The festival that brings Romans back to the city center returns in October
Romadiffusa is a project designed to reshape the narrative of the Eternal City. Founded by Maddalena Salerno and Sara D’Agati, the young entrepreneurs behind the creative agency Bla Studio, this initiative aims to break the status quo by periodically shining a spotlight on different areas of Rome.
Over the course of three or four days, these neighborhoods are transformed into vibrant creative platforms where contemporary content, from music and design to art, interacts with iconic locations.
Romadiffusa, under the claim ROMA CITTÀ ETERNA ODIERNA, aims to reframe the city, now increasingly overrun by mass tourism, by promoting active citizen participation in shared public spaces, with a strong focus on inclusivity and diversity in the selection of artists and venues. As in previous years, the autumn edition will be followed by a spring spin-off in a yet-to-be-determined Roman neighborhood.
Romadiffusa returns on 16-19 October 2025 in Rome’s historic center
The festival offers a unique chance to rediscover Rome’s historic center through an immersive experience that, in its previous edition, drew over 60,000 attendees and involved more than 200 artists and creators, while opening access to hundreds of iconic and hidden places across the city. This October edition promises a multisensory event with a broad intercultural scope, aiming to bring Romans and art lovers back to the heart of Rome, with utmost attention to the authenticity and uniqueness of its sites.
The program will focus mainly on the districts of Regola, Ponte, and Parione, and will include roving art performances, site-specific installations, concerts in historic libraries, rare book auctions, DJ sets in museums, music in historic workshops, painting labs, and much more. Courtyards of historic buildings will open exclusively for the occasion, as will private studios of artists and artisans. Most events are free and open access, with a limited number requiring reservations to ensure better organization.
This edition’s highlights
The music lineup is packed: Marianne Mirage in Piazza dell’Oro; a secret concert by Gabriele Amalfitano; Sun Hee You (piano) at Palazzo Braschi; Jacopo Martini at the Arco degli Acetari; a jam session in Piazza Pasquino; and a performance by Ethan Lara & Miistica in a historic lithography studio opened specially for the occasion.
Art and performance take over the center with site-specific installations and artist banners (Diego Gualandris, Nonno Burro, Gabriella Siciliano). In Piazza Farnese: a performance by Andreco; Palazzo Nardini is transformed by the experimental collective Vieni Fortuna; the Museo Barracco hosts an action by Jacopo Natoli; and Via del Governo Vecchio welcomes Cecilia Sammarco’s first solo show in Italy.
Historic venues become stages for electronic and experimental music: Biblioteca Vallicelliana (Camilla Pisani; ambient/drone/noise), Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza (Portamento), Museo Napoleonico (Disbanded), and the iconic French band La Femme in a former Roman amphitheater.
Art walks & artisan workshops: craft studios and galleries open with walkthroughs, cocktails, and guided visits (Lorcan O’Neill, Hermes Hermes, Richter, Eugenia Delfini, Eddart). A group show at Acquaforte Ferranti; painter Costanza Alvarez opens her studio in Palazzo Podocatari; and the Antica Libreria Cascianelli becomes a stage for dramaturgical experiments. Plus: guided tours (cinema, archaeology, queer history), painting/engraving/weaving workshops, and stand-up comedy in local bars.
Find the detailed program at romadiffusa.com.
16-19 October 2025
Historic centre of Rome
