Rome’s biggest event celebrating and protecting the Tiber returns from 2 to 11 October
The eighth edition of Tevere Day, Rome’s leading event dedicated to reviving and protecting the Tiber, runs from 2 to 11 October 2026. For ten days the river takes centre stage with over 130 events along more than 80 kilometres of its course, from Nazzano and Farfa down to Ostia and Fiumicino, spanning sport, the environment, culture, archaeology, boating, performances and community initiatives. Behind them is a network of over 200 associations, organisations, sports federations and companies.
The biggest new addition this year is the Giornata del Tevere, a day dedicated to the river that the Tevere Day Association hopes will become a fixed date in the city calendar on the second Saturday of October. The first one takes place on Saturday 10 October: from 11am to 1pm, thousands of flowers will be handed out on six pedestrian bridges (Ponte Milvio, Ponte della Musica, Ponte Sant’Angelo, Ponte Sisto, Ponte Fabricio and Ponte della Scienza) to be cast into the current as a collective tribute to the river. The opening ceremony is at 12.30pm on Ponte Milvio, while Ponte della Musica hosts Le 7 Arti, a performance by artist Francesca Chialà.
Also making its debut is Parchi di Sport, Urban Games: from 2 to 4 October, between Ponte Milvio and the Foro Italico, the new riverside parks will host demonstrations and open sessions of takeball, fencing, darts and footvolley, along with activities for families and older people. It runs from 11am to 5pm on 2 October, then from 10am to 5pm on 3 and 4 October.
Events not to miss
Vogalonga Tiberina, 10 October at 10am. The historic regatta sets off from the new Parco Fluviale Tiberis at Ponte Marconi and finishes at the Idroscalo di Ostia, with around 100 boats including canoes, rowing boats, dragon boats and kayaks. This year’s patron is two-time Olympic sailing champion Caterina Banti. The Roma-Ostia bike ride, organised with Sentiero Pasolini, leaves at the same time. Information and registration at vogalongatiberina.it.
Teverevivo, 2 to 11 October. Marevivo’s Floating Hub at Scalo de Pinedo becomes Tevere Day’s environmental village, with talks on art, science and conservation, the RiscARTI festival, the March for the Sea, guided tours and a science space run by ISPRA, Italy’s environmental research institute, dedicated to the river’s ecosystem.
Parliamo di Tevere, 5 to 11 October. Around 30 talks in bookshops, libraries and museums. The series opens on 5 October at 6pm at Temple University, Via di San Sebastianello 3, and closes on Sunday 11 October, from 3pm to 5pm, in Piazza San Bartolomeo all’Isola on Tiber Island, with a public conversation hosted by journalist Giuseppe Di Piazza.
The “Noi Siamo Tevere” campaign
In 2026 “Noi Siamo Tevere” (“We Are the Tiber”) continues. Promoted by the Tevere Day Association, the campaign involves volunteers, associations and neighbourhoods in caring for the river all year round. This year several companies have also joined, taking part directly in hands-on initiatives.
The message remains the same: looking after the Tiber is everyone’s responsibility, all the more so now that its central stretch is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A river that brings people together
Created to give the Tiber back a central role in city life, Tevere Day has grown over the years into a genuine grassroots movement. Working with sports federations, associations, institutions and local groups, it has helped restore numerous green spaces along the river and give them back to the public, who now use them again.
This eighth edition continues along the same path, bringing together associations, schools, neighbourhood committees, sports clubs, artists and residents to make the Tiber ever more accessible and lived-in, and recognised as a public space, a place for culture and a driver of urban regeneration.
Three days of events in the Monti neighborhood to relive the charm of the roman “Ottobrate”
Ottobrata Monticiana returns to enliven Rione Monti, Rome’s first and oldest district. From October 9th to 11th, 2026, enjoy three days of initiatives: wellness and sports activities, exhibitions, shows, and concerts that revive the cheerful, carefree spirit of Romans who once celebrated the famous Ottobrate Romane. These were traditional Sunday trips outside the city that took place in the month of October, coinciding with the beautiful sunny days and the grape harvest.
The Ottobrata Monticiana retraces these memories, encapsulating them within the Monti District. This initiative was born after AS Roma’s 1983 Scudetto victory, thanks to the efforts of Prof. Adolfo Cecilia, the founder of the Associazione culturale ricreativa e sportiva Rione Monti, whichaimed at preserving and passing on the traditions and identity of Monti. The goal was to bring together Monticians who had moved to other neighborhoods over the years or were about to do so.
Since that first edition, the Ottobrata Monticiana has become a tradition and a regular event for both old and new Monticians, as well as for tourists and visitors who come to experience the neighborhood’s genuine and authentic atmosphere.
The three-day programme, running from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October, is packed. The 2026 edition brings the district to life starting from the main stage in Piazza Madonna dei Monti, alongside the events on the Scalinata degli Ibernesi and the moonlight concerts in Largo Visconti Venosta, with many more initiatives spread across the whole district. Beyond concerts and performances, there are exhibitions and roving events, plus workshops open to all ages.
Friday 9 October
Piazza Madonna dei Monti
16:30–17:00 — Carabinieri Band
17:30–18:00 — Address by the Municipio administration
18:00–18:30 — Awards for the district’s historic businesses (presented by Councillor Cristina Michitelli)
18:30–19:30 — Francesca Bessi, “Tutte le notti in sogno”, Roman songs (accompanied by Corrado Amici)
20:30–21:30 — Stefy Camboni (piano and vocals) and Massimo Mattia
22:00–22:30 — Ottobrata Monticiana lottery draw
22:30–23:30 — Massimo Mattia & Greta Mattia
Scalinata degli Ibernesi
20:00–21:30 — Monti canta Napoli, with Romolo Bianco (vocals and guitar)
Largo Visconti Venosta
20:00–22:00 — Canzoni in prestito, Mirai band & Aula 7
Over the three days the district will also come alive with roving performances (Rugantino & Rosetta, the Lodi Circus, and the Società di Danza in period costume), widespread exhibitions, guided tours, and workshops for all ages.
One of the highlights of 2026 is City Adventure, which turns Rione Monti into a large open-air urban game across all three days of the festival. You download the app (iOS and Android), follow a route through the alleys and squares, and play by the “play, shoot, discover, win” formula: historical riddles to solve, questions to answer and hidden details to photograph, with a final leaderboard and prizes up for grabs. There is no set start time: you begin whenever you like, on your own or as a team. All the info and rules are at cityadventure.it.
Here is a day-by-day rundown of the exhibitions, cultural initiatives and roving events of Ottobrata Monticiana 2026.
Exhibitions (all three days)
Giuseppe di Legge, “I Luoghi dell’Uomo” and Federico Ruxo, “L’Immaginario Marino” – Bar La Licata, Via dei Serpenti 165 – 9, 10 and 11 October, 07:45–21:30
Micro Art Shop – Via Tor de’ Conti 21 – the “Just One Day” flash-exhibition format with a rotating line-up of illustrators, plus the SLURP graphic project on show at Bar La Licata – 11:00–19:30
“Stagioni d’Oriente” by Francesca Maffucci – Galleria Moca, Via degli Zingari 1 – Friday 10:00–13:30 and 15:00–18:30, Saturday and Sunday 15:00–18:30
Mostra delle Macchine parlanti e degli Organetti, by Mario Valentini – Via dei Serpenti 35, c/o FITEL – Friday 16:00–20:00, Saturday 10:00–13:00 and 18:00–22:00
Yarn Bombing, textile art installation (AssemblAbili GlobAli OdV) – Cavour metro exit, Piazza della Suburra – installation on view across the three days, with an open workshop 10:30–12:30
Roving events (all three days)
Rugantino & Rosetta – roving, starting from Via del Pozzuolo – 18:00–20:00
Lodi Circus, a circus show with stilt-walkers, acrobats and jugglers – roving – Friday and Saturday, 20:00–22:00
La Tavolata Monticiana – Via del Grifone – 17:00–20:00 – three open discussions with experts and institutions: Friday Environment and quality of life, Saturday Maintenance, upkeep and safety, Sunday Over-tourism and its impact on the district
Friday 9 October
Convento di San Bonaventura (14:30–15:30) – free guided visit, booking required, limited places
Gran Ballo dell’Ottocento (20:00–21:30) – a roving period-costume performance by the Società di Danza Circolo Nomentano, starting from Largo Corrado Ricci
Agriculturando – extra-virgin olive oil and Rome’s farming past (from 19:00) – Via della Madonna dei Monti 86 – a talk with an Oculus virtual-reality experience, 45-minute slots, max 15 people, booking required
Saturday 10 October
Istituto Centrale di Patologia degli Archivi e del Libro (11:30–12:30 and 14:30–15:30) – guided visit, max 25 people, booking required
Mathias Menanteau’s violin-making workshop (12:00–13:00 and 16:30–17:30) – visit, max 15 people, booking required
Convento di San Bonaventura (14:30–15:30) – free guided visit, booking required
All’ombra delle Torri (16:30) – roving guided tour with Dr Alessandra Rossi, meeting point in Piazza del Grillo
Rione writers in the bookshop (17:00–18:00) – Libreria 220, Via Panisperna 220
Schola Cantorum di Roma, sacred music (18:30–20:00) – Santa Maria ai Monti parish church
Marco Agamennone on the Capofarfa farm (19:00–20:00) – Via Madonna dei Monti 86
Sunday 11 October
Fitness & More with Rome by Run and WIP Fitness (from 09:00) – Piazza Madonna dei Monti and Largo Gaetana Agnesi – a running tour of about 7 km at 9:00, HYROX functional training for adults at 10:00 and 11:00, WIP Kids (ages 8–16) at 12:00 – free, limited places
Games for children (11:00–13:00) – Via Baccina at the corner of Via del Grifone – free ice cream from Il Gelatone for the children taking part
Gli uomini illustri di Monti (11:00) – roving guided tour with Dr Alessandra Rossi, meeting point in Piazza Madonna dei Monti
Il cinema a Monti (16:00) – roving guided tour with Dr Alessandra Rossi, meeting point in Piazza Madonna dei Monti
Workshops
Hands-on, informative sessions blending tradition, craft and creativity, open to the public and in many cases by booking.
