Rome’s riverside theatre becomes an open air cultural village from 14 to 31 July, with over 40 events and more than 50 artists
There’s a corner of Rome where summer tastes like a dream. From 14 to 31 July 2026, India Città Aperta returns for its second edition: the summer festival of Teatro di Roma, created with Dominio Pubblico, transforms the spaces of Teatro India, from the outdoor Arena to the stage nestled in the greenery of the Canneto, into a buzzing cultural village in the shadow of the Gazometro, the iconic gas holder of the Ostiense district.
The thread running through this edition is the dream: an oneiric dimension inspired by the poetics of Pier Paolo Pasolini, unfolding across more than 40 events with over 50 artists spanning theatre, dance, music, publishing, installations and projects for younger audiences. Best of all, most events are free to attend, while ticketed shows have a flat price of just 10 euros.
The opening night
The festival kicks off on Tuesday 14 July with a free opening party: Roman rapper and songwriter Piotta brings his Si riparano ricordi tour to the Arena, preceded on the Canneto stage by cartoonist and musician Davide Toffolo with Giulio D’Antona and their live drawn performance about legendary publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli.
Theatre highlights
The hottest ticket is on 16 July, when acclaimed actor Elio Germano and composer Teho Teardo present Il sogno di una cosa, based on Pasolini’s novel. Also worth marking in your calendar: spoken word star Lorenzo Maragoni with Tipico maschio italiano (17 July), Chiara Becchimanzi‘s Eroina (19 July) and comedian Paola Minaccioni‘s semi-serious reflection on happiness, La vita è bella? No, è un tipo (25 July).
Music, dance and a night at the opera
The music programme revolves around NeroIndia. Siamo fatti di canzoni, a series curated by Studionero and Giulia Ananìa featuring some of the finest voices of the new Italian songwriting scene: Emma Nolde (17 July), Giovanni Truppi (25 July) and Matteo Alieno (30 July). On 24 July, the Instant Composing Society led by Rodrigo D’Erasmo blends improvised live music and film, with actress Isabella Ragonese as special guest.
New this year is a section dedicated to contemporary dance, featuring Stefania Tansini‘s L’ombelico dei limbi (22 July) and the jump rope fuelled energy of HIT OUT by Parini Secondo (26 July). On 28 July the Arena even turns lyrical with ONIRICON, staged by the young artists of the Rome Opera House’s “Fabbrica” programme.
Families, talks and the grand finale
There’s plenty for kids and families too, from the historic Podrecca marionettes (21 to 24 July) to Antonio Catalano’s poetic installations. The talks calendar is packed: book presentations curated by Feltrinelli, which also runs the festival bookstore, a conversation between film director Mario Martone and writer Nicola Lagioia (23 July), plus events with Rome Future Week and the city’s liveliest cultural magazines. The festival closes on 31 July with the BeiRicordi Show, Rome’s beloved showcase for emerging performers.
Ten days of contemporary creation across Rome, from 3 to 12 September
From 3 to 12 September 2026, Rome hosts the 21st edition of Short Theatre, the international festival dedicated to contemporary creation and the performing arts. Over ten days, more than 65 events by some 40 companies and artists from Italy, Spain, France, Poland, Hungary, Algeria, Libya, Eritrea, Cameroon, Rwanda, Mexico and China take over the city. Expect a program that blends art, critical thought and politics, mapping today’s artistic geographies across the Global South and East.
The festival’s home base is La Pelanda at the Mattatoio, the former slaughterhouse turned arts hub in Testaccio, with events also at Teatro India, where the festival was born twenty years ago, Teatro Vittoria, Cinema Troisi, the MACRO – Museum of Contemporary Art and the MUCIV – Museum of Civilizations
The opening night at Rome’s Botanical Garden
ST26 opens on 3 September (6-10 pm) in one of the city’s most enchanting settings: the Botanical Garden of Rome in Trastevere, with a continuous flow of performances, sound rituals and site-specific interventions among the greenhouses, including Hungarian choreographer Eszter Salamon‘s celebrated Dance for Nothing (revisited), based on John Cage’s Lecture on Nothing, and the sound ritual Naturale sconosciuto by poet Mariangela Gualtieri at dusk.
Highlights of the program
Among the must-sees: Alberto Cortès‘ El corazón de Ester, a performance that will be staged only 50 times worldwide, two of them at ST26 (4-5 September, Teatro Vittoria); Chiara Bersani‘s Michel. The animals I am, which reimagines Swan Lake through three performers with disabilities; François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux‘s Mirlitons, where opera singing battles beatbox (8-9 September); the Italian premiere of L’Echo by French-Algerian choreographer Nacera Belaza with actress Valérie Dréville, co-presented with Romaeuropa Festival (10-11 September, Teatro India); and Muna Mussie‘s Cinema Impero, a three-part journey through Italy’s colonial archives staged at Cinema Troisi, MUCIV and MACRO. Closing the festival on 12 September, Claudia Castellucci‘s dance piece L’Infinito Carnale.
Throughout the festival, DJs and live acts — from queer scene icon HABIBITCH to Chinese experimental artist otay:onii — soundtrack the evenings at La Pelanda, alongside free talks and workshops open to all.
Rome’s most futuristic cultural celebration, Videocittà – The Festival of Vision and Digital Culture, is back
From 10 to 12 July 2026, Videocittà – The Festival of Vision and Digital Culture – returns to Rome’s Gazometro for its ninth edition.
Light installations, immersive and interactive experiences, VR, video art, A/V live shows, DJ sets, talks and performances will once again animate the Gazometro di Roma, one of Europe’s largest urban industrial archaeology sites.
After previous editions dedicated to the Moon, Earth, Galaxy and Sun, Videocittà 2026 focuses on water: the origin of life, an essential resource and a universal symbol connecting cultures, landscapes and imaginaries. Across installations, performances and talks, the festival explores water’s ecological, political and cultural value.
Among this year’s highlights is the arrival of German composer, musician and producer Apparat. His iconic track Black Water will become part of In Lympha, a major immersive installation conceived and produced by Eni in collaboration with Videocittà, hosted at Opificio 41 throughout the festival. Apparat will also perform a special DJ set on Saturday 11 July on the Main Stage, moving between electronic, ambient and experimental sounds.
UNDA is another major new feature: a site-specific light installation produced by Eni for Videocittà and created by Visioni Parallele and Niulab, with executive production by Eventitaliani. For the first time, the Gazometro G4 becomes an artwork visible exclusively from the outside, transforming into a luminous urban landmark inspired by the movement of water.
The central structure among the three smaller gasometers, known as G2, becomes a space where images, technology and live performance meet. Oceans, rivers and rain from around the world shape Water: always the same, always different, an immersive installation combining the work of Giuseppe La Spada, the sounds of Francesca Heart and the movement research of Brazilian performer Amanda Lana.
Chinese artist Cao Yuxi also makes his festival debut with the Italian premiere of Nature’s Computility, an enveloping immersive waterfall that uses algorithms to translate the flow of water into high-resolution dynamic visualisations.
Audio-Visual Music
The audio-visual music section turns water into a sound and visual experience, with a Main Stage conceived as a hybrid between installation and performance space. On 10 July, the programme opens with Sara Persico and Mika Oki, winners of the Videocittà Awards 2025 for AV performance, followed by an audiovisual DJ set by Mace with Sugo Design.
On 11 July, Nziria presents Syysma, followed by Populous live with visuals by Furio Ganz. The evening closes with Apparat.
On 12 July, the Main Stage hosts Voices From The Lake, the project by Donato Dozzy and Neel, alongside Liminal State with FREEFALL, a live AV improvisation where sound, music, light and generative visuals unfold in real time.
Virtual reality experiences
At the Anfiteatro, Videocittà presents the world premiere of In Pinus, an Italian VR experience dedicated to the stone pine, produced by Impersive for Videocittà in collaboration with the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano as part of the European project CO-VISION.
On the first floor of G3, audiences will discover L’acqua in virtual reality, a selection of four VR experiences presented in their Italian premiere by Diversion: Jellyfish, Biolum, Plastisapiens and The world came flooding in. The section also includes Sweet end of the world!, a VR documentary by Stefano Conca Bonizzoni selected from the Rai Cinema VR library.
Video art
Curated by Damiana Leoni and Rä di Martino, the Video Art section presents works by leading international artists on 10 July, including Shahzia Sikander, FLATFORM, Cecilia Bengolea and Monira Al Qadiri, all exploring water through different visual and narrative languages.
On 11 July, internationally renowned artist Adrian Paci presents, in dialogue with the curators, the works Turn on, Di queste luci si servirà la notte and The Column, a powerful reflection on labour, cultural identity and the dialogue between East and West.
