Food as an experience, a form of memory, a language, an artistic expression
How many great stories have begun around a table? From cinema and literature to theatre and religious traditions, the act of gathering around a table, whether to eat or prepare food, reveals something about who we are and how we feel.
Until 29 March 2027 at the Chiostro del Bramante, a few steps away from Piazza Navona, you can have a “taste” of the cultural and sociological representation of food through the centuries. Curated by Suzanne Landau, the exhibition features 190 artworks narrating food through the body, desire, identity, power and society, and accompanies visitors of all ages through the deeper meaning of food. The visit includes an educational programme and an audioguide in which eight figures from Rome’s food culture, from fruit sellers to market stallholders, comment on eight artworks, offering a view of art far from that of the critic.
With “FOOD. Tasting Art”, the Chiostro del Bramante invites everyone to explore food through five centuries of art, across different levels of experience: memory, the body, culture, imagination and ecology.
Food for thought, indeed
Bartolomeo Bimbi Natura morta con ciliegie, 1699 Olio su tela / Oil on Canvas Courtesy Ministero della Cultura – Ville e Residenze Monumentali Fiorentine, Villa medicea di Poggio a Caiano, Museo della Natura Morta. Foto Gianluca Passarelli
Lemons, peaches, pears, ceramics, forks, knives, plates, people depicted eating or arguing around the kitchen table: they can be seen everywhere in this exhibition. From the everyday act of eating to the symbolic, social and cultural dimension of conviviality, food becomes the protagonist of an exhibition that encourages visitors to look with new eyes at what belongs to our most intimate and collective experience. The show brings together more than 60 international artists, including Marina Abramović, who opens the show with a video, David LaChapelle, Sophie Calle, Vanessa Beecroft, Bartolomeo Bimbi, Christian Berentz, Yinka Shonibare, Piero Gilardi, Carrie Mae Weems, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Daniel Spoerri and Ernesto Neto.
Artists transformed the act of eating and food into a visual language, while reflecting on our identities, politics, social status, pleasures and taboos. Food became an allegory, a metaphor, a rebellion, an expression of love, labour, memory and desire.
Suzanne Landau, curator of the exhibition
Food as a tool for reflection on the present
Bartolomeo Bimbi Natura morta con arance, lime, limoni e lumie, ante 1715 Olio su tela / Oil on Canvas Courtesy Ministero della Cultura – Ville e Residenze Monumentali Fiorentine, Villa medicea di Poggio a Caiano, Museo della Natura Morta
One of the exhibition’s main takeaways is the realisation that food, whether we are eating it, preparing it or simply thinking about it, is everywhere. It surrounds us and touches virtually every aspect of human life. From religious paintings and magnificent 16th-century still lifes to Bompas & Parr’s immersive installation recreating a Pasta Shell Grotto inside the museum, the exhibition offers a remarkable variety of perspectives. Another highlight is Sweet Memories by Simone Post: a miniature flat covered in marshmallows and sweets, complete with a washing machine.
This is an exhibition well worth visiting with family or friends, whether to admire beautiful paintings, reflect on everyday rituals, or discuss your favourite Italian dish around a table that seems to have stepped straight out of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Bartolomeo Bimbi
Natura morta con ciliegie , 1699
Olio su tela / Oil on Canvas
113 x 152 cm (senza cornice); 175 x 200 x 20 (senza
cornice)
Courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Ville e Residenze
Monumentali Fiorentine, Villa medicea di Poggio a
Caiano, Museo della Natura Morta -Foto Gianluca Passarelli
Bartolomeo Bimbi
Natura morta con arance, lime, limoni e lumie, ante
1715
Olio su tela / Oil on Canvas
174 x 233 cm (senza cornice); 199 x 258 x 11,5 cm (con
cornice)
Courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Ville e Residenze
Monumentali Fiorentine, Villa medicea di Poggio a
Caiano, Museo della Natura Morta
110 Black-and-White Portraits Reveal a Different Side of American Life
From October 9, 2026 to January 31, 2027, Palazzo Esposizioni Roma presents Richard Avedon. In the American West, 1979–1984, an exhibition dedicated to one of the American photographer’s most ambitious projects. Curated by Clément Chéroux, director of the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, it brings together all 110 portraits from Avedon’s 1985 book In the American West for the first time in Italy, alongside archived materials that reveal how the series came together.
As you enter the galleries, the first thing that stands out is how little surrounds the people in the photographs. There are no sweeping desert landscapes or picturesque Western towns. Instead, visitors come face-to-face with the people who lived and worked there.
By the late 1970s, Avedon had already established himself as one of America’s most celebrated photographers. Known for his fashion photography for Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, he had spent much of his career photographing models, celebrities and public figures. But for this project, he turned his attention to people who rarely appeared in front of a professional camera.
The idea began in 1978, after a photograph Avedon took of a Montana ranch foreman caught the attention of the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Beginning in 1979, he spent five years travelling through 21 states, stopping at truck stops, livestock markets, slaughterhouses, mining camps and oil fields. He photographed more than a thousand people, eventually selecting the portraits that would appear in his book.
The timing was significant. While popular television shows portrayed an image of American wealth and success, recession and deindustrialization were affecting working communities across the country. Avedon’s subjects offered a very different view of the West.
The Power of Simplicity
Moving along the gallery walls, you begin to notice the same approach in every photograph. Each person stands against a plain white backdrop, photographed from the front in natural light. Without a workplace or surrounding landscape to distract you, the smallest details become impossible to ignore: a stained shirt, a tired expression, a particular way of holding the hands.
The people in the photos are identified by their names, occupations, and the places and dates they were photographed. Among them are coal miners, farmworkers, truck drivers and young children. Some look directly at the camera with confidence while others seem uncomfortable or guarded. Together, their portraits go against the familiar image of the American West as a place defined by cowboys and open landscapes.
Although the images may seem random, Avedon carefully arranged each sitting. Working outdoors with a large-format camera, he watched how his subjects moved and reacted, sometimes directing their poses. The result sits somewhere between a documentary record and a portrait deliberately constructed by the photographer.
The photographs are displayed in the same sequence as the original book, with blank spaces on the walls representing its empty pages. This unusual arrangement gives visitors a chance to pause between faces rather than rush from one portrait to the next.
One of the most memorable portraits is that of Ronald Fischer, a beekeeper photographed in Davis, California, in 1981. Standing shirtless before Avedon’s camera, Fischer is covered in bees, with insects clustered across his body. It is an image that is difficult to pass without stopping.
A nearby explanation reveals just how carefully the photograph was planned. Fischer’s body was coated in queen bee pheromone to attract the swarm, and Avedon made 121 exposures over two days. He ultimately chose the image in which Fischer appears almost meditative despite the insects surrounding him. The portrait makes clear that Avedon was not simply recording what happened to be in front of him; he was also creating the conditions for an extraordinary image.
Elsewhere, the exhibition opens up the process behind the portraits through archival material from the Richard Avedon Foundation. Visitors can see Polaroids taken before sittings, handwritten notes and correspondence with the people photographed. The Polaroids were not just tests: their numbers connected each person to a file containing their name, permission to publish and contact details, allowing the studio to later send them a print, a book and an exhibition invitation.
Some of the silver gelatin prints still carry Avedon’s handwritten instructions to his printers, indicating which areas should be enhanced or softened. These small traces show the work that went into photographs whose simplicity can otherwise seem effortless.
Particularly revealing is a letter from Cheryl Harrison to Avedon, written after the original exhibition opened in 1985. She describes how much the experience meant to her family and suggests that anyone who looked beyond the photography would see the people themselves. Her words give the sitters a voice in a series that initially sparked debate over how the American West had been portrayed.
First shown at the Amon Carter Museum in 1985, In the American West has since become a landmark of twentieth-century portrait photography. At Palazzo Esposizioni Roma, the impact lies not only in the images themselves but in the time you spend looking at each person. Running until January 31, 2027, the exhibition invites visitors to see an America often overlooked, one face at a time.
From 3 November to 13 December, more than 30 events across the city celebrate the art, music, design and traditions of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
When people think of Rome, the first things that come to mind are history, art and Roman food. Yet for more than a month the city also turns its gaze north: Novembre Nordico returns for its fifth edition with Tracce nordiche a Roma, a festival that brings the culture, art and traditions of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden to the capital.
From 3 November to 13 December, the Nordic embassies, the Circolo Scandinavo and the four Nordic cultural and scientific institutes, the Danish Academy, the Finnish Institute, the Norwegian Institute and the Swedish Institute of Classical Studies, have put together more than 30 events across the city, many of them free.
Music, literature, food, art, design and cinema all have a place in a program built to bring Italian and Nordic cultures closer, through exhibitions, concerts, walks, talks, cooking classes and workshops for children.
Villa Lante, home of the Institutum Romanum Finlandiae
Art, design and history
Two special events open the way before the official start. On 27 October, the Finnish trio FREETA performs a contemporary folk concert at Villa Lante, in collaboration with the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. On 28 October, the Hessenza showroom hosts RYTSOLA, Meet the Designer, a presentation of the Finnish family company’s interior design collections, including RYTSOLA x MOOMIN, inspired by the famous characters created by Tove Jansson.
The program officially opens at the Danish Academy with 70 anni di vita e arte all’Accademia di Danimarca, a series of exhibitions marking the institute’s 70th anniversary, open on selected dates from 3 to 28 November. It is made up of three shows: Painted in Rome, Photographed in Rome and Danish Design in Rome. On 10, 17 and 24 November, free guided tours (booking required) also reveal the history and architecture of the Academy.
Sweden’s bond with the city runs through Queen Christina, born 400 years ago. On 2, 3 and 5 November, the Archivio di Stato hosts Cristina di Svezia tra storia, arte e libertà, three days of guided tours, workshops and talks linked to the exhibition Come sole frà le stelle. On 11 November the Swedish Institute celebrates the anniversary with an evening of history, Baroque dance and music, and on 15 November visitors can enter the historic halls of the Vatican Apostolic Library to see manuscripts from the Queen’s collection.