Mani che creano – LabCreativo (Arte e Moda in Corso, FITEL) – Via dei Serpenti 35 – free workshops in crochet and amigurumi, sewing and dressmaking, watercolour and creative arts, with demonstrations of embroidery and tatting. Saturday: crochet 15:00–16:30 (max 20) and watercolour 16:30–18:30 (max 15). Info: 388 1626760
Lost-wax craftwork and life drawing – Sottobosco, Via Baccina 40 – Friday and Saturday, 10:30–23:00
Candle Store, workshop with Koche Dama – Via dei Serpenti 127 – Friday and Saturday, 17:00–18:30 – max 4 people, by booking
Gold leaf on fabric + demonstration – Via degli Zingari 37 – Saturday, 11:00–13:00
Build your own themed book, workshop for children (ages 4–8) – Libreria 220, Via Panisperna 220 – Saturday, 15:00–21:30
Yarn Bombing, textile art workshop – Cavour metro exit, Piazza della Suburra – across the three days, 10:30–12:30 – open to all, learn to make woollen flowers with the volunteers
Agriculturando, extra-virgin olive oil between health and history – Via della Madonna dei Monti 86 – across the three days from 19:00, 45-minute slots, max 15 people, booking required, with an Oculus virtual-reality experience on the world of the olive tree
Over 200 free piano concerts across Rome on 3 and 4 October
For the first time, Rome is hosting Piano City. On 3 and 4 October, more than 100 pianos will be placed around the city for over 200 free concerts, performed by more than 130 artists, from established names to young Conservatory graduates. The line-up includes Nik Bärtsch, Rita Marcotulli, Leonora Armellini, Cesare Picco, Ramon Valle, Giovanni Guidi, Anna Gourari, Andrea Morricone, Gilda Buttà, Dénes Várjon, Dominik Wania and Andrea Lucchesini.
Concerts will take place in over 90 venues: monumental squares and concert halls, parks and museums, pubs and private homes, bridges and boats on the Tiber, metro stations and shopping centres, from the historic centre to the outer suburbs. The music ranges from classical and jazz to pop, rock, folk and electronic.
4pm, Spanish Steps: Seville-born pianist Laura de los Ángeles plays flamenco from the top of the steps.
5.30pm, Parco Tor Tre Teste: Angelo Pelini of Têtes de Bois performs the songs of Claudio Baglioni.
6.30pm, Ostia pier: Francesco D’Errico plays Antônio Carlos Jobim by the sea.
7pm, Palazzo Poli (Trevi Fountain): an evening of water-inspired music in the Sala Dante.
7.30pm, Teatro Palladium: Rita Marcotulli in concert.
10pm, Pantheon: Cesare Picco gives the world premiere of music from his new EP Edge, out on Decca Records at the end of October.
Sunday 4 October
6.45am, Pincio: a sunrise concert with Gilda Buttà, Ennio Morricone’s long-time pianist, playing the Maestro’s music.
10.30am to 8.30pm, Piazza di Pietra: a Chopin marathon in the Temple of Hadrian, from preludes in the morning to nocturnes at night.
12pm, MAXXI: Andrea Riccio performs Philip Glass’s études alongside original video works by Shirin Neshat and others.
From 3.30pm, Metro A: two travelling concerts on board a train between Anagnina and Battistini.
4pm to 8pm, Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere: an afternoon of Battiato, Glass, Debussy and Sakamoto, closing with Alessandro Martire.
6.30pm, Giardino degli Aranci: Jacopo Petrucci plays Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition on the Aventine.
6.30pm, Casa Sordi: Andrea Morricone and Cecilia Grillo play Ennio Morricone in Alberto Sordi’s former villa.
Grand finale, 9pm, Piazza del Campidoglio: Leonora Armellini, Gilda Buttà and Rita Marcotulli share the stage, followed by Pianobici, a convoy of bikes fitted with speakers carrying music into the suburbs through the night.
Concerts at home
Anyone with a piano can host a house concert for friends and neighbours, with the pianist provided by Piano City. A few are open to the public on booking, including Salotto Papale (Andrea Riccio, 4 October at 6pm) and Marco Arcieri’s villa (4 October from 5pm). To book, email [email].
Beyond the concert hall
Piano City also reaches places closed to the public: young pianists from Piano City Kids will play for patients at Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Marco Arcieri will perform Chopin for guests of the Caritas hostel at Termini, and there are concerts at a seniors’ centre in Ostiense. Luiss University hosts readings and talks, including a Scarlatti reading-concert with writer Alberto Riva and Leonora Armellini (4 October, 4pm).
Practical info
All concerts are free. Some venues require booking. Full programme on pianocityroma.it.
Looking for a moody, cool jazz bar hidden in a fashionable part of town with cocktails, great live music and a good aperitivo?
Charity Cafe, with its fully-stocked bar specializing in whiskey, rum and killer shaken concoctions, is the jazz & blues aficionado’s dream. It’s gritty New York and Roman elegance fused with music nights ranging from Chicago blues to Harlem jazz standards. Situated on Monti’s iconic Via Panisperna, this small big locale offers live music from Tuesday to Sunday.
The musical scene is the following: 60s and 70sClassic Rock, Soul and Folk every Tuesday with Andy’s Corner; Blues Jam & Friends on Wednesday; Jam Session Jazz on Thursday; Jazz Night on Friday, and a groovy Blues Night on Saturday, all from 10 pm. On Sunday there’s an Early Concerto: live music from 7 pm to 9.30 pm.
The concerts take place in two sets, and given that there are not many indoor seats available, the Charity Cafe has introduced an ‘American’ style system, meaning that each set will be tied to obligatory consumption of €10. You wish to dine at the Cafe, and enjoy a lovely meal alongside the music? You’re more than welcome to!
Over 70 Masterpieces Bring Colour, Geometry and Sound to Life at Kandinsky’s Exhibition at Palazzo Bonaparte
From September 15, 2026 to February 14, 2027, Rome’s Palazzo Bonaparte hosts one of the year’s most significant cultural exhibitions dedicated to Vassily Kandinsky, the father of abstract art. Produced and organized by Arthemisia in collaboration with Paris’s Centre Pompidou and curated by Angela Lampe, the exhibition brings over 70 iconic works to Rome for his first major retrospective in the city in over 25 years. With the Centre Pompidou preparing for a temporary closure for restoration, Rome offers visitors a rare chance to view masterpieces that rarely leave Paris.
Divided into five sections across two floors, the exhibition traces Kandinsky’s complete human and artistic transformation through different political climates, theoretical breakthroughs, and personal relationships.
The first section covers his formative years from 1866 to 1907. Born in Moscow, Kandinsky was not originally on a path toward art. He pursued a career in law and political economics at the University of Moscow before making the radical decision at age 30 to abandon academia and move to Munich to study painting.