The Tiber, a vital presence in Rome, is at the centre of Tommaso Cherubini’s new digital artwork Invisible Ecologies: Tevere, presented as a world premiere. Confluence, produced by Signal as part of CO-VISION, focuses instead on one of Europe’s largest floodplain forests.
Interactive works also take over the garden with Particle Catharsis by Giuseppe La Spada and Maelstrom by Lake Heckaman, curated by Luca Martinelli and powered by RNMW. Meanwhile, OS Ocean Suite, created by CMCC with Nova System Academy and Planetaria, transforms climate data into an immersive sound experience.
The festival’s programme of talks opens on 10 July with a meeting on water scarcity, intense rainfall, prevention, adaptation and “sponge neighbourhoods”, introduced by Giulio Boccaletti, Scientific Director of CMCC.
On 11 July, the discussion turns to the lessons of ancient Rome, from baths and fountains to the role of water in the history of the Caput Mundi. On 12 July, the focus shifts to seas and oceans in a changing world, exploring geopolitics, navigation, energy, underwater resources, communications and security.
The programme continues with three informal AQUA talks, where new media scholar Simone Arcagni meets artists, creators and thinkers including N.A.I.P., Valentina Tanni, Siamounmagazine, Eki, Valerio Ferrara, Elisabetta Modena, Vino, Matilde De Feo and Federico Ferrazza.
Videocittà also hosts the IGPDecaux Graphic Award, revealing three winning works that reinterpret Rome as the “Eternal City” through the new frontiers of artificial intelligence.
Agorà returns
On 9 and 10 July, Agorà returns as Videocittà’s professional programme, coordinated by Guido Pietro Airoldi. Dedicated to the internationalisation of Italy’s creative technologies, immersive audiovisual, digital art and contemporary cultural industries, it brings together operators, buyers, curators, institutions, festivals, studios and companies.
Arte al Gazometro
During Videocittà, the third edition of Arte al Gazometro opens with “Riflessi”, a widespread exhibition of installations and site-specific works by national and international artists. Curated by Marco Capasso in collaboration with the galleries Il Sole, Orma and Eidos, the exhibition explores water as an active force of transformation.
Tickets for Videocittà 2026
For its 2026 edition, Videocittà introduces a new accessibility policy, aiming to make the festival and its artistic, immersive and performative experiences even more open and inclusive.
Tickets will be available at the following prices:
Daily Ticket: €20
3-Day Full Pass: €50
Free entry for children under 12
Entrance is from Via del Commercio 9/11. Doors and ticket office open to the public from 7pm.
Contemporary circus, dance, theatre and music return to Castel Sant’Angelo from July 2 to October 4, 2026
One of Rome’s most atmospheric summer cultural events returns to Castel Sant’Angelo with a new edition of L’Angelo e la Luna, the evening festival curated by Anna Selvi and promoted by the Istituto Pantheon e Castel Sant’Angelo – Direzione Musei nazionali della città di Roma.
From July 2 to October 4, 2026, the historic fortress will host a rich programme of 15 performances and 41 repeats, bringing together Italian and international artists across contemporary circus, dance, theatre, performance and live music. The festival will unfold through the many evocative spaces of Castel Sant’Angelo, transforming its courtyards, halls, bastions and terraces into open-air stages after dark.
The 2026 edition opens on July 2 with a concert by Baba Yaga, one of the most interesting emerging names on the international music scene. The band will present its latest album, Grenzenlos, with an energetic and virtuoso sound that blends Balkan rhythms, klezmer melodies, swing and gypsy jazz.
Dance will play a central role in this year’s programme. On July 16 at 9pm, the Courtyard of Alexander VI will host Cuor di Coniglio, a dance performance for adults and children aged 6 and up. Conceived as a modern fairy tale, the show explores fragility, courage and the importance of self-acceptance.
On July 23 at 9pm, Segni. Excursus will bring together contemporary music and dance in a performance curated by Michelangelo Lupone and Ricky Bonavita, also taking place in the Courtyard of Alexander VI.
On August 5 and 6, audiences can experience Promenade, an itinerant dance and theatre performance for adults and children aged 8 and up, with two performances each evening at 7pm and 9.45pm. Also on August 5 at 8.30pm, the Courtyard of Alexander VI will host Partita, created and performed by Ambra Senatore and Jonathan Kingsley Seilman, where dance and music interact in a continuous dialogue.
On September 2, with performances at 7pm and 9.30pm, dancers and choreographers Riva & Repele will present an evening of dance and music in the Courtyard of Alexander VI.
Contemporary circus at Castel Sant’Angelo
One of the highlights of the festival will be Il Castello degli Angeli ostinati, a site-specific itinerant circus performance created by circus playwright Giacomo Costantini.
Taking place on July 28, 29 and 30, and August 1 and 2, with performances at 7.30pm and 9.30pm, the show will lead audiences through a double route inside Castel Sant’Angelo, moving across the Courtyard of the Theatre, the Sala Paolina, the Courtyard of the Angel, the Library and the panoramic terrace.
Music
Music will also feature in the programme with two special events. On August 12 at 9pm, 100 Miles. The Journey Continues will present a project of original compositions inspired by the artistic vision and innovative spirit of Miles Davis.
On August 26, with performances at 7pm and 9.30pm in the beautiful Sala Paolina, Gennaro Lauro will perform Mondo.
Theatre and performance
The theatre programme opens on July 10 at 9pm with L’anima del mondo per Adriano imperatore, nostro contemporaneo, staged in the Courtyard of Alexander VI.
On September 9 at 9pm, the Bastion of San Matteo will host Every Brilliant Thing, winner of the 2022 Franco Enriquez National Award.
On September 16, with performances at 7pm and 9.30pm, AeReA will take over the Courtyard of Alexander VI with a performance centred on the symbolic and spectacular art of flag-waving.
On September 23, the programme features a double bill: Io, a cult theatre piece created in 1998 by artists later awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale, and Pitecus, a sharp and surreal portrait of a chaotic microcosm of characters.
The festival closes on October 4 at 9pm with Francesco, l’angelo degli ultimi, a moving recital in the Courtyard of Alexander VI dedicated to the life and stories of one of the most beloved saints.
Info and tickets
Admission to the performances is subject to availability and is included in the museum ticket by selecting the “museum + performance” option at the time of purchase.
Tickets can be purchased through the Musei Italiani App, online via CoopCulture, or directly at the Castel Sant’Angelo ticket office.
In the evocative setting of the Roman Theatre of Ostia, a series of performances interweaving classical myth with contemporary language
From June 25 to July 18, 2026, the second edition of the Teatro Ostia Antica Festival 2026, entitled The Sense of the Past, will take place. In the extraordinary setting of the Roman Theatre of Ostia, the festival presents an international programme that intertwines the power of classical myth with the languages of the contemporary world, offering a reflection on the challenges of the present.
From Greek tragedy to avant-garde dance, the Festival stands out for the encounter between tradition and the innovation of the contemporary scene, through the creations of four masters of the national and international stage: Theodoros Terzopoulos, Asterios Peltekis, Angelin Preljocaj and Filippo Dini.
For all Festival performances, a shuttle service is available from the Roman Theatre of Ostia to Rome Piramide, in collaboration with Come Back Home, at a cost of €15.
The Festival opens on June 25 and 26 with The Bacchae by Euripides, directed for the seventh time by the great Greek master Theodoros Terzopoulos, who comments on the tragedy as follows:
“The Bacchae is an emblematic tragedy for my theatrical vision. It is extremely important to present it at this moment, where Dionysus embodies the archetype of the refugee: having set out from Tmolos three thousand years ago, he travelled through the war zones of the Middle East and ends up today in the Mediterranean Sea, on the shores of Crete or Lampedusa. He returns to us as a stranger and invites us to sacrifice our body on the altar of the Unknown and the Transcendent.”
Theodoros Terzopoulos
On July 4 and 5, Lysistrata by Aristophanes will take the stage: a deeply political and human work centred on the moment when a society, exhausted by suffering, urgently seeks a new way of organising itself. The archetypal figure of the heroine does not propose reforms, nor does she introduce new institutional arrangements. On the contrary, Lysistrata proposes something entirely different: the restoration of the body, desire, care and collective responsibility as political action.
On July 10 and 11, the spotlight turns to dance with Requiem(s), directed by Angelin Preljocaj: an intense reflection on memory, loss and the profound relationship between life and death. A series of choreographies brings to the stage a procession of bodies, seeking to place into perspective the mosaic of emotions experienced after a loss.
The programme closes on July 18 with Alcestis by Euripides, directed by Filippo Dini, which tells the story of an unacceptable death, that of a sacrificial victim.
