MI AMI FESTIVAL 2024

Oh, Mi Ami, what a weekend you gave us all – I’m already nostalgic and it was only a week ago!

For three days and nights, Milan’s music scene came alive at Circolo Magnolia for the 18^th edition of Mi Ami Fest, the legendary indie music festival started in Milan in 2005. Radio Bocconi reporters Ludovica Amatuzzo (who also volunteered at the festival) and Elisabeth Hofer (myself!) captured highlights of each day to tell the tale of a weekend well-spent.

Equipped with a DJ stage (Spider Arena) and four live performance stages (Idealista, Jack Daniels, Champion, and the main Dr. Marten’s stage), Mi Ami featured acts from punk-rock bands and indie-pop singers to tech-funk djs and a ‘dramedy’ of a musical, as well as installations such as a skate ramp, photo wall, and sponsored games with giveaways.

This year, musicians such as okgiorgio, Gato Tomato, and even Ghanaian-Italian trap artist Bello FiGo had their live band debuts across the various stages of Mi Ami, while Italian indie music veterans Venerus, Ele A, Lucio Corsi, Marco Castello, the three-decade-spanning rock band Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti and French headliner Phoenix graced the stages for longtime and newfound fans such as myself.

Mi Ami, meaning “You love me” in Italian, was born out of a desire to showcase independent artists and connect people through a unique collective music experience. For many, Mi Ami is the place to discover new artists and make new friends in the process – and that is exactly what we set out to do.

With more than 100 artists on the set list, we had to be strategic about the shows we could attend, which, of course, were as many as possible. Even if we didn’t recognize a name or the tracks played, we trekked forward in the mud left from the intermittent rains on Friday (which stopped no one) and off into musical adventures every day, which you can see in our daily recaps of Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 on Radio Bocconi’s Instagram page.

What stood out to me on Friday was the incredibly energetic performance by Vale LP donning a classic blue Adidas tracksuit, who inspired us to chant, dance, and clap with her before throwing merch shirts into the gleaming audience (although I wasn’t lucky enough to snag one). Later that night, Venerus iconically shaved his head into a mohawk while on stage, which paired well with his orange flower-shaped eye-decor and fuzzy pink mic.

Similarly, two new-to-me bands that caught my eyes and ears on Saturday were Ta Ga Da for their effortless ability to get us roaring to their cheeky lyrics “The weather is better today” (which was comically true) and Crema, who absolutely shredded on the bass, mic, and all over the stage with full rockstar energy. This was also the night of Auroro Borealo: Il Musical, in which social justice activism unveiled a hilariously unconventional love story.

On Sunday, we took a slightly different approach – instead of just scouting for new music, we let ourselves be inspired by people whose style intrigued us. Through the simple act of complimenting outfits, we met some of the coolest people at the festival and recorded fun, light-hearted mini-interviews! I mean, who doesn’t love a little recognition for having drip?

The first eye-catcher we came across was none other than DJ-producer You Nico, who turned heads with a bright green checkered felt shirt, loose khaki pants, silver-encased dangling stone earrings, and orange-tinted aviator glasses. Coincidentally, he would be playing at Mi Ami that night! Quoting his love for the ‘70s, he filled us in about his upcoming set which would feature funky tracks of this timeless era. We checked it out (for science) and our tireless dancing confirms: You Nico is the real retro-made-modern deal.

Soon after, we gravitated to Mi Ami’s official Instax Italia photographer Arianna, whose sky-blue patterned sheer dress painted her almost angelic (a colorful change from her usual all-black uniform, she swore). Meanwhile, TYT hosiery founder Sasha had a grunge edge to her ‘fit comprised of a ruffled creme top from Peruvian designer Romina Montserrat, denim Versace shorts, nude detail corset, studded belt, and knee-high boots. In a complementary color-palette stood fashion photographer Zoe with a white tank top (from her childhood), vintage camo-pattern skirt, and knee-highs that matched her friend’s.

Eventually, we ended up at what should have been our HQ all along: Est Radio’s aptly named Cool Kids Broadcast, where DJ Phraba and crew curated the sound for the Dr. Marten’s Lounge. We spotted the unique chains on Creative Director Carlo, whose laidback look oozed steaz, or style with ease. Staying true to his “Locals Only” motto, his spiked barbell necklace was made by friend and designer Lovely Death Dreams, while the Demons chain came from Milan-based brand In Einem Atem (German for ‘in one breath’). Sporting a layered black shirt from the radio’s eponymous fashion line Est Clothing, white long-sleeve ‘borrowed’ from friend Giacomo, camo shorts from his father’s closet, and Dr. Marten’s boots with multi-colored laces, he looked cool without even trying.

A sweet surprise was finding out that Est Radio Co-Founder and CMO Andrea knew about us already – he had been interviewed at Radio Bocconi’s studio just a few years ago! Enthusiastic about our presence at the festival, he shared with us how Est Radio started with friends during the pandemic, his passion for building community with like-minded people through the Cool Kids Broadcast, and his love of Mi Ami for crafting a beautiful place to discover and connect with new artists and each other, year after year. In our final ‘fit check, Andrea proudly showed off his merch with a white Est Radio t-shirt and purple pineapple-embroidered Tiki pants from Est Clothing paired with perfect “summer Docs” (the Dayne Sandal) and matching Dr. Marten oxblood-tinted socks.

As we wandered back into the festival, we realized: finding new music and people to be inspired by just comes naturally here. This, truly, is what Mi Ami is all about.

The silver-lining about it being over: it’s not too soon to be excited for Mi Ami 2025 – you can get discounted Early Bird tickets here before they sell out. So, see you there, music-heads! x                                                                                                                                                                 – Elisabeth Hofer