Rome Cultural Events January 2026: Free & Paid Activities You Can’t Miss

Event: Roma Capodarte 2026
Venue: Civic Museums & Cultural Spaces
Addresses:
- Capitoline Museums — Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Rome
- Ara Pacis Museum — Lungotevere in Augusta, 00186 Rome
Overview: City-wide festival offering free access to civic museums, guided tours, and artistic performances.
Price: FREE (some concert events may require pre-booking)
How to get there: Metro Line C (Colosseo) or Line B (Cavour) for Capitoline; Metro Line A (Spagna) for Ara Pacis; buses 40, 64, 70.
Official Website: culture.roma.it/romacapodarte

Event: Las Estrellas – Spanish Dance & Music Gala
Venue: Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Santa Cecilia
Address: Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30, 00196 Rome, Italy
Overview: Gala featuring flamenco and gypsy music by Sergio Bernal and company, including a stirring Boléro choreographed by Rafael Aguilar.
Price: From €38
How to get there: Metro Line A – Flaminio, then Tram 2 (5 min)
Official Website: auditorium.com

Event: Domenica al Museo – Free Entry to State Museums
Venue: National Archaeological Sites & Museums
Addresses:
- Colosseum — Piazza del Colosseo, 1, 00184 Rome
- Roman Forum — Via della Salara Vecchia, 5/6, 00186 Rome
- Castel Sant’Angelo — Lungotevere Castello, 50, 00193 Rome
Overview: Free entry to state-run monuments and museums.
Price: FREE
How to get there: Metro Line B – Colosseo; buses 40, 64
Official Website: beniculturali.it

Event: Closing of the Holy Door – Jubilee 2025
Venue: St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
Address: Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City
Overview: The Holy Door is officially sealed, marking the end of the Jubilee Year.
Price: FREE (access to the square); tickets required for interior access during Mass
How to get there: Metro Line A (Ottaviano) + buses 64, 40
Official Website: iubilaeum2025.va

Event: The Seagull by Anton Chekhov
Venue: Teatro Argentina
Address: Largo di Torre Argentina, 52, 00186 Rome, Italy
Overview: Tsv – Teatro Nazionale production exploring Chekhov’s classic themes of human destiny.
Price: €22 – €36
How to get there: Buses 63, 64, 87 (Largo di Torre Argentina stop)
Official Website: teatrodiroma.net

Event: UnaRoma – Visual Arts, Music, Film & Performances
Venue: MACRO Museum
Address: Via Nizza, 138, 00198 Rome, Italy
Overview: Intergenerational contemporary arts festival with exhibitions, screenings, music, and performances.
Price: Some events FREE; ticketed events ~€10–€15
How to get there: Metro Line B – Policlinico (10–12 min walk)
Official Website: macro.roma.it

January 8, 10 & 11, 2026 – Manfred Honeck & Seong-Jin Cho Concerts

Event: Manfred Honeck / Seong-Jin Cho — Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Venue: Auditorium Parco della Musica.
Address: Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30, 00196 Rome, Italy.
Overview: A distinguished classical music program featuring the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, conducted by Manfred Honeck, with celebrated pianist Seong-Jin Cho performing Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. The concert opens with Carl Maria von Weber’s Oberon Overture and closes with Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8.
Price: Various ticket categories available (generally ranging from €23 to €54) depending on seating.
How to get there: Auditorium Parco della Musica is located in northern Rome. It’s accessible by local buses and taxis; the nearest metro is Flaminio (Line A) with connections by bus or a short taxi/ride. (Specific route details may vary based on your starting point — check local transit apps.)
Official Website: https://santacecilia.it/concerto/manfred-honeck-seong-jin-cho

Event: La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini
Venue: Teatro dell’Opera di Roma – Teatro Costanzi
Address: Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 7, 00184 Rome, Italy
Overview: Winter season production; collaboration with Palau de les Arts Valencia.
Price: €20 – €150+
How to get there: Metro Line A – Repubblica (2-min walk); buses 85, 492
Official Website: operaroma.it

Event: La Chunga by Mario Vargas Llosa
Venue: Teatro India
Address: Lungotevere Vittorio Gassman, 1, 00154 Rome, Italy
Overview: Drama exploring love, desire, and social conflict.
Price: €20
How to get there: Metro Line B – Basilica San Paolo + short walk/bus ride
Official Website: teatrodiroma.net

Event: Blessing of the Animals
Venue: Piazza Pio XII, Vatican City
Overview: Traditional animal blessing, including horse parade by Carabinieri.
Price: FREE
How to get there: Metro Line A (Ottaviano) + bus 64, 40
Official Website: N/A

Event: Blessing of the Lambs
Venue: Basilica di Sant’Agnese fuori le Mura
Address: Via Nomentana, 349, 00162 Rome, Italy
Overview: Two lambs blessed for the Pope’s pallia; ancient tradition.
Price: FREE
How to get there: Metro Line B1 – Sant’Agnese/Annibaliano; buses 309, 314
Official Website: santagnese.org

Event: Free Entry – Vatican Museums & Deus sive natura Closing
Venue: Vatican Museums & Museo Carlo Bilotti – Villa Borghese
Addresses:
- Vatican Museums – Viale Vaticano, 00165 Vatican City
- Museo Carlo Bilotti – Viale Fiorello La Guardia, 6, 00197 Rome
Overview: Last Sunday of the month free entry; final day for Silvia Scaringella exhibit.
Price: FREE
How to get there: Metro Line A – Ottaviano; buses 49, 32; Villa Borghese buses 910, 116
Official Website: museivaticani.va | museocarlobilotti.it

Event: Beatrice Rana – Piano Concert
Venue: Auditorium Parco della Musica – Sala Sinopoli
Address: Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30, 00196 Rome, Italy
Overview: Prokofiev and Debussy program.
Price: From €25
How to get there: Metro Line A – Flaminio, then Tram 2 (5 min)
Official Website: auditorium.com

Event: I Concerti del Tempietto – Classical Recital
Venue: Sala Baldini (Teatro di Marcello)
Address: Piazza di Campitelli, 00186 Rome, Italy
Overview: Classical piano recital in a historic Roman venue.
Price: €15–€36
How to get there: Metro Line B – Colosseo; buses 63, 75
Official Website: tempietto.eu