“Alcestis is frightening because it is the story of a woman who, driven only by the blessed fury of her love for her husband, chooses to die in his place. And it is frightening because she returns from Hades. Four centuries before Christ, an extraordinary woman sacrifices herself for love and returns from death. The woman who comes back from down there is not the same one who left: this Alcestis has now seen and experienced horror and despair beyond all limits. It makes me think of the journey of women through history, from the beginning of time to the present day, of their evolution, their tragic daily deaths, and their possibility of returning from horror to finally confront the object of their infinite love.”
The Palatine Stadium will host the 25th edition of one of the most beloved summer cultural festivals in the Capital
Celebrating its 25th year, the International Literature Festival will bring together esteemed Italian and international authors who have made significant contributions to contemporary literature.
As always, the stunning Stadio Palatino, located within the Colosseum Archaeological Park, will provide the backdrop for the festival. A final special event has been added on July 18 at the Idroscalo of Ostia. This year’s edition will unfold over three evenings: June 19, 20, and 21.
The title of this edition is “Sconfinare” (“Crossing Boundaries”), a word that evokes the act of moving beyond imposed limits: those of the body, of roles and of language. In this sense, sconfinare becomes the defining verb of this edition, with each evening shaped around a specific theme: “Who Writes the World. Women and Power Dynamics”, “Against the Wind. Stories of Resistance”, and “Invisible Maps. The Power of Words.”
The guest authors, leading voices from the contemporary Italian and international literary scene, will be invited to take the prestigious stage of the Palatine Hill to interpret each evening’s theme and attempt to decipher the world we live in today.
Discover the programme of the 2026 Festival delle Letterature
June 19
The first evening, on Friday, June 19, “Who Writes the World. Women and Power Dynamics”, will open with an unpublished text by journalist and writer Concita De Gregorio, a long-standing signature of La Repubblica. This will be followed by American writer Rachel Kushner, one of the most original and compelling voices on the American literary scene, in conversation with Marino Sinibaldi.
One of the greatest poets of our time, Patrizia Valduga, a free, sharp and ironic voice as well as a refined translator, will then take the stage of the Palatine with an unpublished text.
The evening will continue with French writer, literary critic and translator Neige Sinno, author of the award-winning autobiographical novel Triste tigre, who will present an unpublished text and take part in a conversation with writer Rosella Postorino.
For the first time at the Festival, the unpublished work will not be a written text but a live drawing performance by award-winning cartoonist and activist Fumettibrutti, a disruptive author whose comics have given powerful and original form to often invisible experiences, bringing issues related to gender identity to the forefront.
Music by Chiara Civello.
June 20
The second evening, on Saturday, June 20, “Against the Wind. Stories of Resistance”, will open with a tribute to the great Iranian-born French cartoonist and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi, a committed voice for individual freedom, women’s rights and democracy, and author of the acclaimed graphic novel Persepolis, which brought the story of Iran to the world.
The evening will then feature an unpublished text by journalist and writer Widad Tamimi.
There will be two interviews during the evening. The first will feature Ahmet Altan, appearing in Italy for the first time since his release from prison. One of the best-known contemporary Turkish journalists and writers, Altan was imprisoned under Erdoğan’s regime for crimes of opinion and later released in 2021 thanks to a broad solidarity movement in Turkey and across Europe.
Pietro Sermonti, actor and star of successful television and film comedies, will then take the stage of the Palatine for a true preview. He will read Open Letter from a Writer to the Military Junta, written by Rodolfo Walsh, writer, journalist and political activist, on March 24, 1977, on the first anniversary of the coup in Argentina.
The second interview will feature writer and journalist Samar Yazbek, a Syrian exile and one of the most committed and exposed intellectuals in the struggle against the Syrian regime.
One of Italy’s best-known and most beloved cartoonists, Zerocalcare, will then read an unpublished text, his first non-drawn work.
The evening will close with Ukrainian writer and journalist Yaryna Grusha, member of AISU and of the board of PEN Ukraine, and Russian journalist Vera Politkovskaya, daughter of Anna Politkovskaya, symbolically taking the stage of Letterature together. Both will read unpublished texts.
Readings by Maria Chiara Giannetta. Music by Gabriele Coen and Ziad Trabelsi.
June 21
The opening of the third evening, on Sunday, June 21, “Invisible Maps. The Power of Words”, will be entrusted to an unpublished text by Spanish poet and novelist Manuel Vilas, winner of numerous prestigious awards and contributor to various newspapers, including El País.
The evening will continue with an interview with acclaimed French writer, screenwriter and filmmaker Emmanuel Carrère, whose works have been translated around the world and who has received numerous awards.
This will be followed by an unpublished text by writer and translator Veronica Raimo, author, among other books, of Nothing True (Einaudi), translated in several countries, finalist for the 2022 Premio Strega and winner of the 2022 Premio Strega Giovani and the Premio Viareggio Rèpaci for Fiction.
Mexican writer Yuri Herrera, one of the most authoritative and original voices in contemporary Mexican fiction, will also take the stage with an unpublished text and an interview.
The evening will close with an unpublished text by Indian writer Kiran Desai, winner of the 2006 Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, who returns after twenty years with her highly anticipated new novel The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny.
Readings by Gaetano Bruno and Neri Marcoré. Music by Erica Mou.
A month of concerts under the stars, from Gershwin and Tchaikovsky to the music of Harry Potter, in the spectacular setting of the Basilica of Maxentius.
After 47 years, the summer season of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia returns to the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome for a month of concerts under the stars. The music of composers such as Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Gershwin, Mozart and Vivaldi will accompany Roman summer evenings, together with scores by Alexandre Desplat for major film classics including Harry Potter and Little Women.
Also worth noting is the new temporary installation designed by the international studio Alvisi Kirimoto. Carefully integrated into the multifunctional stage, conceived as both a piazza for visitors and a setting for events of various kinds, the new scenography is light and carefully balanced. It was designed to engage with the monumental historical setting through a contemporary yet restrained language, with a semicircular tiered structure accommodating up to 90 orchestral players and a circular element placed in the apse to host 80 chorus members.
The season opens on Thursday, 2 July at 9pm with young pianist Alexander Malofeev in a gala dedicated to Tchaikovsky, featuring the Piano Concerto No. 1 and the Fifth Symphony.
The programme continues on 4 July, when street dance meets the Baroque in Mourad Merzouki’s Dancing Four Seasons. The director and choreographer is joined by Compagnie Käfig and Concert de la Loge, with Julien Chauvin as solo violinist and conductor.
On 9 July, the series pays tribute to great cinema with composer Alexandre Desplat, who will conduct some of his most celebrated soundtracks, including Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, The Queen, The Shape of Water and other films. Over the past twenty years, Desplat has received 11 Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score, winning the coveted statuette for The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Shape of Water.
On 15 July, Diego Ceretta conducts the Orchestra Nazionale dei Conservatori and the Santa Cecilia Chorus in a tribute to Giuseppe Verdi, featuring choruses, overtures and ballet music from some of his most celebrated operas.
On 17 July, Music Director Daniel Harding will take the podium alongside pianist Stefano Bollani for Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The programme also includes Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso and Mussorgsky/Ravel’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
The Massenzio series continues on 21 July with the talent of the very young Martina Meola, winner of the Jeune Chopin 2025, in an evening dedicated to Chopin. The month will close with two further events: Mozart’s Requiem, conducted by Jérémie Rhorer, on 24 July, and Concerto Köln on 29 July, featuring Baroque music by Handel and Vivaldi.
Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 5
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conductor Manfred Honeck piano Alexander Malofeev
The Dancing Four Seasons – Hip-Hop Meets Vivaldi
Saturday, 4 July 2026 – 9pm
Compagnie Käfig – Le Concert de la Loge direction and choreography Mourad Merzouki solo violin and musical direction Julien Chauvin lighting design Cécile Trelluyer
The Cinematic World of Alexandre Desplat – Harry Potter and Oscar-Winning Scores
Thursday, 9 July 2026 – 9pm
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conductor Alexandre Desplat
Verdi Gala – Choruses, Overtures and Ballet Music from His Most Celebrated Operas
Wednesday, 15 July 2026 – 9pm
Orchestra Nazionale dei Conservatori Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conductor Diego Ceretta
Rhapsody in Blue – Harding feat. Bollani
Friday, 17 July 2026 – 9pm
Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conductor Daniel Harding piano Stefano Bollani
Chopin Nocturne – Mazurkas, Waltzes, Polonaises, Ballades and Nocturnes
Tuesday, 21 July 2026 – 9pm
pianist Martina Meola – “Jeune Chopin 2025” prize winner
Mozart Requiem – The Final Masterpiece
Friday, 24 July 2026 – 9pm
Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conductor Jérémie Rhorer soprano Mei Gui Zhang – alto Anna Doris Capitelli tenor Duke Kim – bass Guilhem Worms
Music for the Crown – Handel and the Great Baroque Celebrations on the Thames
From 12 to 17 May, Rome becomes a free, open-air fashion stage as Rome Fashion Path returns with its citywide celebration of fashion, creativity, and contemporary Italian design.
