Illegal rave organisers in Italy could face up to 6 years in prison

Italy’s new ‘far-right’ government has commenced its crackdown on unlicensed events in the country, as per their pledge to implement stricter law and order ahead of winning the election in October.

On Monday, October 31, Italy’s new Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, announced that the staging of unlicensed music events will be made a criminal offence under laws.

Organisers who continue to put on unlicensed events could face up to 6 years in prison if found hosting a party with more than 50 attendees and make them eligible for wiretapping by the police, as reported by the BBC.

At present, unlicensed parties are illegal in the country, though they are not yet criminalised. 

The new restrictions follow a 48-hour party in a warehouse in northern Italy which made headlines over the Halloween weekend. Police shut down the illegal event, which attracted over 1,000 young people from across Europe.

“We have shown that the state won’t turn a blind eye and fail to act when faced with law-breaking,”said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following the event on Monday.

She added: “The impression that the Italian state has given in recent years is one of being lax when it comes to respecting the rules and the law.”

The proposed law changes are part of wider plans drafted by the previous National Unity government following a series of deaths at mass raves in 2021. However, the new government’s laws include noticeably harsher penalties, including jail time and the confiscation of equipment.