Over the weekend, the renowned music producer Rick Rubin hosted a secret music festival called Festival of the Sun in Tuscany. The event featured performances by artists such as James Blake, Win Butler, and Régine Chassagne from Arcade Fire, Rhye, Beth Ditto, and Italian rapper-pop star Jovanotti.
The festival took place in the picturesque medieval village of Casole d’Elsa in the Sienese countryside, where Rubin owns a large farm. The two-day event, celebrating the summer solstice, kicked off with mantras performed by Grammy-nominated Kirtan artist Krishna Das in the Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta church. Jovanotti, James Blake, and Beth Ditto with her band Gossip also took the stage during the festival.
On the second day of the festival, there was a talk by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey on “Tech and Freedom” followed by performances from various artists including DJ Cosmo Gonik, Lucinda Chua, Rhye, Julia Johansen, and Marie Awadis. Win Butler of Arcade Fire closed the festival by performing “My Body Is a Cage” while walking down the church aisle without a microphone.
While the church venue was limited to around 150 invited guests, the main stage in the town was open to the public for free. Among the attendees were Måneskin guitarist Thomas Raggi and drummer Ethan Torchio, Italian rapper Ghali, and actor Riccardo Scamarcio with his partner Benedetta Porcaroli.
Rick Rubin is well-known in the music industry for his work with artists such as Tom Petty, Run-DMC, Johnny Cash, Adele, and many more. He recently produced indie artist Beabadoobee’s upcoming album, showcasing his continued influence and innovation in the music scene.