For those looking to deepen their Italian fashion knowledge, or simply enjoy the unadulterated freedom creativity brings, Rome Fashion Path, now in its third edition, provides an abundance of opportunities to do so.
The event — running from 12 to 17 May across multiple venues in Rome — is entirely dedicated to the fields of fashion, beauty, and trends. For six days, a packed program of free events will bring to life many of Rome’s most charming neighborhoods, with more than 100 names spanning ateliers, designers, artisans, vintage stores, academies, and independent spaces.
Under the patronage of the Assessorato ai Grandi Eventi, Sport, Turismo e Moda di Roma Capitale, the festival has quickly established itself as a platform that connects fashion production, craftsmanship, and experimentation across the Roman fashion scene.
Massimiliano Padovan Di Benedetto, creator of RFP, describes it as “an ecosystem where tradition and modernity meet, giving rise to a shared, open, and inclusive narrative.”
Four core categories are set to invite visitors into the spirit of Rome — and the best of Italian fashion: Showcase, Creator, Tracker, and Maker.
Showcase features installations, presentations, and performances of the best fashion in Rome, spanning emerging talent, capsule, and vintage collections. This year’s participants include Ateliered.Isagio, Groovin, and Cavalli e Nastri. The Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA) will host an immersive experience on 15 May, honouring the unique heritage of textiles, while the MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts bookshop will welcome the BeKora Summer 2026 Showcase, presenting garments created through social tailoring workshops bridging Italian and African textiles. Sustainability and ethical fashion remain central themes throughout the program.
Creator invites guests into designer ateliers and workshops, to be present at the creation of fashion — all set to the rhythm of DJ sets and aperitivo. Here, visitors can discover capsule collections, meet independent designers, and experience the creative process up close. Featured names include Francesco Arduini, whose ready-to-wear label focuses on no-waste production, and Maison Luigi Borbone, which offers contemporary interpretations of traditional Italian tailoring.
Tracker transforms the city into a fashion map; stylists, influencers, and personal shoppers guide visitors through themed routes, revealing hidden boutiques, standout showcases, and the coolest corners of Rome’s fashion scene. Expect insider recommendations and discoveries curated by names such as Roberto Romeo, Mary D’Angelo, and Gaia Bartolucci, uncovering Rome’s evolving fashion landscape.
Maker highlights the creatives who define every runway moment behind the scenes. Here, the spotlight is on photographers, make-up artists, hair stylists, and agencies — with live demonstrations, talks, and interactive events bringing their work to the forefront. The category also highlights initiatives such as “Modelli Si Nasce” and WheelGlam, socially conscious projects dedicated to making fashion a more inclusive space for authentic self-expression.
This year, visitors can also expect collaborations and presentations from Giada Curreri and Andrea Antonelli, offering a glimpse into the artistry that forms the backbone of the industry. On 13 May, Fashion Unlocked at Jo&Joe Roma will feature models from Modelli si Nasce alongside creations by Alessandra Saroli, beKora, Frange Couture, Mela Wedding, and Sertorian.
This year also sees the return of RFPU30, a special project dedicated to designers under 30, who will showcase their exceptional craft in locations such as galleries and hotels connected to Rome Art Week. The initiative reinforces RFP’s commitment to supporting the next generation of fashion talent.
Events will take place across historic palazzi, ateliers, galleries, creative studios, and independent spaces — all with free entry. Visitors will be able to explore style-focused experiences across neighborhoods such as Centro Storico, Prati, Monti, Garbatella, and Piazza Bologna, where luxury knitwear label Mela Wedding will stage a runway show inside the historic Via Catania market.
Among the most anticipated moments of the week is the public opening of Sartoria Farani on 17 May, inviting visitors through iconic cinema and theatre pieces – from Fellini’s I Clowns to Barbarella’s prototype corset. The festival will close with Io Sono, Noi Siamo, a collective runway curated by Isa Giovannozzi, and will be accompanied by a vocal and piano performance by Flavia Zanasi — bringing designers, photographers, make-up artists and hairstylists together in one final collaborative showcase.
More than just a fashion event, Rome Fashion Path celebrates all facets of what makes the industry thrive — from craftsmanship and education to emerging talent and behind-the-scenes artistry — establishing Rome as one of the most creatively abundant and diverse fashion capitals.
For the full calendar of events, participating venues and registration details, visit the official Rome Fashion Path website.
An exclusive opportunity to check out your favourite museums and archaeological sites at night
Rome’s Night of museums is back! Museums, monuments, art galleries, archaeological sites, libraries, academies and embassies in Rome and throughout Italy are open to the public for the symbolic price of €1 on Saturday night, May 23 from 8pm-2am (last admission at 1am),hosting many events including art shows, music, dance, theatre, cinema, readings, guided tours.
Among the participating museums: Capitoline Museums, Centrale Montemartini, Mercati di Traiano – Museo dei Fori Imperiali, Museo dell’Ara Pacis, Museo di Roma, Museo Napoleonico, Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Museo Pietro Canonica a Villa Borghese, Musei di Villa Torlonia (Casina delle Civette, Casino Nobile, Serra Moresca), Museo delle Mura, Museo Carlo Bilotti – Aranciera di Villa Borghese, Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco, Museo Civico di Zoologia, Museo della Repubblica Romana e della memoria garibaldina, Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Museo di Casal de’ Pazzi and more.
Also that night in various locations, the city of Rome will host concerts and special performances and events.
For the full list of the participating museums and sites, check out museiincomuneroma.it
From May 16 to 24, Rome welcomes back its much-loved architecture-focused event, opening over 220 sites to the public.
From 16 to 24 May, 2026, Open House Rome returns with nine days dedicated to architecture, design, and discovery. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to explore (for free) over 220 sites across the city, from contemporary architecture and historic landmarks to private homes, usually closed to the public.
The programme goes beyond guided visits, also featuring tours, events, educational activities inside some of Rome’s museums, and urban walks through neighborhoods of particular architectural interest.
Bookings will open at 6pm on April 27. To take part, visitors must register on the event’s official website: some sites will be accessible by reservation, while others may have different access procedures depending on the visit.
Part of the international Open House network, which takes place in major cities around the world, Open House Roma invites both locals and visitors to experience the city through the lens of architecture, design, and innovation.
The program includes iconic places, such as cultural institutes, representative offices, and academies (the Egyptian Academy, the Hungarian Academy, Villa Medici – French Academy…), museums, historic buildings, sites of scientific and cultural interest.
All sites can be visited by reservation through the event’s official website.
OPEN HOUSE 2026: HIGHLIGHTS WITH ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TOURS
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)
Largo delle Vittime del Terrorismo, 4 Max 60 people per visit – Duration: 75 min English tour: Sunday 24th at 3pm
Since its founding in 1945 FAO has set itself the goal of ending hunger, achieving food security for all and improving nutrition, promoting sustainable agriculture. The FAO headquarters is housed in a complex of buildings designed in 1938 by Vittorio Cafiero and Mario Ridolfi. The tour includes a visit to the Organization’s most important and emblematic rooms and the evocative panoramic terrace; the tour concludes with a self-guided visit to FAO MuNe, where visitors can explore the artistic and cultural collection.
Il Palazzo dell’Agricoltura
Via XX Settembre, 20 Max 25 people per visit – Duration: 45 min English Tour: 16 May at 4:15 p.m.
The Palazzo dell’Agricoltura, built at the beginning of the ‘900s, between the height of the Belle Epoque and the outbreak of the Great War, testifies to the fervor that in those years brought architects, engineers, artists, and workers around the construction of the Ministry: all involved in presenting the new capital of the Kingdom, a city that finally aspired to modernity. The building houses the National Historical Library of Agriculture and, recently installed, the new museum area dedicated to the renowned wheat geneticist Nazareno Strampelli.
Palazzo INAIL
Piazza del Grillo, 1 Max 30 people per visit – Duration: 50 min. English Tour: 23 May at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Palazzo INAIL, designed by Armando Brasini and Guido Zevi, is a monumental setting on Via IV Novembre, resolving, through its base and a system of stairs harmoniously integrated into the interior spaces, the difference in height between the entrance and the Quirinale Hill. Brasini, an eclectic figure linked to the Roman construction tradition, works ornamentation as an intrinsic part of his architecture and forges it until it becomes a refined connection between the wall mass and the space.
Villa Maraini – Swiss Institute in Rome
Via Ludovisi, 48 Max 15 people per visit – Duration: 60 min English Tour at 2 p.m.
Villa Maraini, a jewel of early 20th-century Rome, is currently home to the Swiss Institute in Rome; it was built for Emilio Maraini, a highly successful Swiss industrialist. It stands on an artificial hill and is surrounded by a beautiful garden. From its characteristic belvedere tower, just a few meters below the dome of St. Peter’s in the Vatican, you can enjoy a splendid panoramic view of all of Rome.
