Every July, Porretta Terme transforms into one of Europe's most respected venues for American soul and R&B music. The Porretta Soul Festival has been running since 1987 and has built a reputation for booking original artists from the golden era of soul — people who recorded for Stax, Fame Studios, and Atlantic in the 1960s and 70s.
The outdoor setting in the Apennine foothills is part of the appeal. Concerts take place in the town's main piazza and outdoor arena, with a mix of ticketed evening shows and free afternoon events. It draws a devoted international crowd of soul music fans, some of whom have been coming for decades. If your visit coincides with the festival, it is the main reason to be here — but even outside July, it explains the surprising number of soul music memorabilia and record shops in this small Italian town.