Bajocco Festival – Performing Arts Festival

The Bajocco Festival in Albano Laziale

The Bajocco Festival – Performing Arts Festival is a grand celebration of street arts that lights up the historic centre of Albano Laziale, in the heart of the Castelli Romani near Rome, every September. For three days, the city's squares, main streets, and alleys turn into a sprawling open-air stage, where the public wanders from one show to the next, immersed in a festive and engaging atmosphere. The event is organised by the XV Miglio APS Association, under the patronage of the Municipality of Albano Laziale.

A festival spread across the squares

The Bajocco format is that of a "diffused" festival: not a single stage, but dozens of locations scattered throughout the historic centre, each with its own character. Spaces that have hosted performances over the years include Piazza Pia, Piazza San Pietro, Piazza Carducci, and the Borgo Garibaldi area. Visitors can move freely, following acrobatic dance in one square, live music in another, and street theatre in an alleyway.

Disciplines and atmosphere

The programme embraces many performing arts disciplines:

• Street theatre and street arts, with jugglers, stilt walkers, and roaming performances;
• Contemporary circus, aerial acrobatics, and clowning;
• Dance and contemporary dance;
• Live music, ranging from jazz and folk sounds to rock and electronic;
• Puppetry, creative workshops, and interactive shows designed for children and families.

Bajocco is a truly international festival: alongside emerging young companies, great names from the national scene and artists from all over the world perform in a continuous dialogue between tradition and contemporary research.

Albano Laziale and the Castelli Romani

The festival is set against the evocative backdrop of Albano Laziale, a city rich in history overlooking Lake Albano and home to significant Roman archaeological sites. Strolling between the performances is also a chance to rediscover the heritage of the historic centre and the charm of the Castelli Romani, a hilly area south of Rome famous for its villages, wines, and food and wine traditions. Today, the Bajocco Festival is an event that combines creativity, culture, and community, attracting a large audience from all over the Lazio region.

Free admission

All Bajocco Festival performances are free of charge: a choice that makes the event accessible to residents, families, and visitors of all ages, making it one of the most popular summer offerings in the Lazio region.