Jul 13, 2026
Gabry Ponte: Selling Out The San Siro & Summer 2026
Fresh off closing the Winter Olympics and selling out San Siro twice, Italian artist Gabry Ponte delivers a masterclass in dancefloor storytelling. His Spotlight Mix blends fresh sounds with the records that shaped him including selections from Calvin Harris, Diplo, FISHER, Lost Frequencies, Meduza and more.
Hey Gabry, thanks for joining us to celebrate your Spotlight Mix. You’ve had an incredible run recently, from major releases to landmark live performances. How would you describe this current chapter of your career?
Thanks for having me! Honestly, it feels like everything I’ve been building for years finally clicked at the same moment. I started as a kid in Turin delivering cassettes to clubs, and now I get to play the biggest stages of my life – but the funny thing is, inside I feel exactly like I did at 16. Same excitement, same butterflies before a show. This chapter is special because I’m not chasing anything anymore. I’m just doing the music I love, with total freedom, and people are showing up for it. It’s as simple as that.
Thanks for having me! Honestly, it feels like everything I’ve been building for years finally clicked at the same moment. I started as a kid in Turin delivering cassettes to clubs, and now I get to play the biggest stages of my life – but the funny thing is, inside I feel exactly like I did at 16. Same excitement, same butterflies before a show. This chapter is special because I’m not chasing anything anymore. I’m just doing the music I love, with total freedom, and people are showing up for it. It’s as simple as that.
You’ve been active in the dance music scene for decades. What continues to motivate and inspire you creatively after all these years?
Two things, really. One is that I genuinely still love it – the moment a track comes together in the studio gives me the same rush it did twenty-five years ago. And the other is staying open. The day you start following a formula, you’re finished. So I keep listening to young producers, I keep experimenting with sounds, I follow instinct instead of rules. At the end of the day, curiosity is the engine. If I stop being curious, I stop being an artist.
Two things, really. One is that I genuinely still love it – the moment a track comes together in the studio gives me the same rush it did twenty-five years ago. And the other is staying open. The day you start following a formula, you’re finished. So I keep listening to young producers, I keep experimenting with sounds, I follow instinct instead of rules. At the end of the day, curiosity is the engine. If I stop being curious, I stop being an artist.
Can you pick out three tracks or artists included in the Spotlight Mix and tell us why they stand out?
Hard to choose, because I love the whole flow of this one – but okay, three.
Hard to choose, because I love the whole flow of this one – but okay, three.
First, Meduza & Rani - “Silence.” Meduza are family in a way – we’re carrying the same flag, Italian dance music going out to the whole world, and for years that scene didn’t always get the spotlight it deserved. Dropping a record like that into the mix, for me, is a little moment of pride for where we all come from.
Second – and forgive me for being a little biased – “Words,” my track with Sam Harper. Sam has this voice that goes straight to the heart, so much so that you’ll actually hear her three times across this mix! “Words” is the emotional center for me, the moment where the energy opens up and breathes before the final push.
And third, FISHER & Florence Arman – “What a Life.” That one is pure, unstoppable energy – the kind of record that detonates in a club and reminds you why we all fell in love with dance music in the first place. A perfect peak moment.
So there you go: a little Italian pride, something personal, and a track that just makes people lose their minds. A journey, not a playlist.
Last year, you became the first dance music artist to headline the iconic San Siro. What do you remember most from that night?
The walk-out. That first step onto the stage when 55,000 people roar at once – I’ll never forget it as long as I live. I remember standing there for a second, just trying to convince myself it was real – all those people, in that stadium, for the music. It didn’t feel possible. And to be honest, I was terrified in the best possible way – that beautiful anxiety you get when you know the moment matters. The second the first drop hit and the whole stadium jumped together, everything melted. That night wasn’t mine; it belonged to everyone in there.
The walk-out. That first step onto the stage when 55,000 people roar at once – I’ll never forget it as long as I live. I remember standing there for a second, just trying to convince myself it was real – all those people, in that stadium, for the music. It didn’t feel possible. And to be honest, I was terrified in the best possible way – that beautiful anxiety you get when you know the moment matters. The second the first drop hit and the whole stadium jumped together, everything melted. That night wasn’t mine; it belonged to everyone in there.
