For the third consecutive year, FREE EVENT delivered the entertainment for the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, under the creative and artistic direction of Andrea Camporesi: from the Fanzone to hospitality, from talent management to the spectacular Grid Show, including the Italian debut of the Formula 1 Grid Gigs format featuring Laura Pausini.

The 2026 Italian Grand Prix confirmed Monza as one of the most attended and spectacular sporting events in Italy. Four uninterrupted days of sport, entertainment and experiences welcomed 403,666 spectators, an extremely diverse audience in terms of age, gender and nationality.

Within this major ecosystem of sport and entertainment, FREE EVENT was the Supplier for the conception, management and coordination of entertainment activities at the FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA – MONZA, 3–6 SEPTEMBER 2026.

The objective was to translate Formula 1’s global values into an experience capable of engaging the Italian audience, while at the same time enhancing the identity of Monza and the Autodromo Nazionale.

GRID SHOW AND GRID GIGS: LARGE-SCALE LIVE PRODUCTION AT THE HEART OF THE RACE

The most spectacular entertainment moment came on Sunday with the traditional Grid Show, transformed into a major celebration of Made in Italy and the values of sport.

Opening the show, for the first time in Italy and for the third time worldwide, was the Formula 1 Grid Gigs format, bringing international star Laura Pausini to the centre of the track just minutes before the race.

The performance was conceived as a true live television production, synchronised to the second and delivered through a rolling stage — a mobile stage platform designed to enter the track, be positioned and become fully operational within the extremely tight timings imposed by the Formula 1 grid.

A production solution inspired by the spectacle and speed of execution of major international television shows and large-scale American sporting ceremonies, such as halftime shows and the Super Bowl, where sets, artists, bands, technology and broadcast must transform a sporting venue into a live stage within minutes.

The project required highly precise coordination between the track, artists, technical teams, broadcast and operations. An international format designed to bring together the scale of live entertainment with that of global sporting spectacle, with FREE EVENT contributing its international experience in the conception, organisation and production of large-scale live shows.

Completing the Grid Show were the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Army Band, DJ Admin, tenor Francesco Meli and the Grid Kids of Fondazione Maria Letizia Verga.

A highly complex production and coordination project, in which every element — artistic, technical and operational — was integrated with the timing of the race and the requirements of a global sporting and television platform.

45,000 SQM OF ENTERTAINMENT: THE FANZONE AS A CITY OF SPECTACLE

At the heart of the experience was the 45,000 sqm Fanzone, designed and managed as a true city of entertainment: an ecosystem where sport, brand experience, gaming, music and fan engagement came together over four days.

An extensive programme of activities and activations ranged from e-gaming and augmented reality to simulators and Pit Stop Challenges, as well as merchandising, show cars, memorabilia, social-first activities, brand activations and hospitality.

The central stage was the focal point of the entertainment programme, hosting more than four days of content and live entertainment, including international DJs, talks, performances, entertainment formats and encounters with leading figures from the world of motorsport.

A key element was the Fan Forum, which brought drivers and Team Principals onto the stage, creating a direct and authentic connection with the audience. Interviews, games and interactions turned Formula 1’s leading figures into an integral part of the fan experience.

The programme was hosted by Davide Valsecchi and Tania Branzanic, alongside Italian and international artists and performers across the different areas of the Autodromo.

Special highlights included the participation of the Italian Air Force Rhythmic Gymnastics National Team, winner of two Olympic bronze medals in Tokyo and Paris, and Olympic champion Arianna Fontana, a 14-time medallist.

MONZA, WHERE SPORT BECOMES ENTERTAINMENT

The 2026 edition of the Italian Grand Prix further strengthened one of the most significant evolutions in contemporary Formula 1: a sport becoming a true entertainment ecosystem, with the fan at the centre of the experience.

More than 400,000 spectators in Monza and a global television audience provided the backdrop for a project in which sport, music, entertainment and television production shared the same language.

For FREE EVENT, the 2026 Italian Grand Prix once again demonstrated the ability to operate on an international-scale event, bringing together creative vision and execution, production and organisation, talent management and operational coordination, within a complex machine at the heart of Monza, where the passion of the fans became a shared spectacle.

Creative and Artistic Direction: Andrea Camporesi