This section reveals how two decisive experiences were the reason for this shift: seeing Claude Monet’s Haystacks, where he realized colors could evoke emotion without representing tangible objects, and hearing Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin at the Bolshoi Theatre, suggested that painting could function like music. On display here are early paintings like Old Town II (1902) and Schwabing, Winter Sun (1901), alongside folklore-inspired pieces such as Song (Song of the Volga) (1906), which blends Slavic costumes and viking ships against an Ottoman-esque backdrop.
The next section explores his breakthrough period in Murnau and the founding of Der Blaue Reiter. Settling in the Bavarian Alps, Kandinsky’s natural style turned into broad brushstrokes and vibrant hues of color. A major highlight of this section – and one of the exhibition’s most significant achievements – is a dedicated focus on Gabriele Münter. Long overshadowed in art history as simply Kandinsky’s partner, Münter is presented here as an extraordinary, independent artist of German Expressionism. Exhibited in Italy for the first time, her work reveals a voice defined by simple forms, bold black outlines, and saturated colors because Münter painted what she felt, not what she saw.
The exhibition showcases their joint travel sketchbooks from Holland, Tunisia, and Rapallo, where both artists observed scenes side-by-side yet developed very different visual styles. A standout piece by Münter on display is Dragon Fight (1913), adapted from a small Russian folk sculpture kept in the Munich apartment she shared with Kandinsky. Through intense colors and heavy contours, Münter transformed the scene into a powerful symbol for the struggles faced by avant-garde artists. The section also details her legacy during the Nazi regime, when she secretly hid many Der Blaue Reiter masterpieces from being destroyed. Beside her works, visitors experience Kandinsky’s dialogue with composer Arnold Schönberg, illustrating how musical dissonance inspired his early abstract masterpieces like The Black Arch (1912) and Picture with a Red Spot (1914).
Continuing on, the third section documents his return to Revolutionary Russia. Forced to flee Germany at the outbreak of World War I, his paintings were strictly limited to abstract graphic prints in 1915. Following his marriage to Nina Andreievskaia in 1917, he briefly returned to figurative work as seen in Nina and Tatiana on the Veranda (1917). Exposure to Suprematist and Constructivist artists pushed his art toward geometric styles and primary palettes, with In Grey (1919) as a prime example.
Concluding the first floor, the exhibition transitions into his years teaching at the Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau (1922–1933). As the director of the mural painting workshop, Kandinsky embraced what he termed his “cold phase”. Hanging near the end of the first floor is the centerpiece of this era, Yellow-Red-Blue (1925), a composition in which shapes and primary colors are arranged according to an almost musical logic.
Moving up to the second floor, visitors are able to explore the interactive stations and his late years in exile. The floor begins with an interactive wall dedicated to Bauhaus theory, where visitors can physically arrange primary-colored blocks (yellow, red, blue) into geometric shapes (triangle, square, circle) based on their personal perception. Just next to this wall is a listening display featuring a selection of the 95 preserved gramophone records from Vassily and Nina’s personal collection. Putting on the provided headphones lets visitors sample the couple’s musical taste, spanning Russian folk songs, Bach, Handel, Stravinsky, and 1920s foxtrots.
The final section covers his exile in Paris following the closure of the Bauhaus under Nazi pressure. Living in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Kandinsky’s style shifted from rigid geometry to biomorphic forms inspired by the microscopic world, showcased in late paintings like Composition IX (1936) and Sky Blue (1940). Near the end of the second-floor gallery is a floor-to-ceiling mirrored room projecting geometric shapes, lines, and colors that allow guests to step directly inside a living Kandinsky composition. The exhibition concludes as the path guides you into a gift shop filled with art prints, mini-books, candles, and souvenirs before leading back down to the first floor.
Plan to spend roughly 60 to 90 minutes exploring the galleries, audio stations, and interactive sections. Running through February 14, 2027, this immersive experience is a must-see on Rome’s cultural calendar.
The OperAffinity Festival returns to Todi from 14 to 26 September 2026 for its most international edition yet, bringing together a world-class faculty, new international partnerships, and artists from Italy, Europe, the US, Africa and Australia.
After two editions of rapid growth, the festival is back in the historic hilltop town of Todi, now with a firm place on the international cultural calendar. This year’s programme is its most expansive so far: an international artistic residency built around opera and extending into contemporary composition and the visual arts.
Founded and directed by British-Australian soprano Breana Stillman, OperAffinity has grown from a weekend of concerts into a sustained programme of residency, education and international partnership, based at the Convento San Giacomo, the thirteenth-century convent overlooking Todi. Beyond its public performances, the festival works as a platform for residency, mentorship and international collaboration for emerging artists.
“My role is to oversee the festival’s artistic direction, build our international partnerships and faculty, and protect the overall vision of the project,” says Stillman. “We are creating real opportunities for young performers while developing cultural projects that leave a lasting mark on Umbria.”
While the first two editions introduced OperAffinity to Todi, the 2026 festival marks a new stage, with the residency model now at the centre of the programme. For two weeks, artists live and work together at the Convento San Giacomo, where singers, pianists, composers and internationally renowned faculty rehearse, collaborate and develop new work side by side.
World-Class Faculty
The 2026 edition brings together an international faculty that includes soprano Marie McLaughlin, bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, Italian opera director Stefano Vizioli, conductor and vocal coach Audrey Saint-Gil, pianist and répétiteur Laetitia Ruccolo, and opera coach and répétiteur Felice Venanzoni. Between them, they have performed, directed and taught at many of the world’s leading opera houses and festivals, among them the Royal Opera House, the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, the Vienna State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, the Opéra National de Paris, Glyndebourne and the Bavarian State Opera.
New International Partnerships
This year’s programme also opens new international collaborations with some of the most respected institutions in classical music. OperAffinity launches its first partnership with the Aspen Music Festival and School, one of the world’s foremost training programmes, welcoming singers and pianists from Aspen’s summer programme to Todi and strengthening cultural ties between Italy and the United States.
A new partnership with the National Opera Studio in London, one of Britain’s most respected training grounds for young singers, brings a recent graduate to this year’s residency, the first step in what is intended to become a long-term relationship. The collaboration reflects OperAffinity’s longstanding ties to Britain, from Stillman’s own British-Australian heritage to British faculty such as Marie McLaughlin and the young British artists in this year’s residency.
These new partnerships sit alongside OperAffinity’s established relationship with the Accademia Musicale Chigiana, which continues to bring outstanding young musicians to Todi.
The Composition Residency with Alan Fletcher
Among the festival’s new initiatives is the Composition Residency, developed with American composer Alan Fletcher, President and CEO of the Aspen Music Festival and School. As part of the programme, Fletcher mentors young Italian composer Riccardo Palomes, selected from the Accademia Musicale Chigiana’s composition course, led by Salvatore Sciarrino.
The residency culminates in a concert of contemporary music on 24 September at Todi Arts Studio, the former studio and home of sculptor Beverly Pepper. The evening opens with a talk by the Beverly Pepper Foundation on her life and work, followed by a performance of music by Fletcher and by OperAffinity’s Composer-in-Residence, in the very space where she once lived and worked.
Art and Music in Dialogue
Interdisciplinary collaboration continues to shape the 2026 programme. This year, artist Austin Young creates a temporary immersive installation for Todi, transforming the Teatro Comunale into an intimate setting for opera and music. The installation is accompanied by a series of surprise opera flash mobs that animate the town throughout the festival.
Africa: Artist Development and Cultural Exchange
OperAffinity’s international artist development programme this year welcomes two young singers from Tunisia and Kenya, who join the residency alongside artists from across the world. Their participation reflects the festival’s ongoing commitment to emerging talent, creating opportunities for artists both internationally and within their own communities through mentorship, training and long-term professional relationships.
Festival Programme
19 September – Opera Aperitivo, Cantina Todini, Collevalenza (Todi), 19:00. A celebration of opera, fine wine and local cuisine in the surroundings of Cantina Todini.
20 September – Guido Calori Museum Concert, Museo Guido Calori, San Gemini, 18:00. An intimate concert with the Museo dell’Opera di Guido Calori, with a presentation by FAI Umbria.
23 September – Educational Concert & Workshop, Scuola Media Cocchi-Aosta (Todi), 11:00 & 13:00. A community project introducing local students to opera through performance and storytelling.
23 September – Immersive Installation by Austin Young & Opera Flashmobs, Teatro Comunale di Todi, Foyer, 18:30. An installation by Austin Young and surprise opera performances across the town.