Villa Lante on the Janiculum, designed by Giulio Romano and home of the Finnish Institute, also opens its doors on an exceptional basis on 6 and 20 November.
For lovers of the performing arts, from 6 to 8 November the Embassy of Norway brings Cirkus Antero to the Mattatoio as part of Romaeuropa Festival, a show by Norwegian performer, juggler and author Frida Odden Brinkmann. On 7 and 8 November, Teatro Vascello hosts How Romantic, by Greek choreographer Katerina Andreou with Carte Blanche, Norway’s national dance company.
Music plays a leading role in this edition. From 10 November to 3 December, the second edition of Organum Multiplum, presented by Villa Lontana, brings contemporary organ music to churches such as Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere and the Pantheon. On 12 November, the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano hosts the premiere of For Organ and Brass by Swedish composer Ellen Arkbro.
Classical music takes center stage at Villa Lante with two concerts dedicated to Jean Sibelius, marking 125 years since his stay in Italy, and to other twentieth-century composers. Finnish baritone Tommi Hakala performs on 18 November, followed on 23 November by Finnish-Spanish soprano Iris Candelaria.
Literature, gastronomy and traditions
Literature is another key part of the festival. On 17 November, at the Spazio Sette bookshop, Norwegian author Aslak Nore presents L’alleanza di ghiaccio, the third and final chapter of his Falck family saga. The program also includes readings, author meetings and book presentations on Nordic culture and design.
To get a closer look at everyday life in Northern Europe, the festival also offers food events and activities for families. On 17 November, Kimmo Kettunen, chef of the Finnish Embassy, leads a free online cooking class on lihapiirakka, a fried meat-filled pastry and a symbol of Finnish street food. On 26 November, another online workshop teaches how to make Swedish köttbullar, the famous meatballs.
The Christmas atmosphere will not be missing: the Swedish Christmas market at the Church of Sweden in Rome returns on 20, 21 and 28 November, with food specialties and festive decorations.
Christmas market decorations at the Church of Sweden
Discovering Nordic Rome
For those who want to see the city in a different way, the Circolo Scandinavo leads three Nordic walks on 7 and 28 November and 13 December, following the traces left by Scandinavian artists in Rome from the eighteenth century to today.
The festival closes on 13 December with the opening of Borders, the new chapter of the OPENBOX7 exhibition project by the Associazione Amici dell’Aventino, created with the Circolo Scandinavo. The exhibition, which explores the idea of borders as a cause of violence and forced migration, runs until 28 February 2027.
Between art, music, literature and popular traditions, Novembre Nordico invites Romans and visitors alike to look at the city from a different perspective. For more than a month, Rome becomes a meeting point between Italy and Northern Europe.
Discovering the best things to do in Rome in November
November brings some of the year’s most interesting experiences in Rome for anyone who loves culture. As autumn settles over the city, the calendar fills up: Roma Jazz Festival takes over the Auditorium and Casa del Jazz for most of the month, Romaeuropa Festival reaches its final weeks, Roma Arte in Nuvola gathers around 140 galleries at EUR, and for one night Museums in Music keeps the city’s museums open until 2am. Later in the month, the Vienna Philharmonic and Riccardo Muti perform at Saint Paul Outside the Walls.
Here are the best events in Rome in November 2026, from art exhibitions to concerts, festivals and film.
Exhibitions this November in Rome
November in Rome brings the autumn’s major exhibitions at full strength, plus one of the most anticipated openings of the season.
The big news is Marina Abramović at the Galleria Nazionale, opening November 18 for the artist’s 80th birthday. The show pairs landmark performances such as The Artist Is Present with her Transitory Objects, stone and crystal structures that visitors can sit or lie on. On view until April 4, 2027.
Vassily Kandinsky at Palazzo Bonaparte remains the season’s biggest draw, the first monographic show devoted to the Russian master of abstraction in Rome in 25 years. Advance booking is recommended.
The two big October openings are also on view: Keith Haring at the Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi, with over 140 works from the Nakamura Collection tracing his path from New York subway drawings to his final paintings, and Pontormo at the Scuderie del Quirinale, the first monographic exhibition ever devoted to the Florentine master of Mannerism, built around loans from the Uffizi. At the Museo Storico della Fanteria, Renato Guttuso: Mediterranean Soul pays tribute to one of the great figures of 20th-century Italian painting.
At Palazzo Esposizioni, Richard Avedon: In the American West 1979-1984 shows all 110 portraits from the celebrated series. Ranch hands, miners, waitresses and drifters were photographed outdoors against a plain white backdrop, and the prints hang alongside working Polaroids and letters from the archive. On view until January 31, 2027.
Near the Spanish Steps, PM23, the cultural space of the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti, presents AURA, which pairs Valentino Garavani with the Polish painter Ewa Juszkiewicz, on view until February 21. Just outside, in Piazza Mignanelli, stands Selva, a work by Edoardo Tresoldi, the artist known for his wire-mesh architectures.
What better way to feel the heartbeat of Rome than catching some live music? Alongside the Roma Jazz Festival, November is packed with concerts for every taste.
Rome’s historic jazz festival reaches its 50th edition with a programme dedicated to the centenary of Miles Davis. Paolo Fresu opens on November 1 with Kind of Lives, followed by Kurt Elling with the Yellowjackets, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Gonzalo Rubalcaba with Hamilton de Holanda, Erik Truffaz and Gregory Hutchinson. Italian names include Enzo Favata, Rosa Brunello and Chiara Civello with Clap! Clap!. Two concerts outside Rome celebrate John Coltrane’s centenary. The festival closes on November 24 with Jason Miles and 100 Miles for Miles Davis.
From 3 November to 13 December, Rome turns its gaze north with the fifth edition of Novembre Nordico, a festival promoted by the embassies and cultural institutes of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. More than 30 events, many of them free, spread across the city. The program opens at the Danish Academy with a series of exhibitions celebrating its 70th anniversary, and includes concerts dedicated to Sibelius at Villa Lante, Norwegian dance and circus at Romaeuropa Festival, and events marking 400 years since the birth of Queen Christina of Sweden. You’ll also find book presentations, online cooking classes, Nordic walks and the Swedish Christmas market on 20, 21 and 28 November.
Danish Academy, Villa Lante, Swedish Institute, Circolo Scandinavo, Teatro Vascello, Mattatoio and other venues discover moreNovembre Nordico
November 5 – 15 | MedFilm Festival
The MedFilm Festival brings Mediterranean cinema to the heart of Rome. Now in its 32nd edition, running from November 5 to 15, 2026, MedFilm is the city’s longest-running film festival and showcases films from the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa. The programme includes premieres, international feature and short film competitions, retrospectives, masterclasses and panel discussions. This year it opens with the Italian premiere of Only Rebels Win by Danielle Arbid, and Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi receives the Lifetime Achievement Award. Screenings and events take place at The Space Cinema Moderno, the festival’s main venue, as well as Teatro Palladium, Archivio Flamigni and Casa del Cinema.
The Space Cinema Moderno, Teatro Palladium, Archivio Flamigni, Casa del Cinema discover moremedfilmfestival.org
Until November 15 | Romaeuropa Festival
November brings the closing weeks of Romaeuropa Festival, which runs until November 15. The 41st edition is one of the richest ever, with 100 shows, 240 performances and around 1,000 artists from all over the world. There’s still time to catch the final part of the autumn programme, with music, theatre, dance, digital arts and work created for younger audiences, staged at venues across the city.
Roma Arte in Nuvola, Rome’s international fair of modern and contemporary art, returns to Fuksas’s Nuvola in EUR for its sixth edition from November 20 to 22, 2026. Around 140 Italian and international galleries take part, with works ranging from painting and sculpture to photography and contemporary practices, plus the new Approdo Roma section.
Germany is this year’s guest country and presents the group exhibition Viaggio in Italia. Nostalgia dell’Italia, with works by artists including Candida Höfer and Thomas Struth. The programme also includes exhibitions dedicated to Giorgio de Chirico, Corrado Cagli and Hidetoshi Nagasawa, talks, performances and a satellite exhibition at the Casa Museo Mario Praz.
November 21 – 25 | International Festival of Sacred Music and Art
The International Festival of Sacred Music and Art returns to Rome and the Vatican for its 25th edition, from November 21 to 25, 2026. This year’s festival is dedicated to world peace and marks two anniversaries: 400 years since the dedication of St. Peter’s Basilica and 800 years since the death of St. Francis of Assisi.
It opens with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on November 21, followed that evening by the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Riccardo Muti, performing Mozart’s Coronation Mass at the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. The programme continues on November 22 with the choir of the Escolanía de El Escorial, again at Saint Paul Outside the Walls, followed by Monteverdi’s Vespers performed by the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir at the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major on November 23, and a Mozart evening at the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola on November 24 to mark the 270th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
St. Peter’s Basilica, Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola discover morefondazionepromusicaeartesacra.org
November 21 | Museums in Music
On Saturday, November 21, 2026, Museums in Music returns for its 16th edition. From 8pm to 2am, Rome’s museums stay open late for concerts and dance performances, including the Capitoline Museums, Centrale Montemartini, the Ara Pacis Museum, the Trajan’s Markets, the Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi and the museums of Villa Torlonia. State and private museums, foreign academies, universities and other cultural spaces across the city also take part.
Manifesto Fest celebrates its tenth anniversary with four nights of electronic music, sound experimentation and visual arts, spread across three venues in Rome. The line-up mixes established names and new voices, including Kode9, Quantic, Mad Professor, Alessandro Cortini, Populous, Carmen Villain and Maria Arnal. It opens on November 25 at the Nuovo Teatro Orione, moves to the Chiesa Valdese on Via IV Novembre on November 27, and closes with two nights at Monk on November 28 and 29.
Nuovo Teatro Orione, Chiesa Valdese, Monk discover more Manifesto Fest
November 26 | Thanksgiving
Plenty of restaurants and venues in the Eternal City serve a classic Thanksgiving dinner, so you can celebrate with your loved ones without missing out on a thing.