Palazzo delle Finanze (Headquarters of the Ministry of Economy and Finance)
Via XX Settembre, 97 Max 25 people per visit – duration: 60 min English Tour at 10:15 and 11:45 a.m.
The Palazzo delle Finanze, commissioned by Quintino Sella and designed by Raffaele Canevari, is the first major construction in Rome, the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. The historical-artistic itinerary includes: a Renaissance-style quadriportico; a historical library with volumes from the pre-unification states; the Sala Azzurra with its decorated coffered ceiling; the Sala del Parlamentino; the Sala Ciampi, formerly the Hall of the Majority, where the first Councils of Ministers were held; and the Sala dei Bronzi, with four sculptures by Giovan Battista Foggini. Also included in the visit are the Treasury Department Library, the multifunctional hub of the Department of General Accounting of the State with the Luca Pacioli Library and the Treasury Information Pool area.
American Academy in Rome
Via Angelo Masina, 5 Max 25 people per visit – Duration: 45 min Information in English available on request
The American Academy in Rome, founded in 1894, supports the work of innovative artists, writers, and scholars who live and work together within a dynamic international community. The main building, designed by McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1914, is the structural heart and soul of the Academy: inside are the living quarters, studios, a gallery for temporary exhibitions, administrative offices and a library with a first-rate research centre. The Academy offers a wide range of academic, artistic and cultural events each year, free of charge and open to the public.
Shape Hunt – Archaeological walk for children in Colle Oppio (in English)
Piazza Martin Lutero Max 25 people per visit – Duration: 90 min English tour
Walking through Colle Oppio Park, one of the most interesting green areas in our city, children will observe numerous archaeological remains, using an art map designed by ARTandSEEK as the basis of their project, divided into two phases: the first phase involves observing the archaeological remains and finding shapes to identify on the map; during the second phase, children will transform the map into an individual artistic creation. The workshop is conducted entirely in English with help for children who are learning the language. The educational method is based on open-ended questions and constant interaction of children with the group and the guide.
Chiostro di San Pietro in Vincoli. Faculty of Engineering
Via Eudossiana, 18 Max 25 people per visit – duration: 80 min Information in English available on request
The first school for the professional training of engineering was born in Rome thanks to Pope Pius VII (1817). In 1935 the school became the Faculty of Engineering, moving in 1873 to the premises of the convent of the Lateran Canons, annexed to the church of San Pietro in Vincoli. In 1918 Professor. Milani designs the complex we admire today according to the block typology with four internal courtyards. Noteworthy are the State Rooms, one of which is entirely frescoed, used for events and conferences, and the splendid Boaga Library, developed on two levels, which hosts thousands of students every day as well as a considerable number of specialist volumes.
Discover all the activities in program to celebrate Rome’s birthday
On Monday 21st April, Rome celebrates its 2779th birthday, known as Natale di Roma. This annual celebration commemorates the founding of Rome by Romulus in the year 753 BC. Parades, historical re-enactments, free museums, important inaugurations are all happening on the Natale di Roma. Discover the program of events.
Gruppo Storico Romano
The historical reenactment society known as the Gruppo Storico Romano will bring history to life through dramatic reenactments of battles, rituals, ceremonies, and even gladiatorial combat. From April 18 to 21, the group will animate the Circus Maximus and the main streets of Rome with historical reenactments and educational activities.
The programme includes the Gladiator Tournament, reenactments of rituals, battles, and scenes from everyday life in ancient Rome, educational activities for the general public, interactive camps open to visitors, conferences and talks with experts, as well as gladiatorial games tournaments involving schools from as many as 16 countries. The highlight will be the historical parade on April 19, when more than 2,000 reenactors in period costume will march through the streets of the city, offering Romans and visitors an immersive journey into the history of ancient Rome.
The programme also includes the Harpastum event, an international match taking place on Saturday, April 18 at 5 pm at Stadio Nando Martellini – Terme di Caracalla, where international teams will compete in a reenactment of ancient Roman football. A brand-new feature of this edition, and a first in the event’s history, will be a women’s Harpastum match.
For more information on the Natale di Roma head over to natalidiroma.it or check out their Facebook page.
The programme of celebrations
The 2779th Birthday of Rome is celebrated with a free programme spread across the historic centre, civic museums, and several neighbourhoods of the city. The heart of the celebrations is April 21, with concerts by the military bands in a number of central squares from 5.30 pm, including Piazza del Campidoglio, Trinità dei Monti, Piazza San Silvestro, Piazza Pia, Piazza di Pietra, Piazza di San Lorenzo in Lucina, and Piazza di Sant’Ignazio.
Also on April 21, in Piazza del Campidoglio, Palazzo Senatorio will exceptionally open its doors for free visits to the Aula Giulio Cesare, available in four afternoon time slots upon reservation.
The programme also includes guided tours and themed itineraries: on April 19 at the Museo di Casal de’ Pazzi with the presentation of a comic book on the area’s prehistoric past; on April 21, a street art itinerary in Quadraro, as well as visits to the Mercati di Traiano, Museo Pietro Canonica, Museo Barracco, Galleria d’Arte Moderna, and Museo di Roma in Trastevere; and finally, on April 22, a visit to Palazzo Braschi dedicated to everyday life in Rome between the 17th and 19th centuries.
On the occasion of the city’s birthday, the Musei in Comune of Rome Capital will be open during their regular hours, and it will be possible to visit the museum collections and current exhibitions free of charge, with a few exceptions.
Light, Sound, and History Converge to Reawaken Rome’s Ancient Past
The gallery lights dim. The soft hum of projectors fills the vaulted ceiling. Suddenly, beams of color sweep across ancient marble, bringing the bas-reliefs to life as the lights flicker and glow. For a brief moment, time seems suspended, modern Rome falls silent, and its ancient past, now brought to life for the modern age.
Experiencing Ancient Rome in meticulous detail is now possible. Beginning 27 March, the Ara Pacis Museum on the Lungotevere offers visitors the chance to see the city’s monuments as the Romans once did, radiant, vibrant, and alive with history.
L’Ara Si Rivela (The Ara Reveals Itself) is a multimedia project designed to bring the ancient world to life. Using cutting-edge projectors, dynamic lighting, and immersive soundscapes, the initiative transports visitors into the heart of one of Rome’s most celebrated monuments: the Ara Pacis.
Commissioned in 9 BC to celebrate the Pax Romana, it was intended to honour Augustus for his successes in conquering the North and his military stabilisation efforts. As Christianity became Rome’s focus, the monument’s significance faded, and its magnificence would soon be swallowed by the Earth’s soil. For centuries, she lay forgotten, until her rediscovery in the Renaissance offered an opportunity to reconnect with the artistry and grandeur of ancient Rome.
The multimedia narrative is rich with sweeping 4K laser projectors that illuminate the Pacis’ four facades, reviving the glory of Pax Romana. The western front tells of Romulus and Remus and of Aeneas’s sacrifice. The side processions depict high priests and imperial family members in bas-relief, while the eastern facade is debated to be either a showcase of Mother Earth (Tellus) or of Venus and the goddess Roma.
Since the monument’s original colors remain a mystery, historians have used laboratory analysis and collaborative research to hypothesize how it once appeared. Their findings inspired the projection series—designed to emulate the Ara Pacis’s original polychromy and reveal details lost to time.
Visitors follow designated paths, guided to each facade. Audio guides narrate the Ara Pacis’s story — its rise, fall, and renewal — through the voices of collectors, restorers, and archaeologists. As soft music swells and projections ripple across the marble, the altar’s history unfolds in light and shadow. Many pause in awe, immersed in a spectacle where history becomes tangible — revealing details hidden for centuries.
Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, notes that the “project enhances the city’s cultural heritage and strengthens the role of civic museums as places capable of bringing history closer to an ever-growing audience.”
L’Ara Si Rivela welcomes ticketed visitors every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8 to 11 pm, with times changing in the summer months. Tours, which are guided, can accompany 25 guests and will last a duration of 45 minutes.
This immersive experience invites guests to rediscover the Ara Pacis’s original beauty through modern technology, where splendor and innovation meet beneath the Roman sky.
Tickets can be pre-purchased online at www.arapacis.it or, if available, on-site at Tourist Infopoints, at all civic museum ticket offices, and at the bookshops/ticket offices of the Mausoleum of Augustus, Clivus Acilio, and Casina Vignola Boccapaduli.
A new spin-off edition featuring open studios, a citywide exhibition format, and performances in one of Rome’s most creative districts.