24 September – Contemporary Music Concert & Composer Residency, Todi Arts Studio (former studio of Beverly Pepper), 18:30. A talk by the Beverly Pepper Foundation followed by a concert with Alan Fletcher and OperAffinity’s Composer-in-Residence.
25 September – Final Gala Concert, Teatro Comunale di Todi, 19:00. Directed by Stefano Vizioli and featuring the festival’s emerging artists.
A Festival for the Whole Town
As in previous editions, Todi comes alive throughout the festival with pop-up performances and flash mob opera in the town’s piazzas. The education programme returns with a dedicated concert and workshop for local schools, giving students direct contact with the festival’s international artists and faculty.
About OperAffinity
OperAffinity is a cultural organization committed to artistic excellence, inclusion, and international cooperation in classical music and opera. Through its festivals, educational programs, and global partnerships, it aims to redefine how opera connects with the world, starting from a small Umbrian town with a big cultural heart.
For more information, visitwww.operaffinity.com or contact info@operaffinity.com
Rome’s independent fashion and design market returns to Mediterraneo, inside the MAXXI complex, with a curated line-up of emerging brands, DJ sets and a real community feel.
Unconventional Market is a Rome-based format dedicated to independent fashion, craft, design and creativity. Launched in Rome in 2024, with eighteen editions behind it, it has become one of the go-to appointments for discovering independent talent in the city. The idea is straightforward: give emerging brands, artisans and creatives a real showcase and a place to sell.
Through the end of the year the market is resident at Mediterraneo, the restaurant and garden inside the MAXXI complex on Via Guido Reni. Each edition turns the space into a creative hub where shopping meets entertainment, in a relaxed, contemporary setting.
The heart of the event is its selection of exhibitors: contemporary craft, forward-looking fashion, design, illustration and collectibles. It is a chance to spot new trends early and take home one-off pieces you won’t find in mainstream shops.
There is more to it than shopping. Continuous DJ sets run from late morning to aperitivo hour, setting the mood as visitors browse. The format also introduces a new music strand created with DJ Martina Alegra Tirone, designed to give young DJs from the Roman scene their own space and visibility.
The wider goal is to build a series of recurring, recognisable dates across the year, bringing together exhibitors, creative projects, music and entertainment. More than a market, it is meant to be a regular meeting point for the city’s community.
Next edition
When: Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October 2026 Hours: 11:00 to 20:00 Where: Mediterraneo al MAXXI, Via Guido Reni 4A, Rome
At La Vaccheria in Rome’s EUR district, from 10 September 2026 to 28 March 2027, over 50 works spanning canvases, photographs and documents trace the story behind the Pop Art myth. Free entry.
Andy Warhol – Forever Love is the retrospective that, from 10 September 2026 to 28 March 2027, turns the La Vaccheria exhibition centre in Rome’s EUR district into the Home of Pop Art, with a tribute to the undisputed master of the movement.
Curated by Gianfranco Rosini, who met the artist in Rome in 1975, the show grows out of a personal and privileged account of Warhol’s world. It is not only a selection of iconic works, but a journey through the art, encounters, friendships, photographs, documents, travels and memories that reveal the American artist in his human dimension as much as his creative one. Rosini built a close relationship with Warhol and his circle, one that stayed with him throughout his own personal and artistic path.
Andy Warhol – Forever Love takes an unusual angle: it tells the Warhol “myth” through his most celebrated works, but also through the material that brings us closer to the man, to the people around him and to the remarkable artistic and cultural season he helped define in those years of ferment for both the economy and the arts.
On display are 51 works by Andy Warhol, more than 60 documents on his life and 37 works by other leading Pop artists, alongside canvases, photographs, objects, books and assorted memorabilia. The documents trace Warhol’s life from childhood and school diplomas to his correspondence with figures such as Mick Jagger, Truman Capote and Elizabeth Taylor, down to personal papers and materials tied to his practice.
Among the pieces on show are the celebrated portrait of Regina Schrecker, painted by Warhol in 1983, portraits of Liza Minnelli, works dedicated to Marilyn Monroe, the Campbell’s Soup cans, the Dollar Sign, the Candy Box (Heart) and the Kiku, as well as portraits of international art figures such as Joseph Beuys and Man Ray.
Particularly telling is the homage to Paolo Uccello, a Warholian reworking of a detail from Saint George and the Dragon: an ideal meeting between the Renaissance and Pop Art, between images of the past and contemporary icons, and a nod to the history of Italian art.
Photography also plays a central role, through the work of Dino Pedriali, the artist and photographer who was Warhol’s main assistant and documented key moments of his Italian and European years. The show presents 28 original photographs linked to the Roman season of Ladies and Gentlemen and Drag Queen, and to the professional and personal bond between Pedriali and Warhol.
Rounding out the exhibition, in the Mirror Room, is the video work Female Beauty – Warhol and the Feminine Universe, curated by Giuliano Gasparotti and Francesco Mazzei, with an original score by Maestro Furio Valitutti for KIF Italia.
Practical information
Entry is free. Opening hours are Tuesday to Thursday from 9am to 1pm, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 7pm, closed on Mondays. La Vaccheria is in the EUR district, at Via Giovanni L’Eltore 35. By public transport, take metro line B to Laurentina or EUR Palasport and continue by bus, or take bus lines 070, 700 and 709 to the Colombo/Pacifico stop.
MAGEÍA is a new three-day festival running from 17 to 19 September 2026 at Palazzo Esposizioni in Rome, pairing a free daytime art installation with three nights of DJ sets and live music. Created and produced by Lux Entertainment, the format brings together visual art, sound experimentation and new technology inside one of the landmark venues on via Nazionale.
For three days the building’s monumental architecture becomes part of the work, as light, material and sound play against the volumes of the exhibition halls in a composition that shifts through the day. The name comes from the Greek magheía, evoking transformation and wonder, the guiding idea behind a project designed to bring different audiences and generations together.
The visual side is led by Quiet Ensemble, a studio known for its research into light, technology and perception. For MAGEÍA they present a site-specific piece that reworks some of their best-known installations in dialogue with the spaces of the Palazzo. From 10am to 4pm the halls are open free of charge, a chance to walk through the transformed building without a ticket.
Three nights of music
From 6pm to 2am the focus turns to music, with a different lineup each evening.
Thursday 17 September, No Limits Party. The opening night celebrates Rome’s own scene, with Gemitaiz, Sine, Gengis, Frenetik and Whtrtrsh behind the decks.
Friday 18 September, Club Culture. A night built around the dancefloor, mixing Italian and international names: a live set from Elasi, a DJ set by Korean artist Shubostar, Whitesquare, and clubbing heavyweight Alex Neri, with more special guests.
Saturday 19 September, French Touch. The closing night pays tribute to the movement that shaped European electronic music, with Breakbot & Irfane among the headliners.
The evening programme is for over-18s only. Info and tickets at mageia.it.
Looking for the best exhibitions in Rome this autumn 2026? Rome is preparing to welcome art lovers with a full season of exhibitions, featuring some of the biggest names in art history alongside modern and contemporary masters. From Kandinsky‘s leap into abstraction to Keith Haring‘s street-born visual language, by way of Pontormo‘s Mannerist genius, Rembrandt‘s revolutionary etchings and the Mediterranean colour of Guttuso, the autumn scene promises a journey through time, borders, culture and artistic expression.
Palazzo Bonaparte opens the season with a major retrospective on Vassily Kandinsky, bringing together around seventy works that trace the artist’s entire path across Russia, Germany and France. The show follows his early figurative years, the birth of abstraction in Munich, his return to Russia during the revolutionary period, the Bauhaus years and his final Parisian phase. A significant part of the works comes from the collections of the Centre Pompidou. The exhibition is curated by Angela Lampe.
The Historical Museum of the Infantry pays tribute to one of the greatest printmakers of all time with a show devoted to Rembrandt’s graphic work. Curated by Patrizia Foglia, it brings together around fifty works on loan from public and private collections, including the etching Self-Portrait with Saskia featured on the exhibition poster. The selection captures the revolutionary force of his prints: light and shadow, the sacred and the everyday, self-portraits and scenes of daily life, all used to probe the depth of the human soul.
Rembrandt: Absolute Black. The Revolution of Etching
Palazzo Braschi presents more than 140 works and documents, drawn largely from the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection. The path runs across the artist’s whole career, from his early New York pieces to the celebrated Subway Drawings, alongside political posters, sculptures, paintings and works from his final years. The show reconstructs the visual language with which Haring turned the line into an immediate, instantly recognizable public sign. New York and the urban culture of the 1980s form the essential backdrop, where art, music, the street, activism and pop culture all enter the same visual system.