November 27 – December 4 | RIFF Awards, Rome Independent Film Festival
From November 27 to December 4, Rome becomes the capital of independent cinema with the 25th edition of the RIFF, the Rome Independent Film Festival. For a quarter of a century, the festival has brought new international cinema to the city, with Italian premieres of feature films, documentaries, shorts, animation and experimental work, plus a pitch session for screenplays. This year the programme also hosts the second chapter of the Climate Future Film Festival.
Nuovo Cinema Aquila, Cinema Palazzo San Lorenzo discover moreriff.it
From November 27 | New Season at Rome’s Teatro dell’Opera
The new season at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma opens on November 27 with Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, returning to the Costanzi after 58 years in a new production conducted by Music Director Michele Mariotti and directed by Rafael R. Villalobos, making his Rome Opera debut. The season brings 12 new productions across opera and dance, with nine operas, two operas in concert featuring Anna Netrebko and Cecilia Bartoli, seven ballets, three special events and two tours by the Ballet Company. Discover the full programme at operaroma.it.
Explore Rome’s markets in all their variety: vintage finds and collectibles, artisan craft, independent fashion and design, Japanese culture and retro gaming, with something for every taste as the holiday season approaches.
Ficus al Massimo | Garum Museo della Cucina | 14-15 November
Roba Bella Market | Sabo District, Via Mesula 12 | 14-15 November
On Saturday 21 November 2026, Rome’s civic museums stay open late for the 16th edition of Musei in Musica (Museums in Music). From 8pm to 2am, concerts, dance and live performances take over the halls of the Capitoline Museums, the Ara Pacis, Villa Torlonia and more than a dozen other venues across the city.
Last year around 34,000 people took part, making it one of the most popular cultural nights of the year in Rome.
For one night, the museums of the Sistema Musei di Roma Capitale become stages for classical music, jazz, contemporary sounds, dance and theatre, with performances designed for the spaces that host them. It’s a chance to hear live music surrounded by ancient sculpture, Renaissance frescoes and modern art, and to see some of the city’s collections at an unusual hour.
The same ticket gives access to the performances, the permanent collections and the temporary exhibitions on show in each museum. Doors open at 8pm and close at 2am, with last entry at 1am. Admission costs €1 per museum.
The full programme of concerts and shows will be published in November on the Musei in Comune website. We’ll update this page as soon as it’s out.
Other venues may join the programme once it’s announced.
Musei in Musica 2026: FAQ
When is Musei in Musica 2026?
Saturday 21 November 2026, from 8pm to 2am, with last entry at 1am.
How much does it cost?
Admission is €1 per museum, and the ticket includes the performances, the permanent collections and the temporary exhibitions.
Do all the concerts take place on the same night?
Yes. All performances in every participating museum take place on the evening of 21 November, so you can move from one museum to another during the night.
Where can I find the programme?
The programme will be published in November on the Musei in Comune website. This page will be updated with the highlights as soon as it’s available.
The best Halloween parties and events in Rome in 2026
Witches, ghosts, spiders, and cobwebs; it must be Halloween time! Here Romeing shares with you some of the best creepily cool parties which are taking place on October 31 in Rome. It’s time to get freaky!
Fun fact: While Halloween may not be as rooted in Italian traditions as it is in the United States or some other countries, it’s a holiday that’s been steadily gaining popularity in recent years. Italians are slowly embracing the spooky spirit and creating a buzz around Halloween like never before.
Get ready to experience an unforgettable Halloween in Rome!
Forget the usual Halloween club night: this year, Rome is getting a darker, more artistic kind of party. On October 31, CULTO transforms MACRO into an immersive playground of electronic beats, hypnotic light installations and unexpected performances. Explore Hyperstudio’s striking visual works, catch four cult horror films playing on loop inside the Red Cube, and encounter painted bodies and living statues throughout the museum. With a total-black dress code and exclusive masks, the night invites everyone to step into a mysterious new identity. Expect art, music and a little Halloween weirdness, all under one roof.
AMOR at Balagan
Balagan – Via Aldo Palazzeschi,15 From 6PM Tickets: from €16 on DICE
The club that kept people dancing all year hosts AMOR for its last open-air event of the season. The main stage belongs to Francis Mercier, one of the most talked-about DJs right now, who has played shows all over the world, followed by Sander Costanzi. In the club room, Romano Alfieri B2B Luca Bree, Ludo Erre and Erica Menei will keep the crowd moving all night, while Griselli and Capponi take over the decks in the living room. Three stages and ten hours of music.
Hell’Oween at Alcazar
Alcazar –Via Cardinale Merry del Val, 14 From 11 PM Tickets: €15 available on XCEED
Get ready for a night of house music, disco and funk at Alcazar Live in the heart of Trastevere. Behind the decks: Les Inferno and Mario Lembo.
Non Aprite quelle finestre, Halloween Party at Palazzo San Lorenzo
Palazzo San Lorenzo – Piazza dei Sanniti, 9a From 10.30pm Tickets: from €10 on DICE
The name nods to a horror classic, and the night follows suit. On Saturday, October 31, 2026, ‘na Coccola brings its Halloween party to Palazzo San Lorenzo on Piazza dei Sanniti, with a theme built around horror cinema: dark atmosphere, a touch of mystery and a grim storyline running through the night. Zü and Friends take over the decks from 10:30 p.m. until late. Costumes aren’t required, but with a theme like this it’s worth dressing the part.
Lost in Halloween Party at Serre Barberini
Serre Barberini From 8.30pm Buffet standing dinner for €35, or after dinner entry for €20 info: bookings at +393342532673, Ig lost In events
Inside the greenhouses of Palazzo Barberini, a buffet dinner will be served with a glass of wine included. If you just want to party, come for the after-dinner, with a DJ set and drinks. Don’t forget to RSVP! Dress code: costumes are mandatory.
Halloween Night at Teatro Centrale
Teatro Centrale – Via Celsa, 6 From 11.30pm Info and reservations: +39 376 203 1885
A few steps from Piazza Venezia, Teatro Centrale turns its historic hall into a Halloween stage for one night. On Saturday, October 31, the club opens at 11:30 p.m. and keeps the party going until late. Costumes aren’t mandatory but are welcome, so it’s a good fit if you want to dress up without the pressure of a strict theme.
Satyrus : The ghosts of Villa Borghese
Saturys – Scalea Bruno Zevi, Villa Borghese from 11PM tickets: from €40 on fourvenues
Spend the scariest night of the year in Villa Borghese. From 11 p.m. on Saturday, Satyrus, the outdoor bar at Scalea Bruno Zevi, turns into a dark, spooky venue for one night. A Halloween party under the stars.
Disclosure
Circolo dell’Aeronautica Militare from 6:30 PM Tickets: from €10 on XCEED
From 6:30 PM until 3AM you can forget who you are and become someone else with Disclosure. 2 stages of Disco and Tech House will play for 8 hours. Alongside amazing music and beats, scary actors and decorations will make the night even more immersive and spooky. If you’re scared you won’t keep up with the rhythm, some food trucks will be there to make sure you’ll dance all night. Prepare your best outfit and get ready to dance! Dress code: Costumes are mandatory and prizes will be given to the most originals.
Croccante at Palazzo dei Congressi
Palazzo dei Congressi From 11PM Tickets: from €25 available here
Croccante’s last event of the year is one not to miss. With past editions drawing thousands of people, Croccante knows how to throw a party. This time, inside the imposing Palazzo dei Congressi, the theme is Ancient Rome. There’s no dress code, but dressing for the theme will be appreciated!
Halloween Party at The Rome Edition
The Rome Edition – Salita di San Nicola da Tolentino 14 From 11.30pm
The Rome EDITION near Piazza Barberini celebrates Halloween with a night organized by VOID and Brunch and Beats. The special guest is Emanuele Inglese, back in Rome for a three-hour DJ set, with Lea Semic on the warm-up. There are three ways to join. You can book dinner at Anima, the hotel restaurant, with a three-course tasting menu from 8:30 p.m., or go for an aperitivo in the garden and Punch Room, also from 8:30 p.m., with a welcome drink and bites. If you only want the party, the after-dinner option starts at 11 p.m. and includes a drink. All three give access to the DJ set. Entry is by reservation only and a mask is required.
On October 31, Cinecittà World stays open all night, from 11 a.m. until 6 a.m. Attractions run until at least 11 p.m., including the horror houses and this year’s new Haunted Theatre, with evening repeats of the shows. The night also hosts three separate events: NEON x 240 KM/H Rome Halloween Takeover, Dead West Halloween Festival, where two DJ stages keep the western village dancing until 4 a.m., and Halloween Requiem Festival with special guest Sick Luke. Each event requires its own ticket, as the standard Halloween Night ticket doesn’t include access to any of them.
Spring attitude Festival with IVREATRONIC
Teatro 26, Cinecittà studios, Via Tuscolana 1055 From 9PM to 4AM Tickets: from €17,50 on DICE
Trade trick-or-treating for a night on the dance floor. This Halloween, Spring Attitude takes over Cinecittà’s Teatro 26 for seven hours of electronic beats, live performances and club energy. With DJ sets by Cosmo, Leonar, Foresta, Santapazienza and Barbarella Le Mariage, plus a live performance by Pan Dan, expect a night of experimental sounds and non-stop dancing in one of Rome’s most iconic cinematic settings. The perfect Halloween plan for music lovers who would rather party than stay home!
Halloween Sucks at Cinema Troisi
Cinema Troisi – Via Girolamo Induno 1 From 5PM ‘till morning Tickets from €8 on their website or onsite
Not in the mood for a party? Cinema Troisi in Trastevere is hosting “Halloween Sucks,” a vampire movie marathon that starts at 5 p.m. on October 31 and runs until dawn. Eight cult films back to back, from Abel Ferrara’s “The Addiction” to Park Chan-wook’s “Thirst” and Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” with Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” in its restored version at 9 p.m. as the highlight of the night. The last screening, Jim Jarmusch’s “Only Lovers Left Alive,” starts at 7:30 a.m.
