In the early hours of 1 November an estimated 5,000 revellers occupied an abandoned Bugatti warehouse in Campogalliano, just west of Modena, for an unlicensed techno rave. Police and fire services were deployed immediately, but sheer crowd size meant the Via dell’Industria spur to the A22 Autostrada was jammed with parked vehicles, causing kilometre-long tailbacks on a key north-south freight and holiday corridor.
Local prefecture officials invoked emergency powers to divert traffic via Carpi and rubiera exits, while heavy-goods vehicles were advised to detour via the A1. By midday, regional traffic monitors recorded average speeds of 40 km/h between Modena Nord and Mantova Sud—half the seasonal norm.
![Unauthorised rave near Modena blocks A22 slip-roads, disrupting holiday traffic across Emilia-Romagna]()
The unauthorised gathering raised security and liability questions less than a year after Italy passed strict anti-rave legislation allowing swift eviction of illegal mass events. Yet authorities opted for negotiated dispersion to avoid clashes, gradually clearing the site by evening.
For mobility managers the episode is a reminder that unexpected civil events can paralyse local infrastructure even outside major cities. Companies routing time-sensitive cargo through Emilia-Romagna during public holidays should build redundancy into logistics plans and monitor social media for flash-mob alerts.
Local prefecture officials invoked emergency powers to divert traffic via Carpi and rubiera exits, while heavy-goods vehicles were advised to detour via the A1. By midday, regional traffic monitors recorded average speeds of 40 km/h between Modena Nord and Mantova Sud—half the seasonal norm.
The unauthorised gathering raised security and liability questions less than a year after Italy passed strict anti-rave legislation allowing swift eviction of illegal mass events. Yet authorities opted for negotiated dispersion to avoid clashes, gradually clearing the site by evening.
For mobility managers the episode is a reminder that unexpected civil events can paralyse local infrastructure even outside major cities. Companies routing time-sensitive cargo through Emilia-Romagna during public holidays should build redundancy into logistics plans and monitor social media for flash-mob alerts.
