The Municipality of Sassari has so far allocated around €1.6 million to organize the New Year’s Eve event scheduled for December 31 at Piazzale Segni. Zucchero is expected to perform that evening, but the agreement with the artist and his entourage is still being finalized.
The total reached this figure following a €900,000 budget adjustment, approved by a majority vote on Monday, October 19 by the Second Commission, chaired by Antonio Paoni. The new funds add to previous allocations: this figure reflects the financial framework established so far for the event, not final expenditure. The year-end concert has been part of the plans of the administration led by Giuseppe Mascia for several months.
Zucchero’s participation has not yet been formalized with an official announcement: the process of reaching an agreement with the singer and his entourage is underway. The project for Zucchero’s major concert is nevertheless at the heart of the municipal program for New Year’s Eve.
As for accommodation, the figures reported indicate that nearly 90% of accommodation facilities, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, and holiday homes, are booked for the night between December 31 and January 1. The Municipality estimates a potential audience of around 30,000 spectators. The bookings are an early sign of the event’s potential impact on local businesses, while the full program has yet to be finalized.
Piazzale Segni has already hosted the municipal New Year’s Eve concert: to welcome 2026, Max Pezzali performed, and the Municipality estimated attendance at around 35,000. That figure refers to the previous event and does not match the projected audience for the evening of December 31, 2026.
The separate budget item for the Teatro Comunale Foundation
During the same meeting, Budget Councillor Giuseppe Masala requested approval for an additional allocation of €50,000 for the activities required to establish the Teatro Comunale Foundation. This sum relates to a separate budget item from New Year’s Eve and should therefore not be included in the event’s budget. According to the councillor, direct management of the theater costs the Municipality around €600,000 a year, including maintenance and utilities.
The administration’s stated goal is to create a foundation that can access regional funding provided for in the February Budget Law to support cultural bodies and institutions. Initially, the Municipality would be the entity involved; the project envisages eventually opening it up to local organizations and associations as well, following the example of initiatives already established in other cities, including Cagliari.