Halloween at Monk
Monk – Via Giuseppe Mirri, 35 From 9PM Tickets: €13 on XCEED
Dance all night with DJs Luzy and Corry X, plus a DJ set by Banana Boat. A fortune teller will be there to read your cards, and a makeup artist will make your look even scarier.
A rich program at the Rome Opera House: discover the magic of opera, ballet, and great music at the historic Costanzi Theatre.
Teatro dell’Opera di Roma has gained an increase in international prestige over the years, hosting performances by world-renowned artists such as Caruso, Gigli, Del Monaco, Maria Callas, Renata Tebaldi, Montserrat Caballé and Raina Kabaivanska, as well as acclaimed orchestra conductors Toscanini, De Sabata, Klemperer, Abbado and the Master Riccardo Muti since 2008. And the 2026-27 season is no exception.
The new season takes its title from a line in Lucia di Lammermoor, “il dolce suono mi colpì” (“the sweet sound struck me”), and spans almost three centuries of music: from Gluck’s 18th century to the 20th century of Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Bartók and Bernstein, by way of Verdi, Donizetti, Puccini, Rossini and Giordano, all the way to a world premiere by Nicola Sani.
The new season at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma offers 12 new productions across opera and dance, with 9 operas, 2 operas in concert, 7 ballets (one performed by students of the Ballet School), 3 special events and 2 tours by the Ballet Company. Performances are split between the Teatro Costanzi, the Teatro Nazionale and the Teatro Valle, which reopens this year.
The dance program ranges from great classics such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote and a new Raymonda to leading names in contemporary choreography, including John Neumeier, Wayne McGregor, Alexander Ekman and Sharon Eyal. Guest stars include Marianela Nuñez, Daniil Simkin, Vadim Muntagirov and, for the first time at the Costanzi, Alina Cojocaru.
Also on the program are special events and concerts spanning music, dance and theatre, from one-night-only performances by Anna Netrebko and Cecilia Bartoli to an Easter concert in Orvieto Cathedral. The season will culminate, as every year, with the Rome Opera summer festival.
The new Opera di Roma season opens, as usual, on November 27, this time under the sign of Stravinsky. The Rake’s Progress returns to the Costanzi after 58 years in a new production conducted by Music Director Michele Mariotti and directed by Spanish director Rafael R. Villalobos, making his Rome debut. Further performances run from November 29 to December 5, and the production is broadcast by Rai Cultura.
Umberto Giordano’s Andrea Chénier (January 17 to 26, 2027) returns in Marco Bellocchio’s production, with Daniel Oren on the podium. Sonya Yoncheva, Brian Jagde and Ludovic Tézier lead the cast, alternating with Angela Meade, Gregory Kunde and Ariunbatar Ganbaatar.
A new production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor (February 21 to 28) is staged by American choreographer Karole Armitage, making her Costanzi debut, with sets and costumes by Daniela Ciancio. Giacomo Sagripanti conducts. Jessica Pratt sings Lucia, alternating with Gilda Fiume, while Edgardo is sung by Xabier Anduaga and René Barbera.
Verdi’s I due Foscari (March 13 to 21) returns in Pier Luigi Pizzi’s 2001 production, reimagined for the occasion. Riccardo Frizza conducts, with Nicola Alaimo making his role debut as Francesco Foscari alongside Marta Torbidoni and Kang Wang.
Robert Carsen returns to the Costanzi with Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride (April 18 to 27), absent from Rome for 40 years, in the production first seen at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Alessandro De Marchi conducts, with Axelle Fanyo in the title role.
Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District (May 14 to 22) is staged at the Costanzi for the first time in its history, in Barrie Kosky’s production for the Komische Oper Berlin. Juraj Valčuha conducts, with Olesya Golovneva and Dmitry Ulyanov in the leading roles.
A new production of Verdi’s Il trovatore (June 22 to July 1) is directed by Daniele Menghini and conducted by Nicola Luisotti, both making their Rome Opera debuts. The cast includes Marina Rebeka and Vasilisa Berzhanskaya (Leonora), Vittorio Grigolo and Angelo Villari (Manrico), Ekaterina Semenchuk (Azucena) and George Petean (Count di Luna).
After 26 years, Puccini’s La rondine (September 18 to 26) returns in a new production by Andrea Bernard conducted by Francesco Lanzillotta, with Ermonela Jaho and Francesco Meli as Magda and Ruggero.
The opera season closes with Rossini’s La Cenerentola (October 1 to 10), directed by Mario Martone and conducted by Michele Mariotti, in a co-production with the Abu Dhabi Festival. It is staged at the Teatro Valle, where the opera premiered in 1817, in the year the theatre reopens. Angelina is sung by Ekaterine Buachidze, a graduate of the “Fabbrica” Young Artist Program, alongside Dave Monaco, Paolo Bordogna, Pietro Spagnoli and Luca Tittoto. This production is also broadcast by Rai Cultura.
Dance
The 2026-27 dance season opens with Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, on stage at the Costanzi over the holidays from December 17 to 31 in Benjamin Pech’s choreography, conducted by Ido Arad. Fumi Kaneko dances Odette/Odile, while Vadim Muntagirov and Paul Marque, Étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, alternate as Siegfried.
From February 4 to 10, 2027, John Neumeier returns to the Costanzi with Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler, a new production for which he also designs the sets, costumes and lighting. Simon Hewett conducts. Alina Cojocaru, former Principal Dancer of the Royal Ballet, guests in three performances, her first on the Rome stage.
From March 31 to April 4, the triple bill Motus brings together three leading names in contemporary choreography: Nicolas Blanc’s From Afar, set to music by Ezio Bosso, Wayne McGregor’s Borderlands, his first work at the Costanzi, and Alexander Ekman’s Fit.
Minkus’s Don Quixote (June 4 to 11) returns in Laurent Hilaire’s choreography, conducted by Martin Yates. Marianela Nuñez and Patricio Revé dance Kitri and Basilio on June 4 and 6, with Madeleine Woo and Daniil Simkin on June 8 and 10.
The season closes from October 6 to 13 with a new production of Raymonda, set to Glazunov’s score, choreographed by Jean-Guillaume Bart and featuring students of the Ballet School. Nicolas André conducts. The production is broadcast by Rai Cultura.
Concerts and special events
Two operas in concert and three special events complete the program.
December 4, 2026, Teatro Costanzi. Anna Netrebko sings Judith in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle, with bass Alexander Köpeczi and the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Henrik Nánási. The program also includes Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 and Piano Concerto No. 1, with soloist Misi Boros.
March 3, 2027, Orvieto Cathedral. Michele Mariotti conducts the Orchestra of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, with Emőke Baráth and Sara Mingardo. The concert is broadcast by Rai.
March 18, 2027, Teatro Costanzi. The Orchestra Nazionale Barocca dei Conservatori, conducted by Ignazio Maria Schifani, plays Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 on period instruments, marking the bicentenary of the composer’s death, alongside two unpublished concertos by Ranieri Nanni in their first modern performance.
April 21, 2027, Teatro Costanzi. In dialogue with Iphigénie en Tauride, Sergio Rubini performs Piccinni e Gluck, una corona per due, a theatre piece by Valerio Cappelli about the famous rivalry that divided late 18th-century Paris.
May 27, 2027, Teatro Costanzi. Cecilia Bartoli returns as Rosina in Rossini’s Il barbiere di Siviglia, exactly forty years after first singing the role at the Rome Opera. She is joined by Les Musiciens du Prince-Monaco conducted by Gianluca Capuano and the Rome Opera Chorus.
At the Teatro Nazionale
A second season runs alongside the Costanzi’s at the Teatro Nazionale, with titles focused on new work and the next generation of artists.
November 24 to December 3, 2026. Students of the Ballet School perform Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker in Paul Chalmer’s choreography.
December 18 to 23, 2026. Bernstein’s Peter Pan is staged for the first time in Italy, with Luca Micheletti as both director and performer.
January 23 to 27, 2027.Le Cenerentole features artists from the “Fabbrica” Young Artist Program and the Rome Opera Children’s Chorus, directed by Antonella Lo Bianco. The show is also designed for schools.
April 20 to 24, 2027. The triple bill Echoes brings together Rafael Bonachela, Sharon Eyal and Diego Tortelli, who creates the new piece PINK FLOYD’s DIAMONDS.
May 19 to 26, 2027. World premiere of Nicola Sani’s Code: Unknown, with a libretto by Franco Ripa di Meana, who also directs. Marco Angius conducts. The opera tells the story of a man and a boy separated by a form of neurodivergence, and is accompanied by an accessibility program for autistic people.
May 23, 2027. Marking 35 years since the Capaci and Via D’Amelio massacres, Gery Palazzotto’s È ancora troppo presto revisits some of the darkest chapters in Italian history, directed and narrated by Isabella Ragonese, with music by Rodrigo D’Erasmo.
Summer Season
In summer 2026, while restoration works were underway at the Baths of Caracalla, the Rome Opera House moved its summer festival to the Circo Massimo. From June 29 to July 31, the program brought together opera, ballet, cinema and symphonic music under the Roman night sky, with highlights including Aida, Roberto Bolle and Friends, Romeo e Giulietta, Carmina Burana and The Gladiator in Concert.
With the holiday season in full swing, Rome in December fills up with concerts: international soul voices, Italian pop and songwriting, jazz duos and the gospel choirs of the Roma Gospel Festival, spread across the Auditorium Parco della Musica, the Palazzo dello Sport, Teatro Brancaccio and Atlantico.
Here are the best concerts in Rome in December 2026.
The Vicenza-born singer-songwriter brings her Disincanto Tour to Atlantico: a minimal, theatrical show built on large white screens and an intimate band setup.
Runner-up at Sanremo 2025 and fifth at Eurovision with “Volevo essere un duro”, the Tuscan songwriter plays his first arena tour with a full band, brass, percussion and choirs.
