Arena Pietro Rosa

A neighborhood arena between the greenery and the sea

Arena Pietro Rosa is the summer open-air film festival held at Parco XXV Novembre in Lido di Ostia, within Municipio X of the City of Rome, in Lazio. The park, located between Corso Regina Maria Pia and Viale della Vittoria, is known to all local residents as Parco Pietro Rosa: a neighborhood green space that transforms into a true open-air cinema under the stars during the summer, just minutes from the beach.

The project and its creators

The initiative is promoted by Sbam Produzioni S.r.l.s., a Rome-based production company active in live entertainment and artistic programming. The Arena Pietro Rosa project was selected in the final ranking of the Rome Capital public notice managed by Zètema Progetto Cultura, in the section dedicated to neighborhood cinema arenas, with a score of 70 out of 100 and a grant awarded for both the 2025 and 2026 seasons. It is therefore a festival designed with a two-year horizon, intended to take root in the local fabric rather than ending after a single season.

Proximity cinema, more than just entertainment

The neighborhood arenas supported by Rome Capital serve a specific goal: to bring cultural programming outside the historic center, into peripheral districts and along the coast, restoring a social evening function to public spaces. In Ostia, this vocation is particularly evident, as Parco XXV Novembre is located in the residential heart of the Lido, an area where the number of permanent cinemas has progressively decreased over the years.

• Evening open-air screenings during the summer
• Programming designed for a wide audience, including families and children
• Equipped green space in a residential area, easily accessible on foot
• Neighborhood formula supported by a public grant from Rome Capital

Parco XXV Novembre, the green heart of the Lido

The park is no ordinary location for the people of Ostia. In previous years, Municipio X had already identified it as a venue for free summer film festivals, with calls for tenders requiring organizers to provide a minimum number of titles and a quota dedicated to children's entertainment. It is a space the neighborhood has learned to frequent in the evenings, when the heat of the day fades and the sea breeze makes it pleasant to stay outdoors until late.

Ostia in summer, between cinema and the coast

The festival is part of a very rich season for the Roman coast: during the summer months, Municipio X hosts numerous cultural initiatives, from arenas by the sea to festivals in parks, accompanying residents and visitors from late May until autumn. Those spending a day on the beach in Ostia can easily end the evening with an open-air screening without having to head back to the city center: this is the logic of proximity cinema that Rome Capital has been supporting for several years in the districts and on the coast.

What to expect

As a neighborhood arena, the atmosphere is informal and family-friendly: outdoor seating, a large screen, evening start times after sunset, and an audience largely composed of Lido residents. The detailed program of the festival is usually released close to the start of the season through the channels of Municipio X and the local coastal press.