Keith Haring
Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi
October 6, 2026 to April 11, 2027
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The Scuderie del Quirinale stage the first major monographic exhibition ever dedicated to Pontormo. Produced in partnership with the Uffizi Galleries, it brings together the artist’s key masterpieces and presents him as one of the most original figures in sixteenth-century Florentine painting, at the turning point between the High Renaissance and Mannerism. The show follows how the classical language is transformed into a deeply personal style, with works on loan from the Uffizi and from major Italian and international institutions. Curated by Cristina Acidini with a team of specialists in the Florentine Cinquecento.
Pontormo
Scuderie del Quirinale
October 9, 2026 to February 7, 2027
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The Historical Museum of the Infantry also hosts a tribute to the Sicilian master Renato Guttuso, one of the leading figures of twentieth-century Italian painting. Curated by Vittorio Sgarbi with Marina Giordano, the show gathers around sixty works spanning the 1930s to the 1980s, including the oil Ritratto di Mimise con il cappello rosso, together with drawings and prints. The selection highlights the visual, symbolic and chromatic elements rooted in Mediterranean culture and reworked by the painter from Bagheria.
Rome’s biggest wine event returns to Villa Borghese from September 7 to 13
The 23rd edition of Vinòforum returns to Rome from September 7 to 13, 2026, once again in the stunning setting of Piazza di Siena in Villa Borghese. Over seven evenings, visitors can taste their way through 3,200 labels from 800 wineries, alongside a line-up of acclaimed chefs, restaurants and producers.
Beyond the tasting stands, the program features guided tastings, show cooking sessions and signature dinners bringing together top chefs, master pizzaioli and industry experts to celebrate the flavors and terroirs of Italian and international food and wine.
What’s on the program
At the heart of the event are the Wine Top Tastings, twice-nightly masterclasses guiding the public through some of the most prestigious wineries and surprising terroirs in Italy and beyond.
Back by popular demand are the Casa Barolo tastings, dedicated to one of Italy’s noblest wines: Barolo and the wines of the Langhe.
This year’s edition also welcomes the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium as a special partner, with guided tastings and events marking the Rome launch of the first Parmigiano Reggiano Tasters Course, starting in October. Olive oil lovers can join Unaprol and Evooschool for guided tastings of Italian extra virgin olive oil, exploring different cultivars and food pairings.
The gastronomic highlight of the week is The Night Dinner series, organized in collaboration with La Molisana. This year’s theme, Human Factor. Past. Present. Future, pays tribute to the human touch in the culinary arts. Each dinner unfolds in several acts (memory, gesture, vision), accompanied by images and music, turning the evening into an immersive experience paired with great wines.
Alongside the dinners, the Temporary Restaurants return with the theme Rome: Roots and Future, weaving the city’s culinary traditions together with their most contemporary interpretations: over 20 restaurants and 40 dishes across 7 days.
Pizza lovers are in for a treat with Pizza d’Autore, co-produced with Molino Caputo: six exclusive dinners hosted by some of Italy’s most respected masters of the craft, exploring unexpected pairings of doughs, flours and premium ingredients.
Vinòforum will also host the final of La Città della Pizza, the national competition dedicated to discovering Italy’s emerging pizza talent. On Sunday, September 13, seven finalists will compete for the title of best up-and-coming pizzaiolo of the year.
Talks, workshops and exhibitions on innovation: over 400 events across more than 150 venues
After a record-breaking edition with more than 75,000 participants, Rome Future Week returns: the city-wide event will take over more than 150 locations across Rome with over 400 events, running from 21 to 27 September 2026.
Historic palaces, parks, event spaces, university halls, labs, offices and coworking spaces will set the stage for hundreds of talks, workshops, exhibitions, immersive experiences and networking moments, organized by companies, startups, institutions, universities, public bodies and professionals.
“Materia Prima” (Raw Material) is the theme of this new edition of Rome Future Week, an invitation to recognize what comes before and makes every visible innovation possible.
The week is also about work. Rome Future Week 2026 will be a place to look for new opportunities, professional and personal: where companies meet talent and talent discovers who’s looking for them. A thread that runs through the whole event and has its own dedicated moments in the programme.
Cinema takes center stage this year. Corti Futuri returns, the contest dedicated to new audiovisual languages, now in its second edition and produced in collaboration with Rai Cinema and RUFA. Filmmakers and videomakers under 30 will tell the story of the city and its possible futures, shooting original short films over the days of the event, and the winning work will be made available on Rai Cinema’s channels.
And then there’s a neighborhood getting ready for a special week. Ostiense, with ROAD – Rome Advanced District as the edition’s main partner, will be one of the symbolic districts of Rome Future Week 2026: where the industrial archaeology of the Gazometro meets the Rome of tomorrow.
Participation is free. To explore all the available events, visit the official RFW website.
Rome Becomes the Capital of World Mixology on September 14-15 under the motto Mix is our business.
For two days this September, Rome turns into the meeting point for the international cocktail world. Roma Bar Show returns on 14 and 15 September 2026, and for the first time it moves into La Nuvola, the striking Fuksas-designed venue in the EUR district. It is the sixth edition of the only Italian event dedicated entirely to mixology and the beverage industry, and this year it comes with more space, a bigger international line-up and a few genuinely new ideas.
The move to La Nuvola is not just cosmetic. The larger, more functional halls give room to hundreds of exhibitors and buyers from more than thirty countries, which is exactly the crowd that has turned Roma Bar Show into a fixture on the global circuit since it launched in 2019. The September dates also give Rome a strategic spot at the front of the international calendar, ahead of events like London Cocktail Week.
A new space for no and low alcohol
The headline addition this year is Future Drinking, an area built entirely around no and low alcohol drinks. Once a niche, alcohol-free and low-ABV cocktails have become one of the fastest-growing parts of the global drinks market, and the new space brings together tastings, products and talks for anyone curious about where the category is heading. Alongside it, two of the show’s most loved formats return: the Mexican Village, a deep dive into Mexican culture and spirits, and the Educational Program, the technical heart of the event.
The big names behind the bar
The Auditorium, Tasting Room and Academy host the masterclasses and seminars, with some of the most influential bartenders in the world sharing not only their drinks but the thinking and the business vision behind their venues. This year’s guests include Faye Chen of the multi-award-winning Double Chicken Please in New York, Jonathan Gabbay of Argo in Hong Kong, Marco Corallo of Saikindō in Abu Dhabi and Alex Frezza of L’Antiquario in Naples, among many others.
Beyond the bar counter
Roma Bar Show 2026 leans harder into the business side of hospitality with the Business Room, a new program of seminars on leadership, management, brand building, data and career development for professionals who want to grow beyond the bar. On the trade side, the Buyer Program, run with ICE and Fiere di Parma, connects exhibitors with importers, distributors and decision makers, supported by a new app for booking B2B meetings before and during the event.
The city joins in
As always, the show spills out into Rome itself. A packed program of off-site events, guest shifts, tastings and appearances by international bartenders takes over cocktail bars across the city, so even visitors without a trade pass can catch a piece of the action in their evening out.
Tickets: available through the official Roma Bar Show ticketing site
If you are in Rome that weekend and love a good cocktail, it is worth planning your evenings around the fuori salone events, when the city’s best bars put on their most interesting shifts of the year.
Discover the program for the summer of 2026 at Villa Medici in Rome!
The Villa Medici – The French Academy in Rome is a prestigious museum and cultural institution located near Villa Borghese. Like every summer, this year it is ready to host numerous events, with a rich program that includes art exhibitions, landscape architecture interventions, and film festivals. With its 18 hectares of gardens, fountains, and sculptures, Villa Medici remains an oasis of artistic expression that evokes the French countryside, despite being situated in one of the most central areas of Rome.
Let’s take a look at the artistic programming of Villa Medici from May to September 2026
The Festival des Cabanes at Villa Medici was created to offer architects, artists, and researchers the opportunity to “take over” the site’s historic gardens, designed by Ferdinando de’ Medici at the end of the 16th century. For the fifth consecutive year, six original “cabin” creations will be showcased throughout the summer in the heart of the Villa Medici gardens. These cabins are specially designed for the festival by international groups of architects, builders, and students: Bento Architecture, ECAL, the University of Art and Design Lausanne, Foundation Huttopia, NABA – Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, PRÌA and VELIA, and Salazarsequeromedina. All summer long, the cabins will host various educational workshops, readings, and yoga classes.