The Roman singer and actress, winner of Sanremo 1996 with Ron, mixes popular song, world music and storytelling in one of the Auditorium’s most elegant pre-Christmas evenings.
December 7
Auditorium Parco della Musica (Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30)
The Sicilian crooner celebrates twenty years of “This Is What You Are” and presents his new album Two Entities, with new arrangements designed for the theater.
Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto and Gianluca Ginoble return to Italian arenas with a show devoted to the Italian musical tradition, a natural fit for the weeks before Christmas.
The Roman singer plays a home-town show in the Sala Santa Cecilia, revisiting the hits of a career that took off with X Factor and continued through several Sanremo appearances.
December 22
Auditorium Parco della Musica (Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30)
America’s best-known gospel choir, performing since 1986 and raising funds for charity, brings its traditional Christmas Day show to the Roma Gospel Festival.
December 25
Auditorium Parco della Musica (Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30)
Five nights in the Sala Petrassi with L’ornamento delle cose secondarie: In Teatro, built around his new album, with a setlist that changes from one night to the next.
December 26-30
Auditorium Parco della Musica (Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30)
The Milanese songwriter and his band take the Sala Santa Cecilia through classics like “Domenica bestiale” and “Fiore di maggio”, plus some lesser-known gems.
December 27
Auditorium Parco della Musica (Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30)
The eleventh edition of Rome’s contemporary art week kicks off on October 19th
The Eternal City is hosting the eleventh edition of “RAW – Rome Art Week”, an initiative dedicated entirely to contemporary art, with over 450 events, 676 artists and 71 curators, as well as many exhibitions and open studios.
Rome Art Week is an annual event spread across the city. Its aim is to give art lovers, collectors and scholars an overview of the contemporary art scene in the capital, through hundreds of events in exhibition spaces, artists’ open studios and free cultural projects created specifically for the week, while building a network between venues, artists and curators.
The week opens on Monday 19 October, from 6 pm to 9 pm, at Auditorium Albergotti (Via Francesco Albergotti) with 85 secondi, a collective performance project curated by Roberta Melasecca.
RAW – Rome Art Week also organises guided tours throughout the week, divided by area or theme. They take place on foot, in small groups, with visits to exhibition spaces and artists’ studios. Don’t miss the walks through the neighbourhoods of Rome, exploring galleries, associations and museums. The tours are free and can be booked on the official website.
A varied and well-established programme, RAW aims to place Rome at the centre of today’s art scene, alongside other major European capitals. Events take place both in the city centre and in the outer neighbourhoods, involving as many local realities as possible. Galleries, foundations, museums, cultural institutions and associations, academies, Italian and foreign cultural institutes and independent spaces open their doors with exhibitions, talks, meetings, performances and special openings.
Artists open their studios to welcome visitors, collectors and professionals into their workspaces and offer new insight into their work. Curators present their research through exhibitions and cultural events in spaces across the city. Artists’ collectives, encouraged by the organisers, help new contemporary art movements emerge.
To guide the public through the many proposals, critics, curators, intellectuals and artists active in Rome offer their own selection of participants and events.
Most events are free, though some require booking and a few are by invitation only. For the full calendar, visit romeartweek.com/en/events.
Roma Jazz Festival comes back for its 50th edition.
From November 1 to 24, the Roma Jazz Festival returns for its 50th edition, across Auditorium Parco della Musica “Ennio Morricone,” Casa del Jazz, and Alcazar, bringing together some of the world’s most exciting artists, from jazz legends to fearless new innovators. Dedicated to Miles Davis for the centenary from his birth, the festival proves once again how jazz is a language in continuous evolution.
As artistic director Mario Ciampà puts it: “the history of the festival is, in part, the history of jazz itself”
Roma Jazz Festival is one of the most important European festivals that, for half a century, has brought not only the historic great names of the international scene to Rome but also, with tireless curiosity and sensitivity, those representatives of the new generations who continue to innovate a genre of music that is by its nature boundless.
The festival opens with Paolo Fresu who inaugurates the 50th edition with Kind of Lives, the latest recording project from the play Kind of Miles, written and interpreted by the artist himself. On stage, on Fresu’s side, he will be accompanied by two ensembles, one paying homage to Davis and the other one representing the revolutionary musical evolution.
Yellowjackets will have their comeback on November 4, but this time, they will be hosting Kurt Elling, defined by the Guardian as “a sort of Frank Sinatra with superpowers”. An unmissable meeting between the best jazz singer in the world and one of the most iconic bands will take place at The Roma jazz festival for its 50th anniversary.
A mix of energies
On the 5th of November, more iconic artists will take over the stage: Steve Colemanand hisFive elements are ready to make their audience dance. The American saxophonist, known for mixing jazz with hip-hop, creates a funky rhythm that, together with the Five elements, will be an explosion of energy and groove.
On 6 November, Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Rio de Janeiro mandolin virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda share the stage at the festival for the first time with Collab, their joint project. The two masters of Latin jazz bring intricate melodies, rhythmic complexity and fiery improvised exchanges. Another leading name on the Italian scene, Chiara Civello (23 November) presents her upcoming album, born from her collaboration with producer Clap! Clap!.
Outside Rome, two concerts mark John Coltrane’s centenary with A Love Supreme: the Rieti Jazz Orchestra at the Chiesa di San Domenico in Rieti (15 November) and the Priverno Jazz Orchestra at the Abbazia di Fossanova (22 November).
The 50th edition closes on 24 November with 100 Miles for Miles Davis.
On the 6th of November, the initiative will put together the Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba with the Brazilian mandolinist Hamilton de Holanda. The two masters of latin jazz will be brought together to create an intense musical dialogue characterized by intricate melodies and a complex rhythm.
Steve Coleman
Italian sounds
During the festival, the Italian presence will also be tangible through many different artists. From two trios of Domenico Rizzuto (Nov 8) and Eleonora Strino (Nov 13),to Rosa Brunello with her latest album We Are Surging Waters and Enzo Favata (Nov 16) with his Atlantico, an iconic project blending jazz, South American sounds and poetry.
Another protagonist of the itialian scenery is Chiara Civello (Nov 23) who will present her new project with Clap! Clap!. The collaboration will be a fusion of jazz and electronic music, art-pop and clubbing, anticipated by the single Me and the Trees.
Homages to the Bigs of Jazz
On November 17, the festival pays tribute to Miles Davis with New Sketchesof Spain, a performance combining jazz and flamenco while revisiting Davis’s celebrated 1960 album Sketches of Spain. The project brings together Franco-Swiss trumpeter Erik Truffaz and flamenco saxophonist and singer Antonio Lizana. The following day, American drummer Gregory Hutchinson takes the stage to revisit Davis’s repertoire, drawing inspiration from the legendary drummers who accompanied the trumpeter throughout his career.
On November 19th, the spotlight turns to another jazz legend, Sonny Rollins, through the tribute by the CDO–Casa del jazz Orchestra, conducted by Mario Corvini and featuring Javer Gìrotto. Rollins, who passed away at the age of 95, remains a memorable presence in the festival’s history following his celebrated 2009 performance in Rome.
Outside of Rome, two meetings will pay homage to the centenary of John Coltrane at Abbazia di Fossanova and of the Rieti Jazz Orchestra at Chiesa di San Domenico in Rieti.
A Grand Finale
The 50th edition of the Roma Jazz festival will conclude on November 24 with 100 Miles for Miles Davis, a major tribute to the legendary musician who transformed the history of jazz. The project is led by keyboardist, producer and composer Jason Miles, whose career includes collaborations with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross. The closing performance promises to celebrate the enduring influence of one of the most innovative figures in twentieth-century music.
50 years of Jazz
Produced by IMF Foundation in collaboration with Fondazione Musica per Roma, and supported by Regione Lazio and the Ministry of Culture, the Roma Jazz Festival continues to celebrate the richness and versatility of jazz music. Its 50th edition offers audiences the opportunity to discover different sounds, explore new musical perspectives and experience the genre’s enduring ability to evolve while remaining deeply connected to its roots.
1 November Paolo Fresu, Kind of Lives Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Sinopoli, 18:00
4 November Kurt Elling & Yellowjackets, Celebrate Weather Report Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Petrassi, 20:00
5 November Steve Coleman and Five Elements Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Petrassi, 20:00
6 November Hamilton de Holanda & Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Collab Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Petrassi, 20:00
7 November EIC Eden Inverted Collective by Zoe Pia, Atlantidei Casa del Jazz, 19:30
8 November Domenico Rizzuto Trio, Disastri Quotidiani Casa del Jazz, 18:00
13 November Eleonora Strino Trio Casa del Jazz, 19:30
14 November Nexus Quartet, Appunti di Viaggio Casa del Jazz, 19:30
15 November Rieti Jazz Orchestra, Focus Coltrane Chiesa di San Domenico, Rieti, 18:00
16 November Enzo Favata, Atlantico Reunion Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Petrassi, 20:00
17 November Erik Truffaz & Antonio Lizana, New Sketches of Spain Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Petrassi, 20:00
18 November Gregory Hutchinson, Kind of Now: The Pulse of Miles Davis Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Petrassi, 20:00
19 November CDJO Casa del Jazz Orchestra conducted by Mario Corvini, with Javier Girotto, Tenor Madness Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Petrassi, 20:00
20 November Omasta Alcazar, 21:00
21 November Jeremy Pelt Quintet Auditorium Parco della Musica, Teatro Studio Borgna, 20:00
22 November Fiabe Jazz, Musicanti di Brema Swing Band Auditorium Parco della Musica, Teatro Studio Borgna, 11:00
Rosa Brunello, We Are Surging Waters Auditorium Parco della Musica, Teatro Studio Borgna, 18:00
Priverno Jazz Orchestra, Focus Coltrane Abbazia di Fossanova, Priverno (LT), 18:00
23 November Chiara Civello & Clap! Clap!, CCCC Auditorium Parco della Musica, Teatro Studio Borgna, 20:00
24 November Jason Miles, 100 Miles for Miles Davis Auditorium Parco della Musica, Sala Petrassi, 20:00
In November, Rome is all about the rich program of the Rome Jazz Festival, but not only that. There’s also plenty of anticipation for Italian and international artists such as Francesco De Gregori, Malika Ayane, Brunori Sas and Francesca Michielin. Check out the list of the best concerts in Rome in November 2026 below.
