TOdays Festival 2024 in Turin: Mixed Results and Massive Attack's Political Show

The TOdays Festival 2024 took place in Turin from August 23 to September 2, despite criticism and a municipal competition last winter to overhaul the event. Organized by Fondazione Reverse, which won the tender closed on March 18, the festival featured international headliners but suffered from identity issues, weak public turnout, and high food & drink prices. The lineup shifted toward mainstream artists, abandoning indie and experimental sounds of previous years. Visual identity was inconsistent across platforms. Positive aspects included the location at Parco della Confluenza with Superga Basilica backdrop and excellent sound engineering. Total attendance reached 24,000, but the park appeared empty on August 27 (Tangerine Dream) and August 29 (Overmono). Successful performances included LCD Soundsystem, The Jesus & Mary Chain, Arlo Parks, Mahmood, and Massive Attack. Massive Attack's set was a highlight: a two-hour audiovisual journey featuring videos on Neuralink's monkey experiments, reflections on identity and evolution, a remix of Gigi D'Agostino's "In my mind," and political statements on US funding to Israel and the war in Ukraine. Guests included Horace Andy, Deborah Miller, Young Fathers, and Elisabeth Fraser, who performed "Teardrop" and "Black Milk." Councillors Domenico Carretta and Rosanna Purchia called the festival a positive experiment and a stepping stone for future editions.