BADA Festival – Beyond Aniene Doin' Autoproduzione

A festival of self-production beyond the Aniene

Since 2021, BADA Festival – Beyond Aniene Doin' Autoproduzione has been the event that brings together the galaxy of independent publishing in Rome: photocopied fanzines, underground comics, illustration, screen printing, micro-publishing, and small presses working outside commercial circuits. The name says it all: Beyond Aniene, across the Aniene river, in the north-east quadrant of the capital—the area of Montesacro and the Aniene Valley—historically far from the city centre's shop windows and thus a fertile ground for self-managed cultural experiences.

Where it takes place

The festival's home is the garden of Arci Brancaleone on Via Levanna, one of Rome's longest-running social spaces and a landmark for the city's independent music scene for decades. During BADA, the large outdoor space transforms into a sprawling fair: exhibitor tables occupy the garden, walls host exhibitions, and the stage welcomes concerts and DJ sets until late. Entry requires an Arci membership card, following the tradition of Italian cultural clubs.

What you will find

• Self-production market: dozens of authors, artists, collectives, and micro-publishers with fanzines, prints, illustrated books, and comic albums.
• Exhibitions: displays of illustration, comics, and graphic design set up for the duration of the festival.
• Workshops: screen printing, printing, bookbinding, drawing, and self-production techniques, often free and open to all ages.
• Presentations and talks: meetings with authors and independent publishers about the craft of self-publishing.
• Music: evening concerts and DJ sets, with a programme ranging from punk and electronic to experimental and the emerging Roman scene.

A short but dense history

The first edition took place from October 1st to 3rd, 2021, at Brancaleone, featuring stalls, flipbook workshops, DJ sets, and live music. The festival has grown annually since: the second edition in 2022, the third from October 6th to 8th, 2023, with the theme Gemellanza (Twinship), dedicated to exchanges between different collectives and scenes, the fourth from October 4th to 6th, 2024, and the fifth from October 3rd to 5th, 2025, which celebrated five years of activity with three days of music, fanzines, illustration, comics, workshops, exhibitions, and presentations. The first weekend of October is now the festival's habitual window.

Who organizes it

BADA was born from the Atelier Popolare d'Arte di Lab!Puzzle together with Arci Brancaleone and a network of collectives and self-managed entities in the north-east quadrant of Rome. It is a festival built without sponsors or large budgets, with exhibitors selected each year through a public open call that opens in summer: anyone who self-produces can apply, ensuring a diverse mix of languages and generations every time.

Why it's worth visiting

In the landscape of the Lazio Region and the Municipality of Rome, BADA occupies a unique space: it is neither a book fair nor a comic convention, but a militant festival where the direct relationship between producer and reader is the real content. You come to browse a fanzine, end up screen-printing a t-shirt, discuss zero-cost printing, and stay for the evening concert. It is also a great opportunity to discover Montesacro and the Aniene Valley, a local side of Rome far from tourist paths, with its trattorias, riverside parks, and the rationalist architecture of the Garden City.