After the success of the last edition in the Historic Center, Romadiffusa is back with a new spin-off edition and heads to San Lorenzo, one of the Roman neighborhoods with the highest concentration of creative spaces. On March 21–22, 2026, for an entire weekend the district will turn into a roaming cultural festival of open studios, pop-up exhibitions, performances, workshops, tours, and meetups with artists, curators, and gallerists, bringing contemporary art into everyday and unexpected places.
At the core of the program is a network of over 50 artists’ studios, artist-run spaces, and galleries, with special openings and dedicated events. Fondazione Pastificio Cerere will host a weekend centered on its current exhibitions, with guided visits, activities for children, and performative moments. Neighborhood galleries will welcome the public with meetups and evening openings, from MATÈRIA to Monitor, Monti8, and Gilda Lavia, while experimental spaces like ORO Project and LEMBI expand the route with installation-based research and new crossovers.
Among the most interesting highlights, Numero Cromatico will open its studios with a special activation featuring lecture performances and a participatory project linked to the festival’s official merch. Contemporary art will step outside its usual venues and weave into the neighborhood’s fabric: works by artists such as Paolo W. Tamburella, Quayola, and Pietro Ruffo will appear in some of San Lorenzo’s iconic everyday spots, while a dispersed exhibition curated by Gianni Politi will bring emerging artists’ works into workshops, bars, bookshops, and historic local addresses.
Visitors can also join guided tours to rediscover San Lorenzo, from street art to contemporary architecture, alongside a program dedicated to independent publishing, photography, and artisan practices, with workshops and special openings. The edition is supported by Soho House Rome, and the full program will be announced in the coming weeks and published on romadiffusa.com.
Carnival is celebrated all around the world, but like “all roads,” it likely has roots in Rome. Now a Roman Catholic celebration, Carnival takes place in the days before Lent, the 40-day period in which Catholics abstain from a chosen vice (the word Carnevale comes from carnovale, which means “removal of meat”). However, Carnival probably started as the pagan Saturnalia festival of ancient Rome.
Origins of Roman Carnival
Saturnalia suspended work and business, temporarily “freed” slaves, and eased moral restrictions. Saturn was the Roman god of agriculture, and the festivities honoring him involved decorative masks, rituals and drunken parties.
The festival was adopted in the age of Catholicism with a few adaptations. As early as 1143 AD, the Pope held ceremonies in today’s Testaccio neighborhood of Rome. This included jousting, duels, and hunting. However, it wasn’t until Pope Paul II came to power and relocated his residence to Piazza Venezia that Carnevale truly took off. The Carnival festivities moved there with him, making Via Lata (now Via del Corso) a natural setting for the most anticipated events of the Carnival: the Inaugural Parade and the Race of the Barbary Horses.
Via del Corso: track of the Berber horse race
Via del Corso was the central racetrack of Carnival. The races started in Piazza del Popolo and stretched down Via del Corso, ending at Piazza Venezia. There were races for children, elderly people, donkeys and buffaloes. One pope, Alexander VI Borgia, even introduced a race of prostitutes in 1501. Of all the competitions, the Barbary horses created the most chaos. La Corsa dei Berberi, “The race of the Berbers,” focused on a specific breed, known as the Berber horse, or Barb horse, which was bred prolifically in ancient Rome for its strength, stamina and speed. Those qualities made the animals the ideal chariot horses for competitors in Circus Maximus. Their reputation carried on into the Roman Catholic Carnival.
Noble families contributed male Berber horses to participate in the race and braided colorful ribbons into their manes. Spectators gathered at Piazza del Popolo to watch the preparation of the horses and make wagers. Uninhibited by riders, the horses galloped about a mile, finishing in Piazza Venezia, where the owners of the winning horse were presented with a decorative saddle.
Modern celebrations of Carnival across Italy
The equine race was abolished in 1874 by King Vittorio Emanuele II after a lethal accident, and since then, Rome’s Carnival festivities have gone mostly dormant. The spirit of the carnival, however, has survived through special celebrations such as those organised by cultural associations like “Il Carnevale Romano Storico”. This association operates in the fields of cultural promotion and strives to preserve the tradition of the Roman Carnival.
The last celebration of Carnival organised by “Il Carnevale Romano Storico” was held before the pandemic, but the celebrations organized in the past have included theater performances, historical re-enactments, the famous equestrian parade, fireworks, street art performances, concerts, and masquerade balls.
Jean Louis Baptiste Thomas, La festa dei Moccoletti, 1817
The modern carnival has even included the famous Candles Feast or “Festa dei moccoletti”, a group game which used to conclude the Roman Catholic Carnival. The feast took place at sunset on the evening of Mardì Gras. Participants wore decorative masks and carried a lit candle or a lantern, trying to maintain their flame while simultaneously attempting to extinguish other participant’s lanterns. If your flame went out, you were forced to take off your mask.
Some Carnival celebrations have revived in the rest of Italy too. Since its reinstatement in 1979, Venice’s Carnival has brought revellers to canals for parades in which colorful floats dance on water and acrobats twirl and balance on tightropes. Decorative masks and costumes shroud the city in mystery. The regions of Piedmont and Sicily are also known for their celebrations, which include similar events involving shiny masks, and elaborate costumes.
Today in Rome, you might see some costumed and masked characters around Piazza Navona and Via del Corso, but the holiday is mostly celebrated by children in school. Shrove Tuesday, or Martedì Grasso, falls on February 17 this year, so look out for Carnival festivities leading up to that date. Try popular Carnival foods like castagnole, the famous sugar-coated fried dough balls, or snack on frappe, which are crunchy strips of fried dough dusted with powdered sugar.
Il Carnevale dei Burattini (puppet show) | 7–15 Feb 2026 At Teatro San Carlino in Villa Borghese, this is one of the most reliable family picks: a Carnival-themed puppet show paired with a festive atmosphere designed for kids (with specific weekend showtimes and special matinées).
Tiber Carnival (Carnevale Tiberino) | Sat 14 Feb 2026, from 10:00 A playful, sport-meets-Carnival event along the river, starting at Scalo de Pinedo (Flaminio area). Expect masks, activities on the river (including canoes and similar gear), plus a costumed walk along the banks that heads toward Castel Sant’Angelo.
Carnevale for kids at Casina di Raffaello | Tue 17 Feb 2026, from 10:00 Casina di Raffaello (Villa Borghese) hosts a Carnival day for kids on Tuesday, February 17, 10:00 am–7:00 pm, with creative workshops and story readings to spark imagination and transform into funny animals and fantastic creatures. Price: €8 per child, per workshop.
Carnival Skate at the Pincio (in costume) | Sun 15 Feb 2026, 14:00 The Pattinatori del Pincio invite everyone to roll in costume. Meeting point is 14:00 at Ponte del Pincio (Piazzale dei Martiri). Families usually keep to Villa Borghese paths, while more confident skaters head farther out into the city for a noisy, confetti-filled ride.
Marconi Carnival Parade (Sfilata di Carnevale a Marconi) | Sun 15 Feb 2026, from 14:30 A classic neighbourhood parade with a very local feel: meet at 14:30 at the Parrocchia Santi Aquila e Priscilla (Via Blaserna), depart at 14:45, and follow the route through the Marconi area toward Parco Tevere Marconi, with music, masks and plenty of colour.
La Tarantella del Carnevale | Sun 15 Feb 2026, 18:00 A big folk-energy celebration at Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone: traditional masks, dancers and live music culminating in the main concert at 18:00 in Sala Sinopoli. Many editions also include a pre-show masked parade in the outdoor spaces.
Carnevale A Mare | Fiumicino, Sun 8 Feb and Sun 15 Feb 2026 For an easy day trip: on 8 Feb, the programme includes a market (morning through late afternoon) and street entertainment. On 15 Feb, the big highlight is the grand parade along the waterfront area (Via Torre Clementina zone), with groups in costume and floats.
If you’re ready to have a good time, many clubs in Rome throw carnival parties and themed events. Don’t forget, you might need to wear a mask!
Step into 2026 with flair by attending a cultural event at one of the city’s museums, libraries, cinemas, music halls, and more.
The central theme of ROMA CAPODARTE 2026 will be the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Italian Constituent Assembly (1946–2026). Taking place on January 1, the initiative will once again enliven Rome with a city-wide cultural marathon featuring over 100 events, almost all free of charge, across every neighbourhood.
This fifth edition aims to honour the journey toward freedom that emerged from the resistance against Nazi-Fascism and laid the foundations for our democracy. To underline the value of this legacy, 10,000 copies of the Italian Constitution will be distributed free of charge throughout the day during events held across all 15 of the city’s districts (Municipi).
On January 1, the city hosts 100+ events across squares, museums, theatres and venues in every neighbourhood, with three main stages lighting up different areas of Rome.
