Springsteen comes to Rome amid controversy over Ferrara concert.

Final preparations are underway in Rome ahead of a sold-out concert by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at the Circus Maximus on Sunday.

Springsteen faced widespread criticism for going ahead with a concert in the northern city of Ferrara on Thursday, days after the surrounding Emilia-Romagna region was devastated by floods that have led to at least 13 deaths.

The American rock star, 72, was defended by the Ferrara mayor Alan Fabbri who wrote on Facebook: “I am sorry if anyone may have thought that Ferrara was insensitive to the tragedy in Romagna just because it did not cancel the concert by The Boss".

Fabbri said that cancelling the concert would have "solved nothing" and caused economic hardship for the area as well as the workers and companies involved in hosting the major event, and the "thousands of tourists from all over the world" who travelled to Ferrara.

Rome gets ready for #BruceSpringsteen
concert in the Circus Maximus this weekend pic.twitter.com/XmWogvYaUF

— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) May 15, 2023

Organisers of the Ferrara concert, which was attended by 50,000 people, came under heavy pressure to cancel the event, particularly after this weekend's Formula One Grand Prix in Imola was called off.

The concert in Ferrara was the first of three concerts by Springsteen, who will perform in Rome on 21 May and Monza on 25 July, as part of a 19-date tour of Europe.

It will be the second time that The Boss has played in the prestigious Roman venue, where he performed in 2016, and the upcoming concert will be his tenth in the Italian capital.

Following news that #BruceSpringsteen is to perform at the Circus Maximus in #Rome on 21 May 2023, we look back to the last time he played in the historic venue, in 2016. pic.twitter.com/NRv51sVFL8

— Wanted in Rome (@wantedinrome) May 25, 2022

The European tour, which began last month in Barcelona and will end in Monza, is the first time that Springsteen and the E Street Band have hit the road together since 2017.

In addition to Springsteen's concert in 2016, the Circus Maximus hosted The Rolling Stones in 2014 and last summer the venue staged sold-out shows by Vasco Rossi and Måneskin.

With around 60,000 people expected at this weekend's concert in Rome, the city has ordered numerous road closures and bus detours in the area around the Circus Maximus.

On Sunday night the city's subways will run until 01.30 however the two nearest subway stations to the concert venue - Circo Massimo and Colosseo - will close at 23.00.

Concert-goers who wish to return home on Sunday night by metro are advised to take the Piramide station.

Photo Virgin Radio