Opening times: Monday to Sunday (closed on Tuesday) from 10:00am to 7:00pm (last entry at 6:30pm)
Oracle beyond the sea | 19 June – 7 September 2026
From June 19 to September 7, 2026, Villa Medici presents Oracles Beyond the Sea, the collective exhibition marking the end of the sixteen fellows’ year-long residency at the French Academy in Rome. Curated by Roberto Pontecorvo and Imma Tralli of Marea Art Project, with Camille Coschieri as associate curator, the show takes its title from Oracles from the Sea (1998) by Palestinian artist Vera Tamari.
The exhibition brings together works spanning visual and performing arts, music, literature, architecture, curating, and art theory. Created in the privacy of the studios, the projects now move into the historic spaces of Villa Medici to meet the public. Some appear as finished pieces, others as ongoing processes, held in a constant tension between the poetic and the political.
Opening times: Monday to Sunday (closed on Tuesday) from 10:00am to 7:00pm (last entry at 6:30pm)
Created in 2021, the Villa Medici Film Festival offers an international selection of films that explore the connections between cinema and contemporary art. For the sixth consecutive year, the festival aims to present pioneering works with diverse profiles that challenge, disrupt, transform, or re-enchant our relationship with images.
The Villa Medici Film Festival is divided into three sections: the International Competition, consisting of fourteen recent films of various genres and formats, the parallel program Focus, featuring non-competitive films by artists, masterclasses, and exceptional encounters, and the Piazzale screenings, which gather the audience for outdoor screenings of new films, including premieres and restored classics.
This year’s festival is dedicated to the memory of Lili Hinstin (1977–2026), a woman of the cinema, festival programmer and artistic director, who began her career at Villa Medici as a film programmer from 2005 to 2010, before helping to create the Film Festival, serving as a member of its Selection and Organizing Committee until her passing.
Welcome to a gastronomic journey like no other! When in Rome, it’s not just about the iconic landmarks and ancient history; it’s also an opportunity to savor the delectable flavors that the region has to offer. As the sun-drenched days of summer arrive, so do the lively food festivals and traditional “sagre” that fill the air with mouthwatering aromas and a contagious festive spirit.
The sagra is an Italian festival, organized in some towns, or regions, and is always linked to a local tradition or food celebrated in the course of the event. These events provide an authentic and immersive experience into the heart of Italian culinary traditions, celebrating local produce, regional specialties, and age-old recipes that have been handed down through generations. Most of these festivals take place in charming villages just outside the city, making them the perfect excuse for a day trip from Rome.
This is our list of Sagre in the Lazio area in 2026.
Festa Cozze e Pecorino Mussels and pecorino cheese July 23 – August 2 Fiumicino (RM)
Sagra della Ciccia Mixed grilled meat July 31 – August 2 Canale Monterano (RM)
Sagra dei Cecapreti e della Bufaletta Cecapreti pasta and buffalo meat August 1 Villa Santo Stefano (FR)
Fettuccine alla Trebulana Fettuccine pasta “alla Trebulana” August 1-2 Monteleone Sabino (RI)
Sagra delle Fettuccine con i Funghi Porcini Fettuccine pasta with porcini mushrooms August 2 Ascrea (RI)
Sagra del Vino di Monticelli Monticelli wine August 6-7 Esperia (FR)
Cantine in festa Wine Feast August 7-8 Anticoli Corrado (RM)
Sagra delle Pappardelle Pappardelle pasta August 7-9 Canale Monterano (RM)
Sagra della Pizza Fritta Nerolese Nerolese Fried Pizza August 8-9 Nerola (RM)
Sagra della Lumaca Snails August 11-16 Graffignano (VT)
Sagra delle Fettuccine con i Funghi Porcini Fettuccine pasta with porcini mushrooms August 12-13 Casaprota (RI)
Sagra delle Strengozze Strengozze pasta August 20-23 Cantalice (RI)
Sagra della Tellina Tellina clam August 21-30 Ostia (RM)
Sagra dell’Agnello Lamb August 21-31 Rocca Priora (RM)
Sagra della Nocciola Hazelnut August 21-23 & 28 – September 1 Caprarola (VT)
Rajche August 23-25 Subiaco (RM)
Sagra del Pizzutello Pizzutello grapes August 29-31 Tivoli (RM)
Sagra degli Spaghetti alla Amatriciana August 30 – September 1 Amatrice (RI)
Sagra del fagiolo Bean August 29 – September 1 Sutri (VT)
Fiera mondiale del Peperoncino World Chili Pepper Fair August 28 – September 6 Rieti
Discovering the best things to do in Rome in September
Rome in September is perhaps at its best! The city has survived the boiling peaks of August, Romans have returned from holidays with renewed energy, and local life is ready to get back on track, in a post-summer, but still sunny, fresh, and extremely pleasant atmosphere! In this article we have gathered some of the best events in September 2026 in Rome, such as exhibitions, festivals, concerts and other things to do. Take your pick and enjoy.
Exhibitions this September in Rome
September in Rome is the perfect time to dive into the city’s vibrant art scene and explore a variety of exhibitions.
The month’s big opening is at Palazzo Bonaparte, where a major retrospective on Vassily Kandinsky opens on September 15. Twenty-five years after the last monographic show dedicated to the Russian master of abstraction in Rome, it’s already one of the most anticipated exhibitions of the season, and advance tickets are on sale.
At the Ara Pacis, Robert Mapplethorpe and Humanity as Art offers a powerful journey through the work of one of the most influential and provocative photographers of the 20th century, exploring the body, form and beauty through his unmistakable black-and-white lens.
Over at the Musei Capitolini, don’t miss the major retrospective dedicated to Diego Rivera, one of the giants of Mexican muralism, a rare chance to see his work in Rome.
The Galleria Borghese continues to impress with Metamorphosis. Ovid and the Arts, gathering over 80 masterpieces from Correggio to Rodin in a journey through Ovid’s myths of transformation, staged in the very rooms his poem once inspired.
Finally, fashion lovers shouldn’t miss After. Steps Through Work. Fendi / Karl Lagerfeld 1985 at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, a faithful restaging of the legendary 1985 exhibition celebrating the collaboration between Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld, conceived by Maria Grazia Chiuri for the maison’s centenary.
As summer comes to a close, Rome’s live music scene stays lively throughout September. The month brings a variety of musical events for all tastes, featuring both established and emerging artists from Italy and abroad, in individual shows as well as festivals such as Romaeuropa and Dissonanze. The line-ups are well worth exploring — check out who’s playing!
Short Theatre is Rome’s international festival dedicated to contemporary creation and the performing arts, back for its 21st edition with over 65 events by some 40 companies and artists from around the world. Through performances, installations, talks, workshops, concerts and DJ sets, the festival maps today’s artistic geographies across the Global South and East. The heart of the event is La Pelanda at the Mattatoio in Testaccio, with an opening night among the greenhouses of Rome’s Botanical Garden and additional programming at Teatro India, Teatro Vittoria, Cinema Troisi, MACRO and the Museum of Civilizations.
Mattatoio, Botanical Garden, Teatro India, Teatro Vittoria, MACRO, Cinema Troisi, MUCIV – Museum of Civilizations discover moreShort Theatre 2026
Until 5 September | Village Celimontana
Village Celimontana continues to bring live music to one of Rome’s most beautiful summer settings. Now in its tenth edition, the festival runs until September 5 at Villa Celimontana, with more than 100 free concerts throughout the season. Expect a rich programme of jazz, swing, manouche, rock’n’roll, Brazilian rhythms, dance nights and family-friendly events.
Rome’s biggest wine and food event returns to Piazza di Siena, in the heart of Villa Borghese, from September 7 to 13 for its 23rd edition. Over seven evenings, visitors can taste their way through 3,200 labels from 800 Italian wineries, alongside a rich program of masterclasses, guided tastings, show cooking and exclusive chef’s dinners. Highlights include the Wine Top Tasting masterclasses, the Casa Barolo tastings dedicated to the great wines of Langa, the Temporary Restaurants, and the Pizza d’Autore dinners with Italy’s top pizza masters, culminating in the finals of La Città della Pizza contest on September 13.
Piazza di Siena, Villa Borghese discover moreVinoforum 2026
8 September – 15 November | Romaeuropa Festival
This year, the jam-packed line-up of Romaeuropa Festival is set to delight, inspire and entertain all ages. A dazzling array of music, theatre, dance, digital arts and creation for children will be showcased at different venues throughout the city. The 41st edition of the Romaeuropa Festival is one of the richest ever: the programme includes 100 shows with 240 performances and the participation of around 1000 artists from all over the world.
