 1980s: five UK number-one albums, one number-one single, and nine further UK top-10 hits, plus three Brit Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards and the MOBO Award for Outstanding Achievement. In North America the band topped the Billboard Hot 100 twice, alongside several platinum certifications and three Grammy nominations. Whether that makes the band a “superstar act” is a matter of taste – what’s certain is that frontman Mick Hucknall and his band have been filling major stages for four decades, and with Piazza San Marco they now get one of Europe’s most famous open-air settings.

The Venice show follows the band’s 2025 40th-anniversary tour, which sold out nearly 50 venues across the UK, Europe and Latin America and was documented in a live album, a film and the box set “Holding Back the Years: 40 Years of Simply Red, Live in Santiago”. Alongside Hucknall on stage are Ian Kirkham (saxophone, EWI, horns), Kenji Suzuki (guitar), Kevin Robinson (trumpet, horns, percussion), Roman Roth (drums), Gary Sanctuary (keyboards) and Orefo Orakwue (bass) – the line-up with which the band shaped its current live sound. A set of the band’s biggest hits is announced, including “Fairground”, “Something Got Me Started” and “Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)”.

Venice’s mayor Simone Venturini commented on the announcement: “Piazza San Marco once again becomes the great stage of international music – and with a band like Simply Red, which has accompanied generations of listeners worldwide for more than forty years.”

Italy Tour 2027: The Further Dates

After Venice, the band continues through Italy: Rome (26 July), Pompeii (27 July), Bari (28 July) and Lucca (30 July). Venice therefore marks the opening date and comes well before the other shows – anyone planning to attend several tour dates should factor that into their travel planning.

Tickets and Presale

The official tour radio partner is Radio Montecarlo, which is offering an exclusive advance presale: it runs from 10:00 on 23 September to 22:00 on 24 September 2026, and requires registration at radiomontecarlo.net. General online presale starts on Friday, 25 September 2026, at 10:00. Tickets start at €86 plus booking fee, sold through official platforms such as TicketOne and Ticketmaster. For an open-air concert on Piazza San Marco, buying early pays off – good categories for such dates tend to sell out quickly. Buy only through official channels; overpriced resellers and fake tickets regularly appear around high-demand concerts on Piazza San Marco.

Who Will Enjoy the Evening?

Profile	Assessment
Staying overnight in Venice	Ideal – a short way back, and you can enjoy the evening in full.
Holiday on the Adriatic coast (Jesolo, Cavallino, Lido)	Doable with the right accommodation or transfer planning; check the way back in advance.
Day-trippers with no overnight stay	Only to a limited extent – the last mainland connections often leave before the concert ends.
Fans of soul, funk and pop classics from the 80s/90s	A clear recommendation – the concert serves exactly this repertoire.
Anyone already travelling to Venice in June 2027	A good reason to add a concert evening to the stay.

Getting There, Getting Back and Staying Overnight

You can reach Piazza San Marco directly by vaporetto: from the direction of the railway station and Piazzale Roma, lines 1 and 2 run via the Grand Canal to San Marco, while line 14 comes from Punta Sabbioni and the Lido. Since the concert takes place in 2027, routes and the summer timetable may still change by then – check the timetable in force closer to the date.

Important for the way back: open-air concerts on the Piazza often don’t end until around or after midnight. By then the daytime lines have stopped running – night services on the Grand Canal are covered by the Night Line N, which stops at San Marco-San Zaccaria, Rialto, Ferrovia and Piazzale Roma, among others. Anyone staying on the mainland or the Adriatic coast should allow generous time for the connecting bus, train or boat – services become sparse after midnight.

Access Fee 2027: What Applies for Concertgoers

Quite a bit may still change with the city’s access fee (Contributo di Accesso) before the concert date: the City of Venice is currently examining a structural overhaul with an amount of up to €30 and a possible extension of the days it applies from 2027 – details in our report Access fee for Venice: city examines increase to up to €30 from 2027. Regardless of the future amount, this already applies: anyone staying overnight in Venice is exempt from the day-tripper fee, and evening concert dates already fall outside the fee’s current hours (morning to early afternoon). Binding rules for 2027 have not yet been set; we will update this note as soon as the city council decides.

Food Around Piazza San Marco

On concert days, the central part of the Piazza is cordoned off from late afternoon for setup and seating. So don’t plan dinner directly on the square, but in the surrounding alleyways:

Towards Rialto: In the narrow calli around Campo San Bartolomeo and Calle dei Fabbri you’ll find bàcari for cicchetti and a spritz before the concert – uncomplicated and usually without a reservation.
Towards Santo Stefano: A bit quieter and with more seating than the crowds right behind Piazza San Marco.
The historic cafés on the square are an experience in themselves, but expensive and busy on concert evenings – better suited to an aperitivo than dinner.

Rule of thumb: the closer to Piazza San Marco, the higher the prices. Walk two alleys further and you’ll often eat better and cheaper.

Weather and Clothing

This is an open-air concert. Evenings in Venice in late June are usually mild, though isolated thunderstorms can occur – keep an eye on the organiser’s announcements on the day of the concert, as bad weather can lead to postponements. Comfortable shoes are a must, as the route across paving stones and bridges is longer than the map suggests. A light jacket doesn’t hurt even in summer, once it cools down over the lagoon.

Further Events in Venice Around the Date

Anyone planning their trip around the Simply Red concert can also take advantage of other recurring dates on Venice’s calendar. About three weeks after the concert, traditionally on the third weekend of July, the Festa del Redentore takes place – one of Venice’s most important popular festivals, with fireworks over the Bacino di San Marco. Anyone travelling again in late summer will find another highlight in the Regata Storica in early September on the Grand Canal (held on 6 September in 2026; the city will confirm the 2027 date in spring) – details, schedule and the best viewing spots in our Regata Storica guide. An ongoing, regularly updated overview of further concerts, exhibitions and festivals in the city is available on our Concerts in Venice page, as well as our daily news and events overview, which also covers short-notice announcements.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Simply Red Concert 2027

When and where does Simply Red play in Venice?

On Friday, 25 June 2027, on Piazza San Marco. The concert opens the Italian dates of the “Summer Funk ’27 Tour” and is part of the 19th edition of the Venezia Jazz Festival.

When does ticket sale start?

An exclusive presale via Radio Montecarlo runs from 23 to 24 September 2026 (registration required at radiomontecarlo.net). General presale starts on 25 September 2026 at 10:00, with tickets from €86 plus booking fee.

Who is in the band?

Alongside frontman Mick Hucknall, the band features Ian Kirkham (saxophone, EWI, horns), Kenji Suzuki (guitar), Kevin Robinson (trumpet, horns, percussion), Roman Roth (drums), Gary Sanctuary (keyboards) and Orefo Orakwue (bass).

How do I get to Piazza San Marco in the evening and back?

By vaporetto: lines 1 and 2 via the Grand Canal, line 14 from the direction of the Lido and Punta Sabbioni. After midnight, Night Line N takes over service on the Grand Canal – check the departure times in force closer to the date.

Do concertgoers have to pay the access fee?

Anyone staying overnight in Venice is exempt from the day-tripper fee. For 2027, however, the city is planning an overhaul of the access fee with higher amounts – details once a decision has been made in our report on the planned increase.

Are there other events in Venice around the concert date?

Yes: about three weeks later, the Festa del Redentore traditionally takes place with fireworks, and the Regata Storica follows on the Grand Canal in early September. Our daily news and events overview offers an ongoing look at further dates.