Via del Circo MassimoThe Festival di Caracalla 2026 invites you to experience Rome in a new and extraordinary way — where ancient history and living art converge under the open sky. For this special season, the festival leaves its traditional home due to ongoing restoration of the historic Baths of Caracalla and moves to the monumental Circus Maximus — one of the most iconic and atmospheric spaces of the Eternal City, transformed into a vast open-air stage of breathtaking scale.
Set in the heart of ancient Rome, the Circus Maximus transforms in summer into one of the most spectacular open-air stages in the world as part of the renowned Festival di Caracalla. Once the largest stadium of the Roman Empire, where chariot races drew tens of thousands of spectators, this vast archaeological space today hosts grand opera, concerts, and ballet performances under the open sky.
Its sweeping expanse allows for large-format productions, bold сценография, and immersive staging that blend seamlessly with the timeless backdrop of Rome’s ruins. As night falls, the illuminated stage against the silhouettes of ancient hills creates a truly unforgettable atmosphere.
Despite its size, the venue retains a unique sense of magic — where history and performance meet, and where audiences experience music not only as art, but as part of a living cultural landscape.
At the Circus Maximus, the past and present converge — a legendary Roman arena reborn as a breathtaking stage for the Festival di Caracalla.