The first major Pontormo retrospective ever held outside Florence
An innovator and one of the most original painters of the 16th century, Jacopo Carucci, known as Pontormo, is the subject of a major exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, open until 7 February 2027. It is the first large monographic show on the artist ever held outside Florence, and the first time since 1956 that so many of his masterpieces have been brought together in one place.
The exhibition is curated by Cristina Acidini, with a scientific committee of Elena Capretti, Philippe Costamagna, Bruce Edelstein and Carlo Falciani, and organised by Ales-Scuderie del Quirinale in partnership with the Uffizi Galleries.
What to see at the Pontormo exhibition
The show follows Pontormo’s life in chronological order, from his early work in republican Florence to the great commissions for the Medici and the Church, with sections devoted to his drawings, his portraits and his writings. Across 10 sections it brings together over 130 works, 84 of them by Pontormo: paintings, detached frescoes and a large selection of drawings.
Loans come from the Uffizi, the Galleria Borghese, the Louvre, the National Gallery and the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, alongside churches across Tuscany. Highlights include the Supper at Emmaus, often seen as a forerunner of Caravaggio, and two paintings based on cartoons by Michelangelo, the Noli me tangere, restored for the occasion, and Venus and Cupid.
Don’t miss the Libro mio, the diary Pontormo kept between 1554 and 1556, filled with notes and small sketches. For centuries it was read as proof of an eccentric, tormented personality; the exhibition catalogue offers a more balanced reading.
Pontormo (Jacopo da Pontormo), Pala Capponi: Pietà (Trasporto di Cristo), 1525-1528 circa, olio su tavola, 313 × 192 cm Firenze, chiesa di Santa Felicita, cappella Capponi Per gentile concessione dell’Arcidiocesi di Firenze
The Capponi Altarpiece
One of the most striking loans is the Capponi Altarpiece (1525-1528), the Pietà also known as the Deposition, which has left its chapel in Santa Felicita in Florence together with the four roundels of the Evangelists by Pontormo and Bronzino. The display recalls the architecture of the chapel itself. Figures spiral upwards around the body of Christ in a swirl of pink and pale blue, colours so bright that they soften the drama of a scene that, on the surface, is about death.
Pontormo’s portraits
Pontormo worked for the Medici for most of his life, and the exhibition includes a large group of portraits painted for the family and for other leading figures of the time. Balanced between formal rigour and psychological depth, they feel strikingly modern: these are faces from five centuries ago that still hold your gaze.
The best example is the Halberdier, whose identity is still debated. Behind his confident, almost defiant military pose there is a hint of melancholy, as if the soldier’s composure had been broken for a moment by a thought or a memory. The exhibition also shows Bronzino’s Lady in Red, painted by Pontormo’s most gifted pupil: an elegant woman in shimmering velvet with a small dog in her arms, whose direct gaze makes her both noble and approachable.
Pontormo, Portrait of a Halberdier, c. 1529-1530, oil on canvas, 95.3 × 73 cm, Los Angeles, The J. Paul Getty Museum
Pontormo treated saints with the same freedom. His Saint Michael the Archangel is no warrior leading the heavenly armies, but a fair-haired young man in a graceful, almost casual pose, resting one leg on the shoulders of the cherub at his feet.
The Visitation and Bill Viola’s The Greeting
The theme of the Visitation opens and closes the exhibition. The first rooms feature Pontormo’s early fresco of the meeting between Mary and Elizabeth (1514-1516), detached from the Chiostrino dei Voti in Florence’s Santissima Annunziata: the work that made his name in the city. The last room is reserved for the Visitation from Carmignano (1528-1532), his most famous painting, on loan from the church of San Michele Arcangelo near Prato. Four women in vivid robes meet in an almost abstract space, in a silent embrace that is one of the most memorable images of the Italian Renaissance.
Pontormo, Visitation, 1528-1532, oil on panel, 202 × 156 cm, Carmignano (Prato), San Michele Arcangelo. Courtesy of the Diocese of Pistoia. Photo: Antonio Quattrone
The Visitation also inspired Bill Viola, whose slow-motion video installation The Greeting premiered at the 1995 Venice Biennale. To mark the exhibition, it is on show at Santa Maria Antiqua in the Roman Forum, inside the Colosseum Archaeological Park, from 11 October 2026 to 6 February 2027. Seeing both works makes for a rewarding double visit.
Pontormo’s drawings
Drawing was where Pontormo’s talent showed most clearly, and the exhibition gives it plenty of space. Many of his models came straight from the street: workshop boys sketched from life in natural, ever-changing poses. Five hundred years on, their gestures and expressions still look surprisingly familiar.
Pontormo, Nude Raising His Arm (recto), c. 1525
“The exhibition is a major organisational challenge, a bold curatorial gamble and proof of how institutional synergies can achieve extraordinarily ambitious results. But it is also, and above all, a unique opportunity for the public to come face to face with one of the most seductive and beloved artists of the entire Renaissance.”
Matteo Lafranconi, Director of the Scuderie del Quirinale
Visiting the Pontormo exhibition in Rome
The Scuderie del Quirinale are at Via XXIV Maggio 16, a short walk from the Trevi Fountain. The exhibition is open daily from 10am to 8pm, with last entry at 7pm. Allow at least an hour and a half, and book online to avoid queues, especially at weekends.
Beyond catastrophe lies wonder. The Vatican Apostolic Library invites visitors to a five-year long thematic exhibition cycle, beginning with its first installment: AQVA.
For the first time in history, the Vatican Apostolic Library opens its doors to the public with a brand new, five-year long project: Catastrophe and Wonder. A one of a kind exhibition, the Vatican’s centuries old heritage is presented alongside contemporary art that brings together science and the imagination.
In partnership with Fondazione Roma, supported by Intesa Sanpaolo, Catastrophe and Wonder aims to explore the natural threats to the written world. Elements such as fire, water, light, insects and mankind are highlighted, with visitors invited to reflect on how these dangers can, at the same time, be the very things that inspire and heal. If we allow ourselves to look beyond fear, what will we discover? Catastrophe, or wonder?
The first chapter of this showcase, AQVA, runs from September 25th until May 14th, 2027. Visitors will get to explore the duality of water as both a life-giving force, and one of destruction. The hour-long audio guided tour takes you through threats that have endangered the library’s collection over the centuries, transforming disaster into discovery.
Curated by Don Giacomo Cardinali, Simona De Crescenzo, Francesca Giannetto, and Delio Proverbio, AQVA is more than an exhibition; it is the opening chapter of a major cultural initiative.
The experience begins before you even enter the building. A towering 70-meter wave seems to engulf the library’s 16th-century facade. Created by French artist JR, the installation, titled Diluvium, recreates the biblical flood as imagined by Gustave Doré in an 1866 wood engraving. The work is striking and immediately sets the tone for the rest of the visit.
Entering through JR’s wave, Vatican staff welcomes visitors with a brief presentation on the structure of the visit and everyone is then handed audio guides. Awaiting at the top of the staircase lies a special display of books and images bathed in a deep blue light.
The initial collection commemorates the 60 year anniversary of the Florence flood of 1966, when the waters of the Arno River claimed not only human lives but also destroyed the halls and storage areas of the National Library. The large-scale photograph and reproductions come from a photo album, preserved at the Vatican Library, to illustrate the scale of the disaster.
Leaving the blue room behind, visitors enter a space filled with manuscripts, printed books, engravings and artifacts from the Vatican’s centuries-old collections, from Apicius’s De re coquinaria to Giovanni Battista Ramusio’s travel accounts, marine bestiaries and water-themed coins.
In the center are displayed copies of Ippolito Salviani’s 470-year-old treatise Aquatilium Animalium Historiae, which contains dozens of engravings and studies of marine life. Originally published in 1557 under the Vatican Library itself, it is the symbolic heart of the exhibition.
The next half of the room features a unique combination of fonts and fish, created by American artist Bill Moran. His typography series, titled LetterFish, aims to establish a connection between the past and present. Taking a closer look at the marine creatures, visitors will discover letters, numbers and typographic symbols that make up each of the 14 original prints on display.
The third voice in the exhibition is chef Fulvio Pierangelini, who brings together water, cuisine and memory. Through six original gastronomic narratives, he explores the cultural value of food, natural resources and raw ingredients, broadening the scope of the exhibition.
The following section allows visitors to catch a glimpse of the restoration process from the official Laboratory of the Vatican Apostolic Library. While natural disasters such as flooding can cause irreversible damage to ancient manuscripts and books, water is also used as an essential tool for the preservation of parchment.
The journey concludes with Undae, JR’s second art installation featured in the reflective Barberini hall. Another black and white wave is projected onto a screen, but this time it is presented not as a threat, but as a space for contemplation. Water has stayed the same throughout the exhibition, but in the final room, we realize it is only our perspective that has changed.
Visits to AQVA are by reservation only. Regular visits with audio guides available in Italian and English are held on Saturdays, whereas private tours are only available on Fridays. Expect to spend about one hour inside, and don’t forget to take the elevator up to the 4th floor, where you can visit the Sistine Library, a space that is rarely open to the public.
From the streets of New York to the historic rooms of Palazzo Braschi, Keith Haring’s art has found a new home in Rome. From October 6, 2026, to April 11, 2027, the Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi opens its doors to Keith Haring: Art Without Borders, an exhibition dedicated to one of the most recognizable artists of New York’s turbulent 1980s.
Curated by Kaoru Yanase, Ilaria Miarelli Mariani and Claudio Zambianchi, the exhibition brings together more than 140 pieces drawn from the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection, the largest collection in the world dedicated to the artist.