Dissonanze returns to Rome on September 12–13 with “New Chapter”, opening a bold new era for one of Italy’s most visionary festivals after last year’s 25th anniversary celebrations. Two days of live sets, DJ sets, and performances at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, closing the Roma Summer Fest season with a line-up that blends club culture, experimentation, and avant-garde soundscapes. From house to techno, ambient to performance art, the event features artists like Björk (DJ set), Peggy Gou, Floating Points, and many more, reconfirming Dissonanze as a landmark of contemporary electronic culture.
Line-up:
Day 1 (September 12): Björk (DJ set), Peggy Gou, Derrick Carter, Honey Dijon, Kelly Lee Owens (DJ set), Ron Trent, Tony Humphries, Aline Umber (DJ set), CARISTA, Dante, Duddha, ISAbella, Nubiyan Twist, Paranoid London (live), Ruthven, Sugar Free, Ti Es, Yu Su.
Designed by Renzo Piano, the Cavea, the Auditorium’s stunning open-air amphitheater, is home to the Fondazione Musica per Roma’s summer festival: the Roma Summer Fest. Just a few feet from the stage, audiences can experience outstanding live music under the stars, enhanced by the venue’s exceptional acoustics. One of the most anticipated events of the Roman summer, the festival brings some of the biggest names from the Italian and international music scenes to the capital for a series of unmissable concerts.
Line-up: in September, the Auditorium will host Hermanos Gutiérrez (September 2), Sal Da Vinci (3), Fiorella Mannoia (4-5), Il Tre (6), Levante (7), Tony Boy (8), Judas Priest (9), I Cani (10-11), Marisa Monte (11, Sala Santa Cecilia), Dissonanze festival with Björk and Peggy Gou (12-13)
This September, the Roma Bar Show returns — the event that brings together all the key players of the beverage industry and the vibrant world of Italian mixology. Two days dedicated to spirits, cocktails, tasting experiences, and masterclasses with top international bartenders. From industry professionals to cocktail lovers, Roma Bar Show is the place to discover trends, innovations, and the art of great drinking.
From the 16th through the 20th of September 2026, Villa Medici will once again be transformed into a space dedicated to the celebration of cinema in all its forms. Now in its sixth edition, the festival offers over forty screenings across three screens, including an open-air one set up in front of the villa’s historic façade, presenting pioneering works that challenge, disrupt, transform, or re-enchant our relationship with images. The program is divided into three sections: the international competition, featuring twelve recent films of various genres and lengths; the Focus program, dedicated to out-of-competition works and special meetings with directors; and the Piazzale evenings, with outdoor screenings of premieres and restored classics.
From September 18th to 21st, the sixth edition of Roma Baccalà will take place, a cultural and gastronomic event dedicated to salted cod and stockfish. This year again, Roma Baccalà will be held at Parco Schuster, a large green space adjacent to the majestic Basilica of San Paolo Fuori Le Mura. Visitors will be able to taste over 40 different preparations of salted cod and attend engaging workshops and numerous showcookings. Admission is free.
“Materia Prima” (Raw Material) is the theme of the fourth edition of Rome Future Week, taking place from September 21st to 27th. The theme invites participants to reflect on what makes transformation possible — knowledge, skills, relationships, care, creativity, and the ability to imagine the future. Rather than a single-stage event, the festival unfolds as a widespread program across venues throughout the city and its surroundings, with over 400 events spanning AI, art, startups, and social innovation, making it one of the largest open events dedicated to innovation and the future.
Programme and highlights of Romaeuropa Festival 2026
The 41st edition of the Romaeuropa Festival is shaping up to be one of its richest yet: 100 shows featuring 1,000 artists from around the world, bringing REF2026 to life with a programme of music, theatre, dance, digital arts and productions for children.
Once again directed by Fabrizio Grifasi, this year’s edition offers more than two months of performances across numerous venues in the capital, an invitation to listen and to see artistic creation as something still alive and necessary.
This edition brings a wealth of major international names. Flemish choreographer Michiel Vandevelde, together with the BRYGGEN-Bruges Strings ensemble, takes to the stage at Teatro Argentina with The Four Seasons Changed, a staged concert that translates into space Max Richter’s reworking of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Sasha Waltz returns to dance with Bach Cello Suites Dance, set to the Cello Suites by J.S. Bach performed by cellist Anastasia Kobekina.
There’s also French choreographer Boris Charmatz, back at the Festival with Muette, an intimate and radical solo, and Britain’s Ben Duke, who reinvents Hamlet as a contemporary anti-hero in a show that weaves together dance, theatre, stand-up and irony to question the meaning of life. Franco-Algerian Nacera Belaza returns too, forming an intense duo with Valérie Dréville in a performance where gesture meets space.
At Teatro Costanzi, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen presents a programme of works by Jan Martens, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Christos Papadopoulos, three names who have appeared at the Festival many times. Papadopoulos himself directs Greek dancer Georgios Kotsifakis in Landless, continuing his personal exploration of rhythm, repetition and the transformation of movement. Also from Greece, choreographer Katerina Andreou joins Carte Blanche, Norway’s national dance company, bringing fourteen performers together in How Romantic.
Some of the dance programme is designed to reach every generation and audience: Le Pas du Monde by the remarkable Collectif XY, at Teatro Olimpico, speaks to all ages with its shifting landscapes, while Morocco’s Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger returns under the direction of Raphaëlle Boitel with a new creation in which acrobatic power meets a formal, poetic language. From South Korea, Eun-Me Ahn blends ritual, new circus, pop culture, eccentricity and colour in her Post-Orientalist Express.
Jaha Koo, Haribo kimchi PH. bea borgers
Also from South Korea, director Jaha Koo, winner of the International Ibsen Award, presents Haribo Kimchi: a real street-food stall fills the stage, turning the making of the traditional Korean fermented cabbage into an autobiographical and symbolic gesture.
Memory takes centre stage for India’s Pankaj Tiwari and Portuguese director Tiago Rodrigues too. The first, with The Harvest of Broken Promises, tells of the transformation of Indian agriculture under the influence of global agribusiness; the second fills the stage with the memory of his father in No Yogurt for the Dead, a tribute built around the unfinished notes he left behind.
ITALIAN DANCE AND THEATRE
GiorginaPi, Lemnos
One of the directors who has most deeply shaped the Festival’s history returns to Romaeuropa: Romeo Castellucci, with his new creation Faust. Fatto, non detto, a radical theatrical experience that probes the figure of the artist, suspended between condemnation and redemption, reality and vision.
At Teatro Vascello, Marta Cuscunà makes her national premiere with her latest production, La Medium, the true story of Hersilie Rouy, daughter of the illusionist Charles Rouy, confined to an asylum for fourteen years, in a world that weaves together illusionism and gives voice to “invisible women”. Director Giorgina Pi reworks the figure of Philoctetes from a female perspective in Lemnos, intertwining myth and the present.
Marta Cuscunà @Alessandro Ruzzier
Also at Teatro Vascello, Pietro Giannini presents his new work STARMAN – The True Story of Leon Skum, a concrete yet visionary portrait that questions the myth of technology in the age of Elon Musk. Giacomo Bisordi, with Fabrizio Sinisi, brings the novel Il Prodigio to the stage with actors Chiara Ferrara, Gabriele Portoghese and Federica Rosellini, while Ubu Prize winner Marco D’Agostin, alongside dancer Marta Ciappina, gathers in Catalogo a moving mosaic of farewells, in which a dancer’s final performance becomes a choral score on leave-taking, shaped through the eyes of choreographers and directors such as Silvia Gribaudi, Francesca Pennini / CollettivO CineticO, Sotterraneo and Emio Greco / Pieter C. Scholten.
At the Mattatoio, the cycle HEIMAT – Homeland/Foreigner unfolds, created with the “Silvio d’Amico” National Academy of Dramatic Art: five days of performance in which Fabiana Iacozzilli, Thom Luz, Ersan Mondtag, Leonardo Lidi and Leonardo Manzan direct the same performers from the Academy’s second-level acting course, using a shared stage device to build a plural reflection on identity and belonging.
Still in Testaccio, the female body and its representation are at the heart of CAN CAN, a show born from the meeting of director Giovanni Ortoleva, winner of the National Critics’ Prize, and actress Irene Mantova. Director Piero Maccarinelli presents a reading of L’ora dei predatori by Giuliano da Empoli with Elisabetta Pozzi and Tullio Solenghi, followed by a talk on the book’s themes.