Piazza Navona kicks off at 3:30pm with a comedy line-up (Beatrice Rigillo, Emanuela Cappello, Raffaello Corti “Faccestamagia”, and poet-performer Lorenzo Maragoni), then from 6–10pm becomes a tango ballroom for the New Year Milonga with tango icons Daiana Guspero and Miguel Ángel Zotto, followed by DJ Lavinia Livi.
Outside the centre, Rampa Prenestina (Municipio V) hosts a live concert-show from 6pm with Andrea Rivera, Margherita Vicario, Villa Ada Posse, StabLinda, and Baro (with vocalist Lyst), plus six art installations.
At Acilia Station (Municipio X), from 6pm there’s a K-POP show with dance and meet & greet, followed by hip hop/breakdance crews; from 8pm a rap-focused stage features Piotta, Nesli, Beba, and Jelecrois.
Live Music & Performances
On January 1, live events take over squares, museums and theatres across the city. In Via Margutta (3–6pm), an open-air concert alternates music with readings from the Italian Constitution. At the Capitoline Museums (6:30pm), actors Massimo Wertmüller and Anna Ferruzzo present a staged reading from Homer’s Iliad with live music, turning epic into a contemporary reflection on peace and the Constitution’s rejection of war.
At Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone (3–8pm), Il Primo Ballo is a city-wide dance “invasion” featuring tango, swing, balfolk, urban dance and standard ballroom across indoor and outdoor spaces, plus a workshop-performance on manipulative rhetoric (Come parla il perfetto dittatore, 5pm). Elsewhere, concerts and shows continue in multiple districts—from swing with Constitution-themed readings (Piazza Balsamo Crivelli) to community performances (Piazza Roberto Malatesta), a Constitution-focused show with the inclusive Blind Inclusive Orchestra (Teatro Tor Bella Monaca), and an intergenerational programme of music, theatre, readings and comedy at Pinispettinati (Municipio VII). The day also includes a theatre piece on Artemisia Gentileschi (Ex Fabbrica Campari) and a musical marathon at Ponte Milvio featuring readings on freedom of expression, art and culture.
Talks, Readings & Cultural Itineraries
At Palazzo Esposizioni (6pm), a reading-performance tells the story of Adele Bei, one of the “mothers” of the Constituent Assembly. In Piazza Cina (3:30–6pm), Constitution readings are paired with a talk by social educator Azzykky. Teatro del Lido (6pm) hosts Madri Costituenti, a reading and discussion inspired by Piero Calamandrei’s 1955 speech and the stories of the women of the Constituent Assembly.
In Largo Alessandrina Ravizza (3:30–7pm), artists and residents co-create three murals, each dedicated to a constitutional value, accompanied by live readings. Four themed cultural itineraries explore symbolic places in Rome linked to specific constitutional articles (including routes in Villa Borghese, Porta Maggiore, and San Lorenzo), plus visits to the Bunker at Villa Torlonia (3pm and 4pm).
Cinema & Screenings
In Trastevere, Spazio S.c.e.n.a. presents a New Year film programme with a tribute to Gian Maria Volontè (Il terrorista, 4pm) followed by Paola Cortellesi’s C’è ancora domani (6pm). At Casa del Cinema (Villa Borghese), two Vittorio De Sica classics screen: Sciuscià (11am) and Ladri di biciclette (8pm), alongside the documentary Figlio di Giano (5pm). Nuovo Cinema Aquila hosts an event focused on Article 1 (“Italy is a democratic Republic founded on work”), with discussion and selected documentary excerpts, plus a screening touching on globalisation.
Activities for Children & Families
At La Pelanda (Mattatoio) from 3pm to 7pm, La Repubblica del gioco offers cooperative games, collective building activities, circus practices and performances inspired by constitutional principles such as community, participation and freedom. Palazzo Esposizioni hosts a kids’ art workshop (Dritti ai Diritti, 4:30–6pm) focused on imagining new rights and creating posters. In Municipio V, Teatro Biblioteca Quarticciolo runs a creative writing lab (4pm) linked to Article 21 (freedom of expression).
Several public libraries also join with themed readings and displays tied to key constitutional articles (work, peace, freedom of thought, culture/environment, equality).
Theatre, Music, Cinema & Encounters
The day opens with the traditional concert by Rome’s Local Police Band in Piazza di Spagna (12pm). The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma proposes La prima Opera buona dell’anno (from 3:45pm), with music, talks and guests, plus a photo exhibition in the foyer. Palazzo Esposizioni hosts a special literature–cinema–memory route that ends with a film screening, while Casa del Jazz features a live concert (6pm).
Across the city, additional concerts and events take place in museums and cultural venues, Ara Pacis, Capitoline Museums, Palazzo Braschi, Centrale Montemartini and Villa Torlonia, alongside talks, DJ sets, electronic music takeovers, theatre performances and monologues.
Many civic museums and the temporary exhibitions they host are free to visit throughout the day, along with major venues such as Palazzo Esposizioni, the Mattatoio and MACRO. A few flagship exhibitions are available with reduced admission, and some experiences require advance online booking (including Circo Maximo Experience, Villa Torlonia’s Bunker visits and Planetarium shows).
Several archaeological areas are also open, while curator-led visits and guided tours by the Sovrintendenza Capitolina offer deeper insights into exhibitions and collections, including special walkthroughs at the Capitoline Museums, Ara Pacis, GAM and Palazzo Braschi.
All information is available at www.culture.roma.it/romacapodarte, 060608 (daily from 9am to 7pm) or on social profiles #romacapodarte2026
Robert Wilson’s immersive tribute to Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondanini and Arvo Pärt
MAXXI is presenting Mother, Robert Wilson’s final artistic project, an experience that sits somewhere between visual installation, performance, and concert. This is not a conventional exhibition: it’s built to be lived in real time, inviting visitors to slow down, sit in silence, and let light and sound do the storytelling.
At its core is Michelangelo’s unfinished Pietà Rondanini, shown here through the historic Gariboldi plaster cast, framed by Wilson’s signature language of darkness, precision lighting, and measured transitions. The soundtrack is Arvo Pärt’s Stabat Mater, whose sacred minimalism deepens the emotional atmosphere and turns the encounter into something almost meditative.
Staged in Gallery 5, the installation transforms the space by fully darkening it and abstractly reconstructing the “Spanish Hospital” room at Milan’s Castello Sforzesco (where the work was originally conceived). After the main light-and-music sequence, the lighting shifts, allowing time to look at the sculpture more directly; visitors can also view Wilson’s original drawings connected to the project’s development.
The event runs from 12 December 2025 to 18 January 2026, with timed entry slots between 11:30am and 5:30pm (limited capacity). Tickets cost €5; if you’d like to include museum admission, a combined ticket is available for €17.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Rome with Rome New Year’s Eve fireworks, parties, and more that carry on into 2026 New Year’s Day.
Planning to spend New Year in Rome? It’s always a bit difficult to decide what to do on New Year’s Eve in Rome. Whether you prefer to ring in the New Year in a crowded club, in one of the major piazzas in Rome, or at home with a glass of champagne and some friends, we have many suggestions to make your New Year’s in Rome unforgettable. Discover the Best New Year’s Eve Events in Rome.
