ArRoma – Festival of Non-Roman Romans

A festival about the hybrid identity of the Capital

ArRoma – Festival of Non-Roman Romans was born from a simple and quintessentially Roman idea: Rome has never belonged solely to the Romans. It is a city built, generation after generation, by those who arrived from Abruzzo, Puglia, Sicily, the Marche, and more recently, from every corner of the globe. The festival, promoted by the Lu.Pa. Association, focuses on these stories of arrival, rooting, and belonging—a choice rather than an inheritance. The play on words in the title—'ArRoma', with the typical inflection of the Roman dialect—immediately sets the tone: affectionate, popular, and far from academic.

Where it takes place: Municipio IV and the Tiburtina area

The event unfolds in Municipio IV of the Municipality of Rome, within the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. This is the north-eastern quadrant of the city, crossed by the Via Tiburtina and the Aniene river, encompassing neighborhoods such as Pietralata, Casal Bertone, San Basilio, Ponte Mammolo, Tiburtino III, and Colli Aniene. A territory that was historically a landing point for post-war internal migration and is now among the most multicultural areas of the Capital: it is hard to imagine a more fitting context for the festival's theme.

Why it is a project recognized by Roma Capitale

ArRoma is no improvised initiative. The project is included in the ranking of the 'Roma Creativa 365. Culture all year round' public call, the biennial tender through which Roma Capitale—via Zètema Progetto Cultura—supports cultural activities across all municipalities, both in the center and the suburbs, with over 8.5 million euros. The Lu.Pa. Association's application was admitted under Section 1/A, reserved for live performances in their various expressive forms (dance, music, performance art) and visual arts, achieving a score of 63/100.

What kind of programming to expect

Section 1/A of the call precisely defines the scope of eligible activities, and thus the nature of the festival:

• live performance in its various forms—theatre, dance, music, performance art;
• artistic actions and interventions not necessarily tied to a traditional stage;
• visual arts, including photography and painting exhibitions;
• activities designed to create widespread opportunities for gathering and socio-cultural growth within the neighborhood.

It is, therefore, a multidisciplinary festival with a local focus, designed to bring culture out of the historic center's circuits and into the daily life spaces of the municipality: squares, gardens, cultural centers, and civic hubs.

The Lu.Pa. Association

The Lu.Pa. Association is a Roman cultural entity active primarily in theatre and outreach. In recent years, it has brought its productions to various city festivals and municipal initiatives, moving consistently between live performance and projects with strong civic content. It is this vocation—theatre as a tool for collective storytelling—that gives ArRoma its unique imprint.

Program and dates

As of the writing of this entry, the detailed calendar for the 2026 edition has not yet been published by either the organizer or the official channels of Roma Capitale. The 'Roma Creativa 365' notice places the 2026 activities in the window between March 1st and October 15th, 2026: this is the timeframe in which to look for the programming. Those interested can follow updates on the Municipio IV channels and the Municipality of Rome's cultural portal, where the funded events are announced progressively.

A festival to keep an eye on

Neighborhood festivals like ArRoma are often the most interesting of the Roman summer: admission is almost always free, the audience consists of locals, and they take place in spots that tourist circuits never touch. For those visiting Rome who want to see a city beyond the postcard, they are a rare opportunity—and for those who live there, a way to recognize themselves in a shared history.