Haring’s work was never meant to stay inside a museum. His art was born in the streets, the subway and the hectic landscape of New York. His simple lines, his Barking dog, his Radiant Baby, and his Dancing figures, became iconic figures that could be recognized almost instantly. At the heart of the exhibition is Haring’s deep belief that art is for everyone.
Inside Haring’s world
From the first room, visitors are immersed into Haring’s unmistakable universe. The exhibition also highlights his connection with Italy, where the artist left his mark during the 1980s.
Before his work entered any museum, Haring was drawing in the New York City subway. His famous Subway Drawings transformed empty advertising panels into temporary canvases, turning everyday journeys into unexpected encounters with art. From there, the exhibition moves through his iconic imagery, including the figures that would become instantly associated with his name.
But behind the playful characters and colorful images lies a much more serious side of Haring. Moving through the rooms, his work becomes intrinsically connected to the political and social issues of the time. LGBTQ+ rights, racism, violence, AIDS and apartheid all become subjects of his visual language. Apparently simple, his art holds messages that are not as easy to comprehend.
“Life is so fragile. It is a very fine line between life and death. I realize I am walking this line”
wrote Haring in 1986.
The words take on particular weight in the exhibition’s final section. Apocalypse and Altarpiece: The Life of Christ, created during the last years of his life, reveal a darker and more introspective dimension of the artist. Altarpiece is displayed inside the chapel at Palazzo Braschi, creating an unexpected dialogue between Haring’s contemporary visual language and the historic space surrounding it.
The exhibition ultimately returns to the idea that defined Haring’s career: art is for everyone. His drawings began on subway walls and moved into galleries, schools, hospitals and public spaces. In Rome, they now occupy the rooms of the Museum while still preserving their message.
Haring’s art was born in the streets of 1980s New York, but that does not mean that his language is not still relevant today. More than thirty years after his death, his figures still live for those who are willing to see them.
A day of shopping and family activities at Rome’s designer outlet
The Fashion Festival is back for autumn. On Sunday 11 October, Castel Romano Designer Outlet hosts a full day of discounts and special offers, at the same time as every other McArthurGlen centre in Italy. Opening hours are extended for the occasion, from 9am to 8pm, and the cafés open early at 8am.
For one day only, participating brands are offering up to 70% off the outlet price on autumn-winter clothing and accessories, with each brand discounting at least three items. Brands taking part include Nike, Michael Kors, Karl Lagerfeld, Woolrich, Adidas, Dsquared2, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Sunglass Hut, alongside a range of other promotions. It’s a good chance to stock up on winter essentials before the cold sets in.
The Fashion Festival is also designed as a day out for the whole family. There’s a playground and balloons for children, a dog area for four-legged visitors, and the chance to explore nature at the WWF-affiliated Castel Romano Oasis. When you need a break, the centre’s restaurants offer everything from quick snacks to sit-down meals, with plenty of outdoor seating.
Getting there
The outlet is at Via del Ponte di Piscina Cupa 64, off the SS Pontina at the Castel Romano exit. If you’re not driving, a paid shuttle bus runs from Termini Station (Via Giolitti), with extra departures from 8:30am. A second shuttle leaves from Eur Fermi metro station (Viale America) from 9am, free for McArthurGlen Loyalty Club members.
To plan your visit, you can browse the full list of discounted items in advance on the centre’s official website.
On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October, the multidisciplinary festival of contemporary arts returns to Rome
This year, the fifth edition of Romadiffusa has chosen the Esquilinoneighbourhood as its stage. After last year’s success, with more than 80,000 visitors, over 100 iconic locations and more than 200 artists, musicians and creatives taking part, the travelling festival is heading to the city’s most multicultural district for 2026.
Expect roving performances, concerts and live music in the square, exhibitions spread across the area, open studios by artists and artisans, private homes opening their doors, readings and stand-up comedy in bars and osterie, workshops, tours and much more.
The dates are 10 and 11 October, when the neighbourhood becomes a diffused cultural platform connecting artists, residents, communities, cultural institutions and local businesses, with a programme that winds through squares, markets, gardens, museums, historic buildings, bars and shops.
Piazza Vittorio will be the heart of the event, and from here a packed programme will spread out across the area: from the work of eight artists at the Nuovo Mercato Esquilino (among them Fiamma Montezemolo, Wu Ming 2 and Lorenzo Teodonio, Lulù Nuti and Andreco) to readings of Chinese diaspora literature at Hang Zhou (Sonia‘s well-known Chinese restaurant), all the way to jazz concerts under the porticoes of Gatsby and video art at Machiavelli. The Accademia Costume & Moda will host several events: a video screening by Rä di Martino, a live show of the podcast Dicono di te by Malcom Pagani (Chora Media) and, finally, a site-specific installation by Numero Cromatico on the building’s façade.
The concept behind the 2026 edition
The theme of the fifth edition is “ROMA CITTÀ ETERNA ODIERNA” (Rome, city of eternity today). The title reveals the aim of placing, alongside the Rome known worldwide for its historical and artistic heritage, a contemporary Rome that is alive and changing. A city that is not just an “open-air museum”, but a dynamic, participatory place that produces culture today.
“All too often, the way the city is portrayed, even when it’s done well, relies on the ‘open-air museum’ idea and on a narrative that ignores its contemporary, vibrant side. At the same time, Rome struggles to work as a system: the public sector rarely talks to the private sector, artists and creatives find it hard to secure funding for larger-scale projects, and there are countless organisations working on similar projects without knowing about each other, with no container where they can come together and emerge. Romadiffusa wants to be that container.”
Sara D’Agati, Artistic Director of the festival
The all-female team behind Romadiffusa, a project founded in 2021 by Sara D’Agati and Maddalena Salerno, is mapping the entire city, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, in search of its most authentic and interesting places: artisan workshops, bookshops, artists’ studios, libraries, museums and historic buildings, but also hidden courtyards, traditional bars and osterie, grocery shops, bakeries, creative spaces and small galleries. Original places that, sadly, are often at risk of disappearing.
At the same time, for each edition, artists, musicians, performers and designers are brought in through a research process and a “call for content” to create site-specific work.
The Romadiffusa Esquilino programme
Piazza Vittorio becomes one of the festival’s main hubs, with a programme that blends music, talks, sport and performance.
Art takes over the streets with a series of exhibitions and installations across the neighbourhood: works by Cecilia Sammarco appear at Torrefazione Ciamei and Bar allo Statuto; Caterina Silva curates an exhibition of emerging women artists from different cultures, spread between a bakery, a minimarket and local shops; and Andrew Iacobucci creates a site-specific installation at Bar D’Amore.
Many artists are opening their private studios to the public, including Fiamma Montezemolo and Tarek Elhaik, Mohamed Keita, Serafino Maiorano and Elena Bellantoni, while the neighbourhood’s galleries host special events at Ultravioletto and La Nube di Oort, with the finissage of Mexican artist Hiram Constantino.
The area’s cultural institutions are also taking part with special openings and events: Palazzo Merulana hosts a performance by Chinese artist Yuan Gong, curated by Liliana Liao; Acquario Romano and the Giardino di Confucio join the programme with performances, dedicated activities and talks (including one featuring the Eterobasiche and the Bambole di pezza, organised by Fanpage in collaboration with Romadiffusa). Fondazione Treccani Cultura brings a lecture performance by Thony and Sofia Assante to the square, at Horti Magici.
Tours
Rounding off the programme are tours and workshops to explore Esquilino from unexpected angles: from architecture tours with Panteon Magazine and Casa dell’Architettura to places of worship with Superdiversa, a neighbourhood tour with Unexpected Itineraries, an esoteric tour, and workshops in mosaic, woodcarving and tailoring.
All events are free, except for some workshops, tours and talks with limited places, which can be booked here.
All about the 21st edition of Festa del Cinema di Roma
The 21st edition of the Rome Film Festival, produced by the Fondazione Cinema Per Roma, will take place between October 13 and 25 at Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, with one of the world’s largest red carpets.
Beyond the Auditorium, the Rome Film Fest will occur in multiple locations across the city of Rome, including the Casa del Cinema in Villa Borghese, the MAXXI, Teatro Olimpico ACEA, Cinema Giulio Cesare, Teatro Palladium, Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo, Teatro Ateneo, and even the Fiumicino Airport Terminal 1, where passengers will get the chance to participate in an immersive experience of Italian cinema.
The official image
Every year, the Festa del Cinema di Roma chooses one historic image to pay homage to cinematic icons. In 2026, the official image depicts late Italian actress Monica Vitti as photographed by Sergio Strizzi on the set of Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Eclisse (1962). Vitti, who would have turned 95 this year, is depicted with a stern look amid stiff geometric shapes, typical of the EUR district.
The Festival will dedicate a photo exhibit to Strizzi as well as the premiere of Terrific Sergio, a documentary on the photographer’s life produced by his daughters, Vanessa and Melissa Strizzi.
55 countries are participating in the 21st edition of the Festa del Cinema di Roma. The official selection of the Rome Film Festival 2026 consists of the following sections:
Progressive Cinema Competition – Visions for Tomorrow’s World An international competition featuring fiction films, documentaries, and animated films.
Freestyle A non-competitive section showcasing works of free format and style, including series, music videos, films, and video art.
Grand Public A non-competitive section dedicated to mainstream cinema.
Special Screenings A non-competitive section.
Best of 2026 A non-competitive section featuring films from other international festivals, considered among the best of the season.
History of Cinema A non-competitive section focusing on classic films in restored versions, tributes, and a deeper exploration of the history of Italian and international cinema.
Alongside the film program, there will be exhibits, masterclasses, events, and a section dedicated to public discussions.
The Awards of Rome Film Festival 2026
This year, 18 films will contend in the Progressive Cinema Competition. A jury of cinematographers and professionals of the arts will assign the following awards:
Best Film
Grand Jury Prize
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best Actress
Best Actor
Special Jury Prize, selected by the President of the Jury in various categories
Poste Italiane, main partner of Rome Film Fest, will assign the Poste Italiane Debut Award to one of 14 eligible films from the categories of Freestyle Film and Progressive Cinema.
