Ligabue 2025 Concert Planning Includes HID’s Wristband

Published: January 22, 2025
  • HID wristband technology creates an innovative access solution as well as payment connection method
  • Friends&Partners looked to technology to manage the audience experience and aid traffic flow of the thousands of fans in Italy

This summer Italy’s largest music event will include HID’s RFID wristbands worn by more than 100,000 fans of singer-songwriter Luciano Ligabue when they converge on the RCF Arena as part of the “La Notte di Certe Notti” event.

La Notte di Certe Notti (which loosely translates as “a special night”) is expected to fill the capacity of the largest outdoor venue in Italy, making it the biggest musical event in Italy in 2025.

Ligabue is one of Italy’s most prominent rock performers and composers. During his concert in 2015, he set the record for the largest European audience on record, with 150,000 ticket holders. He has additionally directed movies and published a short story collection.

Offering Digital Experience for Fans

This year the concert promoter Friends&Partners, looked to technology to manage the audience experience and aid traffic flow of the thousands of Ligabue fans. They chose HF MHz RFID wristband technology to create an innovative access solution as well as payment connection method, said Riccardo Brambilla, the company’s ticketing and special initiatives director.

The wristband has multiple purposes—first and foremost to provide fast, secure, authenticated access to ticketholders. It can also be used for purchasing inside the arena. The wristband goes home with attendees, as an exclusive piece of memorabilia.

For event management, it “will accompany [the concert-goer] in an immersive way in the entire experience of the event, with a series of engaging activities and the possibility of booking trains in advance, bus, camping, food and beverage, and every type of activity,” explained Brambilla.

HF Wristbands Personalized for Each Concert-goer

HID provides the HF 13.56 MHz RFID technology built into the wristband, compliant with ISO 15693. The technology can then be used for the entire wristband experience from purchasing and personalization to encoding and fulfillment.

In fact, the wristbands will serve as the sole payment method inside the RCF Arena, creating a seamless, wallet-free experience. “And yes, all 103,000 participants will receive an RFID wristband as their exclusive access device,” said Brambilla.

The promoter is developing a dedicated app as well, which will allow fans to link their physical wristband to their user account.

Pre-Event Experiences

Festivities start with a special pre-event experience. Ligabue fans buy their tickets online, and then receive their RFID wristband, in a custom-designed box, in the mail. Each has a unique ID encoded on it that will link to the individual wearing the wristband.

The audience member can buy seating for a specific zone and set up a digital wallet for cashless payments. They can also book access to specific attractions such a Ferris wheel ride, photographic exhibit and sports area. All of these details can be stored with the unique ID encoded on the wristband.

“Each wristband is personalized and tied to the purchaser’s ticket,” said Cesare Paciello, HID’s events and mobility solutions VP. The software stores the individual’s unique identifier with the payment details and access permissions. They can also view pre-concert content using the app, which has not yet been established.

Readers For Access and Experience

Once onsite, the ticketholder uses their wristband for all transactions. That begins at the entrance gate. Users tap their wristband at the gate, the RFID is linked to that individual’s data, and they are permitted to enter. Friends&Partners is working with Ticketone to set up the RFID reader configuration at the site.

Inside the arena, the wristband can be used for purchasing and specialized access. Concert workers will use HID’s handheld readers for efficient crowd management, for instance identifying and authorizing their access to the Ferris wheel.

“There will be numerous RFID interaction points throughout the venue. Some of these will involve the app, while others will be standalone experiences. We’re excited for fans to discover these engaging elements during the event,” said Brambilla.

Cashless Payments and Specialized Access

The technology simplifies many aspects of attending a large concert, Brambilla said. The wristbands are expected to provide improved efficiency: faster entry and shorter wait times, “which is especially valuable for a large-scale event like this.”

It can reduce the risk of ticket fraud as well since each wristband is unique to the user.

Additionally, the goal is to simplify the process of accessing services and making purchasing easier. Users could simply order their food or drink and tap their wristband against the point-of-sale reader, to make their payment. The cost would then be deducted from their digital wallet.

Benefits for Concert and Stadium Management

HID offers its wristband with an event management system (EMS) platform to capture and analyze data through various dashboards—heat maps, flow rates, rejection rates and remaining capacity information. In that way the organizers can prevent overcrowding, and optimize the experience in real time or for analytics going forward.

Organizers can add interactions for more interactive experiences throughout the venue, that would require a wristband tap for authorization.

Once the concert-goer returns home, they can keep the wristband as a memento. The ID and app enable them to stay connected and updated about the event, other events ahead, and the artist himself.

“The cashless element has a special note: thanks to this technology which replaces the classic token, it will be possible to return the loaded sum to the fan without it being lost,” said Brambilla.

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