From rumors to official confirmation. Zucchero “Sugar” Fornaciari will be the star of New Year’s Eve 2027 in Sassari, on the night between December 31, 2026, and January 1.

The name of the artist from Emilia, which had been circulating for several weeks, has now emerged from a decision by the Culture, Tourism and Major Events department of the Municipality of Sassari, launching the procedure to organize the end-of-year concert. The starting bid is set at €710,000.

This confirmation was expected after Zucchero had already become the leading candidate in September to take over from Max Pezzali and usher Sassari into 2027.

From rumor to headliner of Sassari’s New Year’s Eve

The path toward an agreement began several weeks ago.

On September 11, we reported the initial allocation of €563,640 to secure the artist’s exclusive performance, although his name had not yet appeared in the official documents. Even then, all the clues pointed to Zucchero, but formal confirmation was still missing.

The picture was pieced together in our in-depth report, “New Year’s Eve 2027 in Sassari: €563,640 allocated to secure the artist”.

In the days that followed, the administrative process moved forward. In early October, the council’s second committee approved a budget adjustment which, with a further €158,000, brought the funds available for the main performer to more than €700,000. At that stage, the contract was still being finalized.

The new measure now marks a further step: the name is Zucchero Fornaciari.

New Year’s Eve 2027: a €710,000 tender

According to documents reported by La Nuova Sardegna, Friends & Partners, which represents Zucchero and officially lists him on its artist roster, has granted exclusive rights for Sassari to Gian Productions, run by Gian Stefano Murru.

The amount stated is €710,000, corresponding to the starting bid for the procedure to organize the big concert.

It is important to distinguish this amount from the singer’s personal fee: the figure cited in the official documents and available reports concerns the financial basis of the procedure relating to the event and the artistic performance, and should therefore not automatically be interpreted as money going entirely to Zucchero.

Other costs will also have to be added to the expenses directly related to the concert, including the many elements involved in staging New Year’s Eve: the stage, infrastructure, security, services, logistics, traffic management and crowd management.

How much will Sassari’s New Year’s Eve cost overall?

The budget picture has changed gradually over the past few weeks.

In September, the Municipality had prudently estimated the total value of the event at around €1.5 million, taking into account both the artist and all ancillary services.

More recently, during the review of the budget adjustment, total spending was estimated at around €1 million, depending in part on the regional funding actually secured and the final project plan.

The final cost therefore cannot yet be considered definitive.

A substantial share of the funding is expected to come from Regione Sardegna through grants for major end-of-year events. We have also published a guide explaining how these funds work and the difference between earmarked regional funding and municipal funds: “New Year’s Eve in Sassari: why concert funding cannot be used for roads and hospitals”.

Piazzale Segni remains the frontrunner

The concert venue has yet to be officially confirmed.

The leading option remains Piazzale Segni, which was already used for New Year’s Eve with Max Pezzali and has been identified by the administration as a more suitable space than Piazza d’Italia for events capable of attracting tens of thousands of people.

The previous concert had a maximum capacity of 20,000 spectators, with the Municipality putting in place an extensive system of parking, shuttle buses, traffic management and checks.

For this coming December 31, too, according to the information available so far, Piazzale Segni remains the most likely option, but the final organizational plan will need to be officially confirmed.

Sassari is once again betting on a major national act

With Zucchero, Sassari is continuing its strategy of recent years, using New Year’s Eve as a major tourist attraction and relying on artists capable of drawing audiences from across Sardinia and beyond the island.

The singer from Emilia arrives after a 2026 marked by his stadium tour, “Baila (Sexy Thing) 25th – Under the Moonlight”, with another major event already scheduled for June 2027 at San Siro.

For Sassari, it will therefore be another New Year’s Eve featuring a leading figure in Italian music.

After weeks of rumors and administrative steps, the main piece is now in place: the night of December 31, 2026, will belong to Zucchero. The final venue, schedule, full evening program and service plan for one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the Sassari winter are still to be announced.