(and I-Days):
A Love Letter to Italy,
Music, and Not Giving a Damn
Let me guess. You were planning a mindful summer. Journaling. Healing. Some barefoot yoga on a Tuscan hill. Maybe a retreat with goats and a woman named Chiara who brews moon-infused kombucha.
Yeah, no. Not this year. This year we’re going to Milan.
We’re eating carbs. We’re sweating in leather pants.
And we’re screaming, because of I-Days Milano, and if your soul isn’t shaking already, check your pulse.
This is a multi-week, multi-genre, musical fever dream that unfolds from early June to mid-July, and no matter what’s in your Spotify Wrapped—pop, punk, techno, indie depression-core—they’ve got you.
The lineup is basically your entire adolescence, your hot-girl summer playlist, your friend’s annoying vinyl collection, and your therapist’s worst fear rolled into one.
We’re talking:
- Linkin Park (yes, we’ll get to that. I’m foaming.)
- Justin Timberlake — for when you want to bring sexy back.
- Dua Lipa — for dancing like nobody's watching.
- Duran Duran — for reliving the '80s in style.
- Olivia Rodrigo — for screaming your heartbreak away.
- Post Malone — for blending genres and breaking rules.
- Jelly Roll — for soulful country vibes.
- girl in red, Wet Leg, Jimmy Eat World, JPEGMafia, Spiritbox, Alessi Rose, DAGNY — like someone handed the booking agent my diary and said, “make this happen.”
So if you're wondering whether to go: yes. There will be a night for you. Maybe three. Maybe seven. It’s not just a festival — it’s a personality test in real time.
Now let’s talk about June 24, aka the day God decided to bless Milan with the most chaotic, cathartic, genre-breaking night of the year.
Linkin Park is headlining.
Which means:
– Screaming.
– Crying.
– Healing.
– Probably texting your ex during “In the End.”
They’re not just back — they’re transcending. It’s the From Zero World Tour, and if that name alone doesn’t hit you in the chest like a truck full of teenage angst, congratulations on being emotionally stable (teach me).
And then — because someone at I-Days clearly wants us to ascend into a higher emotional plane — they stacked the night with Spiritbox, aka the most sonically possessed metalcore band to emerge in years. Heavy. Ethereal. Beautiful. Screamy in the most divine way. If you haven’t heard Courtney LaPlante rip open the sky with her voice yet… buckle up.
Need emotional damage in lowercase letters? Enter Jimmy Eat World, the kings of sad-kid anthems who will have you yelling “It just takes some time!” while crying into your Negroni. Pop-punk purity. No skips.
And then — curveball: JPEGMAFIA. Experimental hip-hop. Political chaos. Pure electricity. He might sample Britney Spears, he might yell in autotune, he might cause a mild revolution. You won’t know what hit you, but you’ll thank him after.
This night is a fever dream of genres that should not work together… but they do.
It’s a mosh pit and a therapy session and a TikTok edit all at once.
If you miss it, I hope your FOMO haunts you forever (respectfully).
You definitely should join me: https://www.idays.it/tickets
What To Do When You’re Not Losing Your Voice
Okay, music aside (barely), you’re in Milan. The city of fashion, espresso, and people who make even standing at a tram stop look like a Vogue editorial.
Here’s how to not waste it:
1. Get High (Legally): Duomo Rooftop
Climb up (or take the elevator, I won’t judge) and see the whole damn city under your feet. Gothic vibes. Pigeons. Dramatic selfies guaranteed.
2. Drink Pretty: Navigli District
Canals, aperitivo, flirtation. Come at golden hour, stay ‘til you’re dancing with strangers to a DJ named Federico who only plays early 2000s Britney remixes.
3. Pretend You’re Cultured: Pinacoteca di Brera
Stare at art until someone sexy notices you and says something about chiaroscuro. Bonus points if you nod and pretend to know what that is.
4. Live Your Mob Wife Fantasy: Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Prada. Marble floors. Dramatic exits. Even if you're broke, just walk through
and own it.
5. Eat Everything. Repeat.
Tagliatelle al ragù, burrata, risotto alla Milanese. If you’re not bloated, you did it wrong.
Quick Escapes: When You Need to Run Away (Again)
Milan is a travel hub, which means you can leave any time. In style.
Lake Como: George Clooney didn’t buy a villa here for nothing. Do a boat day. Live like a rich wife with mysterious past income.
Bergamo: Medieval town with stunning views. Less tourists, more romance. Ideal for dramatic existential walks.
Verona: Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, it’s cheesy. But let me have my Juliet moment, ok?
Cinque Terre (if you're ambitious): A bit further, but the pastel cliffs, hiking, and seafood pasta will make you forget capitalism exists.
Final Word (Before I Pack My Fishnets and Go)
There are summers you survive, and summers you remember.
This one? This is the kind that leaves you tan, overstimulated, and possibly heartbroken in the best way.
Go for the music. Stay for the chaos.
Fall in love with a band, a city, a version of yourself you thought you lost somewhere between burnout and boring life choices.
This is your sign. Your excuse. Your messy, melodic escape.
I'll be there.
June 24. Linkin Park. Loud as hell.
Maybe crying. Definitely dancing.
See you in Milan, babe.
