The Rome Opera House summer festival moves to the Circus Maximus, with opera, cinema, dance and music under the stars.

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In 2026, the summer festival changes location: it will not take place at the , which are currently undergoing restoration work, but at the Circo Massimo, one of the capital’s most emblematic archaeological sites.

From June 29 to July 31, 2026, the new venue will host the Rome Opera House’s summer season, bringing together opera, ballet, cinema, symphonic music and special performances in a unique dialogue between history and contemporary culture. With productions staged for audiences of up to 6,000 spectators beneath the Roman night sky, the Circo Massimo becomes both theatre and backdrop: a place where antiquity and performance meet.

The centerpiece of the 2026 edition is Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, presented in a new large-scale production staged by Davide Livermore. The vastness of the Circo Massimo amplifies the opera’s visual and emotional atmosphere, creating an immersive blend of music, architecture and history on an extraordinary scale.

However, the festival will open with a dedication to Saint Francis (Francesco. Un santo scomodo) by historian Alessandro Barbero – a reflective, honest portrait of a man whose history had been previously polished. 

Dance remains a central pillar of this year’s programme. Roberto Bolle returns with Roberto Bolle and Friends on July 14, bringing together the world’s most acclaimed dancers for a night of elegance. Meanwhile, the timeless Romeo and Juliet, set to  Sergej Prokofiev’s celebrated score and performed by the Ballet Company of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, blends emotional intensity with technical precision, fit for a production of such sweeping magnitude. 

The lineup also extends beyond traditional opera with symphonic and cinematic events, with a live presentation of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, with a live orchestra bringing the film’s soundscapes to life. A concert series featuring artists such as Riccardo Cocciante, Edoardo Bennato, and Patti Smith creates a meeting point between genres, generations and languages.

Closing the festival is Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana – a powerful composition perfect for a final sendoff into the Roman night, where music, movement, and ancient ruins coalesce into a sonic fresco. 

As dusk settles over the Eternal City this summer, the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma once again proves that Rome’s ancient spaces were never meant for silence. Beneath the stars, among ruins that bear witness to centuries of history, music and performance return to breathe new life into the city in timeless fashion.

INSPIRATION

Alessandro Barbero: San Francesco, un santo scomodo
June 29
Circo Massimo, 9:00 PM

The Gladiator in Concert
July 3–4
Circo Massimo, 9:00 PM

Riccardo Cocciante
July 6
Circo Massimo, 9:00 PM

Aida
July 12, 15, 18, 22, 26, 28
Circo Massimo, 9:00 PM

Roberto Bolle and Friends
July 14
Circo Massimo, 9:00 PM

Edoardo Bennato: Quando sarò grande
July 20
Circo Massimo, 9:00 PM

Romeo e Giulietta
July 24–25
Circo Massimo, 9:00 PM

Patti Smith
July 27
Circo Massimo, 9:00 PM

Carmina Burana
July 31
Circo Massimo, 9:30 PM

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