For the third year, RFF will also assign a Best Documentary Award to one of 14 documentaries from the categories of Special Screenings and Progressive Cinema.
Lastly, the general public gets to select the winner of the Terna Audience Award, named after the festival’s official sponsor, by voting for their favorite film through a QR code.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This year, the Rome Film Festival is honoring Javier Bardem with a Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowed by Academy Award winning director Paolo Sorrentino.
Bardem won an Academy Award for No Country For Old Men (2007) and starred in dozens of films and tv series, with over 80 acting credits under his belt. His newest, El Ser Querido, directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen and critically acclaimed at Cannes Film Festival, will be screened in the category of Best of 2026.
Opening Film
The opening film of Rome Film Festival 2026 will be Il Rumore delle Cose Nuove (The Noise of New Things) directed by Paolo Genovesi, starring Emanuela Fanelli, Edoardo Pesce, Claudia Pandolfi, Lino Musella, Stefano Accorsi, Vittoria Puccini, Claudio Santamaria, Edoardo Vitalone, and Rolando Ravello. The story follows three couples who are brought together by an unexpected event, which will break their inertia and light the spark of something new.
Official Selection
Here are the 18 films competing in the Progressive Cinema Competition:
Brianza directed by Simone Catania
Ceniza en la boca (Ashes) directed by Diego Luna
Closure directed by Michał Marczak
Congo Boy directed by Rafiki Fariala
Dua directed by Blerta Basholli
Eurotrash directed by Frauke Finsterwalder
Gæsten (The Guest) di Mads Mengel
Giorni felici directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli
I Love Boosters directed by Boots Riley
I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning directed by Clio Barnard
The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd directed by Tim Blake Nelson
Mustang directed by Kasia Smutniak
Sants directed by Mikel Gurrea
Skejtanjeto ne e za devojčinja (Skateboarding Is Not for Girls) directed by Dina Duma
Thit-Thee Khu (Fruit Gathering) directed by Aung Phyoe
Uļa (Ulya) directed by Viesturs Kairišs
Voilà, c’est fini directed by Gustave Kervern
Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep directed by Rakan Mayasi.
Dozens of other films and will be screened in the various categories, many of which star world-renowned artists who will be in attendance. Read the full list of screenings here on the Rome Film Festival official website here.
Cinema would be nothing without its greatest stakeholder: the audience. The general public is invited to participate in the festival, and tickets sell fast. Pre-sale starts on October 7 at 11am at https://romacinemafest.boxol.it or you can purchase tickets directly at the box office of Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. Ticket prices vary between €6 and €30.
21st Rome Film Festival
From October 13 – October 25
Main Venue
Auditorium Parco della Musica
Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30
Other Venues
MAXXI Via Guido Reni 4/A
Casa Del Cinema Largo Marcello Mastroianni 1
Cinema Giulio Cesare Viale Giulio Cesare 229
Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo Lungotevere Castello 50
Teatro Olimpico Acea Piazza Gentile da Fabriano 17
Legendary cars and motorcycles on track among the vineyards of Tenuta di Fiorano
Update, September 29, 2026
GranMotori has been postponed. Due to additional requirements at the historic venue, the festival will now take place from March 19 to 21, 2027, at Tenuta di Fiorano.
GranMotori, a new festival for motoring fans and anyone curious about Italian design, makes its debut in Rome this October. From October 15 to 18, Tenuta di Fiorano, a private estate that has never been open to visitors before, will welcome collectors, designers, engineers, drivers and enthusiasts for a program built around cinema, design, heritage and motorsport. The festival opens to the public on October 16.
It starts on October 15 with an invitation-only preview at the estate, which belongs to the Boncompagni Ludovisi family, one of Italy’s oldest noble houses. Tenuta di Fiorano lies inside the Appia Antica Regional Park, among vineyards, centuries-old trees and archaeological remains.
The idea behind GranMotori is to show cars alongside the country that created them and turned them into culture, the Italian way: through people, food, art and places. Here, a rare Cisitalia might share the stage with a plate of cacio e pepe, and a Lancia Stratos with a Fellini film.
“GranMotori grew out of a simple question: how is it possible that a country that helped write the history of the car and the motorcycle still doesn’t have its own international festival dedicated to motoring? We wanted to create a place where people, stories and passion come even before the cars, combining an international vision with a deeply Italian character and building a community that will live on well beyond the three days of the festival.”
Silvia and Mauro Dorigo, Co-Founders of GranMotori
And since this is a motoring festival, speed gets its space too. The cars and motorcycles taking part will run on a dedicated track of about 1.4 km, built inside the estate among the hills and vineyards.
The festival is organized into four sections: Reels & Wheels, dedicated to cinema and visual culture; Next, dedicated to design and innovation; Icons, dedicated to heritage and craftsmanship; and Limitless, dedicated to motorsport and passion. This first edition also celebrates three key anniversaries in Italian motoring history: 60 years of the Alfa Romeo Duetto, 100 years of Carrozzeria Touring and 120 years of the Targa Florio.
Some of the cars on show are attractions in their own right. The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Prototype, one of very few ever built and valued at more than €10 million, will be one of the most important pieces in the collection, together with the Alfa Romeo C52 Disco Volante, the famous concept car with its “flying saucer” shape, built in very small numbers and still one of the most photographed cars in Alfa Romeo’s history. There will also be a Cisitalia 202 SMM, twin of the car Tazio Nuvolari drove to second place overall in the 1947 Mille Miglia.
The Group B era will be represented by three Lancia legends: the Stratos, 037 Safari and Delta S4. A Ferrari F40 and a Vespa made famous by Roman Holiday complete a selection that spans more than a century, from the 1902 FIAT 12/16 HP to the current Ferrari Purosangue.
For the first time, judges from two of the world’s most prestigious motoring events will come together for a new festival: Richard Adatto, a judge at Pebble Beach, and Lorenzo Ramaciotti, President of the Jury at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
The festival will also host a special contest for fans of scale modeling, cinema and cars, with five participants building ten dioramas inspired by some of the most famous car scenes in film history.
In all, more than 200 cars and motorcycles will cover the full arc of Italian motoring culture: classic cars, youngtimers, supercars and collector cars, running on the track in timed races, parades and dynamic displays. Professional drivers including Federica Levi, Dario Costa and Roberto Di Giuseppe will be behind the wheel.
Off the track, the paddock hosts ACI regularity races, and a freestyle motocross show runs four times a day. If you want to try driving yourself, there’s a simulator, included in the ticket. The Wheel Theatre hosts talks and live conversations on the future of mobility, and street food comes from the team behind Taste of Roma. The festival is designed for different kinds of visitors: enthusiasts who come for the paddock and the stories of those who built and drove these cars, newcomers discovering motoring through design and cinema, and families.
Ready to buckle up?
Tickets and practical info
A day ticket costs €85, or €49 for young people aged 6 to 17. It includes on-site parking, access to the main areas and festival content, the parades and the Freestyle Show. If you’re short on time, there’s a half-day ticket for €49, and if you want to see everything at an easy pace, you can get a ticket valid for two consecutive days.
For a better view of the dynamic displays, there’s a grandstand ticket for €99 (€59 for young people), or you can add a €30 grandstand upgrade to a full-price ticket you’ve already bought. There are also two premium options:
Dreamers’ Experience (€205): lounge, grandstand, dedicated parking, buffet lunch and meet-and-greets with drivers and collectors.
Drivers’ Club (€470): private lounge in the historic villa, buffet by Michelin-starred chefs, aperitivo and meet-and-greets with the festival’s key figures.
Grandstand seats and premium options are limited.
The festival is open from 10am to 7pm, with last entry at 5pm. The public entrance is at Via di Fioranello 31.
Quartiere Vino Pigneto, the festival that turns Pigneto into one big natural wine tasting, is back on Saturday October 10, and for the first time it takes place in autumn. From 4pm to 9pm, more than 40 winemakers from Italy, France and Slovenia will be pouring in the neighborhood’s wine shops, bars and restaurants. A €20 pass gets you a glass and unlimited tastings.
The first three editions were held in spring, when winemakers are at their busiest in the vineyard. Moving to October makes it easier for them to come to Rome, and it also catches them at a different point in the year: the harvest has just ended and the new wine is only starting to take shape in the cellar. The organizers, SO2 Enoteca and Solovino, have called this edition the Ottobrata Romana, after the old Roman habit of spending sunny October days eating and drinking outside the city walls.
The route covers the whole of Pigneto, from the pedestrian stretch of Via del Pigneto to Largo dei Condottieri. Alongside the bars and restaurants that have been part of the festival since the start, some of the neighborhood’s historic shops will host winemakers for the first time. One of the new entries is Bar di Antonio, an old Pigneto bar that has found a second life with its cremolati made only with fruit. Necci dal 1924, a neighborhood institution, is the main partner.
Piazza Nuccitelli and Enoteca SO2 are the two points where you pick up your pass and glass. Piazza Nuccitelli also hosts talks with winemakers and experts from midday, focused on climate change and how farming and the way we consume are adapting to it.
Among the names already confirmed are Paraschos, a reference point for Collio wine, the Slovenian estate Stekar and Natalino Del Prete, one of the first to make natural wine in Puglia. Several producers are taking part for the first time, some of them from France. On the day you can buy bottles at a dedicated price, either from the winemakers themselves or from the participating wine shops.
Not just wine
The other new feature is a partnership with Campagna Amica, the Coldiretti farmers’ network, which brings a small market of Lazio producers to Piazza Nuccitelli. The idea is to put natural winemakers side by side with other small farms that work outside industrial production, with the same care for the land and for quality.
The festival has grown quickly. Last time, more than 2,000 people bought a tasting pass and over 10,000 walked through Pigneto, drawn also by the off events organized by local venues. When the tastings end at 9pm, the evening usually carries on in the neighborhood’s bars. If you want to make a day of it, start with our guide to Pigneto.
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