MUSIC
Vinicio Capossela, Renato tuffo
Music has a major place in the Festival’s programme, moving between experimentation, pop and contemporary composition: Osmium, the project born from the meeting of cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir and James Ginzburg; a concert by Kangding Ray, presenting his new AV live show Superfluid; and the award-winning percussion ensemble Third Coast Percussion in dialogue with composer, performer and electronic musician Jlin.
For the first time at the Festival, Vinicio Capossela appears too, presenting with Pierpaolo Capovilla And Death Shall Have No Dominion, a ballad opera loosely drawn from the life of Renato Striglia and the work of Dylan Thomas.
There are several tributes marking the anniversaries of the great 20th-century masters: for Steve Reich’s ninetieth birthday, a homage from Blow Up Percussion with performances of works such as Pendulum Music, Drumming and Come Out; while for the centenary of Hans Werner Henze’s birth, Romaeuropa presents Voices, in partnership with the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, a powerful civic and poetic work entrusted to the New European Ensemble conducted by Carlo Boccadoro.
In the Sala Santa Cecilia of the Auditorium, pianists Maki Namekawa and Thomas Enhco go head to head interpreting one of the most celebrated piano works of the 20th century, Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert, while The Avex Ensemble performs a special film-concert dedicated to the iconic Blade Runner soundtrack by Vangelis.
KIDS
The REF Kids & Family section offers three weekends of free shows and activities in music, theatre and new circus, curated by Stefania Lo Giudice. The spaces of La Pelanda are transformed into an area for children and families, with a programme of performances and a playground of games and hands-on activities.
Highlights range from Flanders’ ZONZO, bringing jazz to the youngest audiences, to a focus on the Catalan scene with the magic show Maginarium by Pau Segalés and Copiar by Animal Religion, which invites children from the audience on stage. From the Netherlands, de Dansers offer a joyful journey through the body with A Small Anatomy, while Japan’s Kenji Shinohe brings manga culture to a teenage audience with Action Briquette Z – Manga, Beat & Dance.
Closing
100Cellos, Enrico Melozzi
The grand finale on 15 November promises to be a true musical marathon, a great collective ritual of listening in which musicians take over the main hall of the Auditorium Parco della Musica in a closing event that moves across repertoires, audiences and moods. Twelve hours of concerts, with an afternoon that anticipates the celebrations for Philip Glass’s ninetieth birthday (January 2027) through a complete performance of the Études by Vanessa Wagner and of Águas da Amazônia by Third Coast Percussion, with the start and end of the day in the Sala Santa Cecilia devoted entirely to Enrico Melozzi’s Classical Rave Party.
The morning is dedicated to 100 Cellos with Giovanni Sollima; the evening to the Orchestra Notturna Clandestina, with special guests including Alessandro Baricco, Gloria Campaner, Elsa Lila, Anastasio and Fasma, breaking down the boundaries between academia and real life, between concert and celebration.
Venues and Tickets
The Romaeuropa Festival 2026 takes place across various spaces in the city, from historic theatres to museums and cultural institutions. The 2026 venues are:
American Academy in Rome, Via Angelo Masina 5
Auditorium Conciliazione, Via della Conciliazione 4
Auditorium Parco della Musica, Via Pietro de Coubertin 30
Tickets can be purchased online at romaeuropa.net through Vivaticket. For information and assistance, the box office is available on +39 06 4555 3050, also on WhatsApp, Monday to Friday (10am-1pm / 2pm-6pm).
The traditional celebration of the Marian miracle returns on 5 August
On August 5 Rome hosts a captivating event that defies the summer heat both symbolically and practically – the celebration of the Madonna della Neve (Our Lady of the Snows). This cherished occasion involves the recreation of an extraordinary miraculous snowfall outside the magnificent Basilica Santa Maria Maggiore.
The Legend of La Madonna della Neve
According to ancient legend, in the 4th century, a devout Roman couple sought divine guidance on donating their possessions to the Church. In response to their fervent prayers, the Virgin Mary appeared to them in a vision on the night between August 4th and 5th, 358 AD. She revealed that a miraculous event would occur, guiding them to the precise location for the construction of a new church.
That very night, an astonishing snowfall covered a hill in the Esquiline district. Word of this celestial event reached Pope Liberius, who went to the snowy site and traced the outline of the planned church. With the generous contribution of the devoted couple, the church was built, solidifying the legend of the miraculous snowfall.
Though historical evidence supporting the legend is scarce, the event is celebrated annually with unwavering devotion. As the snow gently descends from the sky, Rome relives this extraordinary story, continuing a tradition that has captivated hearts for centuries.
An Enchanting Spectacle Awaits You in Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore
The eagerly awaited 2026 edition of this magical spectacle, supported by the City, the Vatican, and the Ministry of Culture, will take place on Wednesday, August 5th in Piazza di S. Maria Maggiore. This year’s celebration is dedicated to Pope Leo XIV, to the memory of Pope Francis and to the hope for peace in the world.
During the day, the “Miracle of the Snow” is re-enacted inside the basilica with a cascade of white petals falling from above, a symbolic snowfall marking the ancient legend.
The first re-enactment takes place in the morning, during the singing of the Gloria at the 10:00 AM Solemn Mass, presided over by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, Archpriest of the Basilica.
The second is held at 5:00 PM, during the singing of the Magnificat at Vespers, presided over by Archbishop Luis Manuel Alí Herrera.
In the evening, the square comes alive with the spectacular artificial snowfall, accompanied by lights, music and the Carabinieri band. Now in its 42nd edition, the show runs from 9:00 PM to midnight and draws thousands of Romans and visitors every year.
After its presentation at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Galleria Borghese in Rome presents METAMORPHOSIS. Ovid and the Arts, curated by Francesca Cappelletti and Frits Scholten in collaboration with the Dutch museum. Following strong public response, the exhibition has been extended until 11 October 2026.
The imaginative power of Ovid’s Metamorphoses comes to life through more than 80 masterpieces on loan from major international institutions. Works by Correggio, Michelangelo, Titian, Rubens, Poussin, Gérôme, Rodin and Brancusi engage with the vision of one of antiquity’s greatest poets, in gallery rooms that were themselves inspired by his text.
Starting from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the exhibition explores change and transformation as a key to reading the cosmos, matter and the human condition, in a vision built on the fluid boundaries between the human, the natural and the divine.
At its heart lies the idea of metamorphosis as a generative principle, one that runs through and redefines the cosmos, matter and the body. Through famous myths and often tragic tales, the Metamorphoses gave artists an inexhaustible repertoire of images and conflicts for centuries, giving visual form to passion, desire, cunning, violence, deception and the possibility of redemption.
Inside the exhibition
Through its many masterpieces, among them Apollo and Daphne and The Rape of Proserpina by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the exhibition reaffirms the enduring relevance of myth and its central role in shaping the European imagination, highlighting the visual and conceptual force of Ovid’s stories.
It opens with the section Chaos and Creation, where metamorphosis is tied to the passage from formless matter to ordered space, seen through the work of artists such as Louis Finson, Herri met de Bles, Auguste Rodin and Constantin Brâncuși. The same theme, in a different key, returns in the section devoted to the myth of Pygmalion, where it is the artist’s creative power that gives shape to the invisible, as in the works of Jean-Léon Gérôme and Auguste Rodin.
From birth to death: the theme of the underworld and the return from darkness takes shape around the symbolic pivot of Bernini’s Rape of Proserpina, with works such as Orpheus and Eurydice recounting the experience of those who crossed the realm of the dead while still alive.
Still, the central thread remains transformation itself: from woman to spider, as with Arachne, the starting point for a display of paintings, tapestries and textiles; from human being to stone, as in the tale of Perseus and Medusa, seen through works by Rubens, Sebastiano Ricci and Antonio Tempesta.
A final section is given over to the loves of Jupiter, with works dedicated to Leda and the Swan and to Danaë. Here it is the force of love, desire and passion that sets transformation in motion, at times almost spectacular, as in the shower of gold falling into Danaë’s lap, magnificently rendered in the work by Correggio on display.
The result is a symbolic and sensory reading of change, evoking the tension between order and transformation, the fluidity of identity and the dynamic relationship between body and nature. In this dialogue between myth and art, metamorphosis emerges not only as physical transformation but as an aesthetic and philosophical category, one that questions the relationships between time, space, matter and form.
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