Check out the best venues for New Year’s Eve in Rome
Les Etoiles Restaurant and Roof Garden
Les Etoiles Restaurant | Via Giovanni Vitelleschi, 34 (Prati)
GALA DINNER MENUAT LES ETOILES RESTAURANT (with live music)
€490 (wines excluded)
DINNER MENU
Sicilian Scampi and pink grapefruit shot Roasted Scallop with champagne and caviar Lobster Medallion, fennel sablé and yuzu mayo Cappellaccio with Red Mazara Prawns and buffalo stracciatella John Dory Fillet with beurre blanc, Madagascar pepper and potato millefeuille Golden Pearl with smoked whisky and caramel Meringue Cake with chocolate cream, date and tonka bean Traditional Cotechino sausage and Castelluccio lentils
MENU LIGHT DINNERAT SALA MICHELANGELO / TERRAZZABEL RESPIRO (with dj-set)
€270 (wines excluded)
DINNER MENU
Savory Mini-Maritozzo with lobster, green apple with wasabi and caviar Soy-marinated Tuna Tataki, leek fondant, ginger gel and yuzu air Dumpling with turbot mousse in clam sauce and grey mullet bottarga Monkfish “all’acqua pazza” Meringue Cake with white chocolate cream, date and tonka bean
Welcome oyster with green apple and chives Raw scallops, pea gazpacho, tomato gel Lobster risotto with fennel cream and Lapsang tea Paccheri in a fish soup with mixed cherry tomatoes Meagre fillet with crispy vegetables, hollandaise sauce and sautéed Roman artichoke wedges Hazelnut and passion fruit cream with cardamom crumble Wine selection curated by the sommelier
Chorus Café | Via della Conciliazione, 4 (Vatican)
Prezzo: €245 (wines included)
DINNER MENU
Amuse-bouche Shellfish, bread and tomato
Starters Capon with bitter herb salad, salted zabaglione, sour cherries and fish roe
First Course Violina pumpkin soup, glazed scallop, dried porcini and rosemary
Pasta Course Langoustine ravioli, oyster butter and Mangalica pork coppa
Main Course Veal tournedos, Périgourdine sauce, fine black truffle and seasonal vegetables
Dessert Dark chocolate “Tenerina”, contrasted with raspberry gelée
Choux pastries filled with chantilly and Port zabaglione, citrus caramel
After Midnight Onano lentils
Wines: Cremant de Loire Brut 2021 – Château des Cossé, Chablis Vieilles Vignes 2023 – Domaine de La Motte, Cheverny Rouge “La Moniale” 2024 – Domaine Le Portail
Il Marchese | Via di Ripetta, 162 (centro storico)
Price: €180-300
Grand Dinner + Midnight toast (20:30-00:30) €180 Grand Dinner + Midnight toast + after dinner table reserved with 1 bottle of Champagne every 4 people (8.30 pm-3am) €250 After dinner reserved table + Champagne max 5 people (00:30-3:00) €300 After dinner entrance with 2 drinks €60
FOR INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS EMAIL: info@anavaroma.it
NEW YEAR DINNER & PARTY at Alcazar Live
Alcazar Live | Via Cardinale Merry Del Val , 14 (Trastevere)
from 8pm €120 (party included) with open wine to accompany your dinner + table reserved all night long €87 (party included) with open wine to accompany your dinner + table reserved until 11pm €45 access to the party from 11.30pm
VINYL BAR – DINNER – DJ SET
DINNER MENU
Welcome glass of Prosecco Spinach flan with burrata and Cantabrian anchovies Risotto with raw and cooked prawns and pistachios Pumpkin and amaretto raviolo on lemon-sage butter sauce Cod fillet on a bed of chickpeas Cotechino sausage with lentils Chocolate bûche
Elio & Lobby at The Hoxton Hotel | Largo Benedetto Marcello, 220 (Parioli)
DINNER + PARTY – Price: €160 (beverage excluded)
A 5-course NYE set menu, paired with 2 Pommery Champagne toasts, soundtracked by a live performance from Crés — smooth, soulful, and perfectly timed. > Dinner guests flow straight into the Lobby Party.
LOBBY PARTY – Price: €65 (2 drinks included)
The Lobby comes alive with SUPERNOVA and RIVERSIDE, joined by Vertigine’s resident dj Areld, delivering a late-night set designed to lift the room and carry us into the new year.
Uma Restaurant | Via Girolamo Benzoni, 23 (Garbatella)
Price: €150 (beverage excluded)
MENU
Liquid salad Eggs Potato and truffle Beef Cuttlefish Scorpionfish raviolo Quail Honey Dairy dessert Lentils and cotechino sausage
FOR INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS WHATSAPP / TEXT +393343855945
NYE Dinner at Nuan Restaurant
Nuan Restaurant | Via Siria, 3 (Appio Latino)
Price: €100 (beverages excluded)
MENU
Crudo (mixed local raw fish and shellfish) Fritto (mixed fried fish and garden vegetables) Arrosto (prime fillet of the catch of the day with jus) First course (soup) Dessert (our own take on panettone)
FOR INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS WHATSAPP / TEXT +39.0669401880
Mirabelle Restaurant at Hotel Splendide Royal
Mirabelle Restaurant | Via di Porta Pinciana, 14 (Veneto)
For some years now, New Year’s Evein piazza has become fashionable in most Italian and European cities. In the most beautiful squares, on the longest night of the year, streams of people gather to celebrate together while listening and moving to live music concerts and other performances. Rome is no exception, and this year’s event promises to be a mega concert starting at 9pm, followed by a DJ set by the local radio station Dimensione Suono Roma. The event will take place at Circo Massimo and is completely free of charge. Initially, the lineup included Alessandra Amoroso, Fabri Fibra e Tananai.
Fireworks
Where to see fireworks in Rome on New Year’s Eve
The best spots in Rome where to enjoy New Year’s Eve fireworks displays are many. Starting from the magnificent Colosseum, an already suggestive and exciting scenario, to Castel Sant Angelo, where light plays with water from the river, to Piazza del Popolo, after a nice walk in the centre, or the Pincio terrace just above. Among the squares, another wonderful option is Piazza Navona, but for a slightly more global view, one of the city’s heights, such as the Gianicolo hill, the Zodiac at Monte Mario or the Giardino degli Aranci, is better. Whichever spot you choose, don’t miss Rome at its best!
Shows at Theatre/Music Hall on New Year’s Eve in Rome
The Nutcracker
Teatro dell’Opera | Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 1 (Esquilino)
La creazione di reti virtuose tra istituzioni, istituti scolastici e associazioni del territorio come strumento principe per sensibilizzare i più giovani sui temi della tutela ambientale, con un’attenzione particolare al fenomeno del ‘fast-fashion‘ di cui ormai si ha piena consapevolezza. L’efficacia di un approccio basato su progetti concreti per mostrare ai ragazzi l’importanza dei piccoli gesti quotidiani per contribuire alla tutela del pianeta, come ad esempio riciclare o rivendere gli indumenti che non si usano più ed evitare di acquistare capi di abbigliamento confezionati con materiali di bassa qualità. Il ruolo chiave della scuola come luogo privilegiato per rendere gli studenti protagonisti della transizione ecologica.
Focus sostenibilità ambientale
Questi alcuni dei temi emersi nel corso della prima giornata della Fiera di Educazione alla Sostenibilità Ambientale 2025, in programma da martedì 28 fino al 30 ottobre a Palazzo Lombardia. L’iniziativa – promossa da Regione e Fondazione Lombardia per l’Ambiente, in collaborazione con ARPA Lombardia – ha l’obiettivo di promuovere tra gli studenti, attraverso un ricco e variegato programma di appuntamenti, l’importanza di contrastare il cambiamento climatico.
“Il cambiamento culturale verso la sostenibilità – ha sottolineato l’assessore Maione – si realizza coinvolgendo pienamente docenti, studenti e genitori, generando nuove energie, creatività e un autentico interesse alla partecipazione. Riconosciamo nell’educazione lo strumento imprescindibile per affrontare le criticità ambientali e intendiamo sostenere e incentivare proposte di qualità per l’educazione ambientale e alla sostenibilità sul territorio. Inserire l’educazione ambientale come priorità strategica è essenziale per riconoscere che il cambiamento richiede innanzitutto una trasformazione culturale”.
Sull’importanza del dialogo e del confronto come strumenti per diffondere in modo efficace i principi della sostenibilità si è soffermato invece Clerici. “La Fiera di Educazione alla Sostenibilità Ambientale – ha detto – rappresenta un momento fondamentale di incontro e di condivisione, in cui la conoscenza scientifica si intreccia con l’esperienza educativa e la partecipazione attiva dei cittadini, in particolare dei più giovani, e degli enti del settore”.
Gli appuntamenti della Fiera
Tanti gli appuntamenti organizzati nell’ambito della Fiera, convegni e laboratori pratici che hanno declinato a 360 gradi il tema della tutela ambientale. Il binomio moda-sostenibilità è stato in particolare il focus del convegno inaugurale di martedì 28 ottobre, a cui ha partecipato anche Marina Spadafora, stilista, imprenditrice e coordinatrice italiana di ‘Fashion Revolution’, il movimento globale che si batte per rendere l’industria della moda più etica e sostenibile. “È fondamentale – ha evidenziato Spadafora – sensibilizzare i giovani con sui temi della moda green, promuovendo scelte d’acquisto più consapevoli. C’è un modo di fare shopping alternativo che va al di là del fast fashion e che permette ai ragazzi di diventare cittadini responsabili”.
Tra le attività a cui hanno partecipato gli studenti anche il monologo ‘Giralamoda’, realizzato da Davide del Grosso, membro dell’associazione no-profit Trama Plaza, organizzazione che promuove la moda e il design sostenibile attraverso l’arte, l’educazione e l’informazione. I ragazzi hanno potuto assistere a una performance multidisciplinare dedicata ai meccanismi che stanno dietro l’industria della moda.
Due mostre fotografiche
Durante i tre giorni della Fiera i ragazzi possono inoltre visitare due mostre fotografiche: la ‘Terra Glacialis – I ghiacciai della Lombardia: un patrimonio minacciato dalla crisi climatica’, realizzata dal Servizio Glaciologico Lombardo ODV in collaborazione con la Federazione Speleologica Lombarda, e ‘I migliori scatti di MiaFotoBio. La biodiversità attraverso l’obiettivo delle scuole superiori lombarde’, curata da Fondazione Lombardia per l’Ambiente ed Edinat – La Rivista della Natura.
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