In 2018 — after a career spanning nearly three decades — Andrea Bocelli gave his first public performance in Salt Lake City.
“It’s the first time that I sing here in Salt Lake City,” the Italian tenor told his adoring crowd at Vivint Arena. “And I will never forget your affection. Thank you for this.”
The renowned tenor isn’t waiting as long for his return.
On Thursday, Bocelli announced a 21-city tour that includes a stop at Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena on Oct. 30, 2021.
The tour is in support of his latest album “Believe,” which came out in November. The album features a duet of “Amazing Grace” with country-bluegrass star Allison Krauss and his take on the Leonard Cohen classic “Hallelujah,” the Deseret News reported.
“The concept behind ‘Believe’ is based on three words: faith, hope and charity,” Bocelli said in a statement at the time. “These are the three theological virtues of Christianity, yet — quite independently of any religious belief — they are also the three extraordinary keys to giving meaning and completeness to the lives of every one of us.”
Tickets go on sale to the general public May 3 at 10 a.m. MT. The tour kicks off Oct. 13 and travels across the country through Dec. 19.
“Those arenas we meet in have a glimpse of the sun after such a storm,” Bocelli said in a statement shared in a news release sent to the Deseret News. “Thanks to music, we will celebrate beauty and faith in the future together.”
Although virtually all large concert venues have been shut down during the pandemic, Bocelli has found creative ways to sing and reach out to fans during this time.
On Easter Sunday in 2020, the tenor performed a recital from the historic Duomo Cathedral in Milan, Italy — an event that garnered 28 million views worldwide in 24 hours, the Deseret News reported. And in December, he performed a virtual Christmas concert from Italy’s Teatro Regio di Parma opera house.
Bocelli’s upcoming concert marks the third show Vivint Arena has announced this week. Earlier, the venue announced that country superstars Kane Brown and Eric Church will bring shows to the arena in 2021 and 2022.