You just returned to San Siro recently. How did this time around differ from the previous year?
The first time, so much of the energy went into just taking in that it was really happening – I almost let the emotion carry the whole night. This time I wanted to give the fans something more crafted: more care in the staging, the visuals, the way the night flows from start to finish. It felt less about my own nerves and more about building an experience for the people who came. Same stadium, but this time I could really breathe and be present with the crowd.
The first time, so much of the energy went into just taking in that it was really happening – I almost let the emotion carry the whole night. This time I wanted to give the fans something more crafted: more care in the staging, the visuals, the way the night flows from start to finish. It felt less about my own nerves and more about building an experience for the people who came. Same stadium, but this time I could really breathe and be present with the crowd.
How can you describe the feeling of seeing one of the most iconic arenas in the world sold out by your fans?
There’s no word for it in any language, honestly. A live show is a collective ritual – for a couple of hours thousands of strangers breathe as one thing, and up on the stage you feel like you’re guiding that energy, like a puppeteer moving invisible strings. But the truth is the crowd moves me just as much as I move them. When I see it sold out, what hits me isn’t the number – it’s knowing that every single one of those people chose to spend their night with my music. I still can’t fully believe it, and I hope I never get used to it.
There’s no word for it in any language, honestly. A live show is a collective ritual – for a couple of hours thousands of strangers breathe as one thing, and up on the stage you feel like you’re guiding that energy, like a puppeteer moving invisible strings. But the truth is the crowd moves me just as much as I move them. When I see it sold out, what hits me isn’t the number – it’s knowing that every single one of those people chose to spend their night with my music. I still can’t fully believe it, and I hope I never get used to it.
You recently performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics. How did that opportunity come about, and what did it mean to you?
Representing your country on a stage the whole world is watching – that’s an honor very few artists ever get, and I still get emotional thinking about it. It came together quite naturally: dance music is finally being recognized as part of Italy’s cultural identity, and I think they wanted to close on something that felt joyful, unifying, forward-looking. For me, it meant everything, because it wasn’t about me – it was about showing the world that Italian dance music belongs on the biggest stage there is. To play for my country, at home, in that context… I don’t think anything can top that feeling.
Representing your country on a stage the whole world is watching – that’s an honor very few artists ever get, and I still get emotional thinking about it. It came together quite naturally: dance music is finally being recognized as part of Italy’s cultural identity, and I think they wanted to close on something that felt joyful, unifying, forward-looking. For me, it meant everything, because it wasn’t about me – it was about showing the world that Italian dance music belongs on the biggest stage there is. To play for my country, at home, in that context… I don’t think anything can top that feeling.
Let’s talk about your Spotlight Mix. What was your vision when putting it together?
I wanted it to feel like a real journey, not just a stack of my biggest records. So I built it in waves – moments that lift you, moments that let you breathe, then bring you right back up. I also made a point of putting in some newer, younger sounds next to the classics, because a spotlight should point at what’s coming, not only at what’s already known. Basically, I approached it the way I approach a live set: it has to tell a story and it has to move. If people finish the mix and immediately want to hear it again, then I did my job.
I wanted it to feel like a real journey, not just a stack of my biggest records. So I built it in waves – moments that lift you, moments that let you breathe, then bring you right back up. I also made a point of putting in some newer, younger sounds next to the classics, because a spotlight should point at what’s coming, not only at what’s already known. Basically, I approached it the way I approach a live set: it has to tell a story and it has to move. If people finish the mix and immediately want to hear it again, then I did my job.
With everything happening right now, what can fans look forward to next from you in the coming months?
A lot of music – I’m in the studio non-stop right now, and there are things I honestly can’t wait to share. I don’t want to spoil anything, because half the magic is the surprise, but let’s just say I’m following my instinct into some new territory and I love where it’s going. And of course, more shows – there’s always another dream, another stage to chase. So my message to the fans is simple: stay close, because the best is still coming. Thank you, everyone!
A lot of music – I’m in the studio non-stop right now, and there are things I honestly can’t wait to share. I don’t want to spoil anything, because half the magic is the surprise, but let’s just say I’m following my instinct into some new territory and I love where it’s going. And of course, more shows – there’s always another dream, another stage to chase. So my message to the fans is simple: stay close, because the best is still coming. Thank you, everyone!
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