BOP – Beats of Pompeii

A festival in the world's oldest Roman amphitheatre

BOP – Beats of Pompeii is a summer music series held within the Amphitheatre of the Pompeii Archaeological Park, located in the town of Pompeii, in the province of Naples, Campania. Built around 80 BC, the Pompeian amphitheatre is the oldest surviving masonry Roman amphitheatre: a space that has retained its original form and, for a few weeks each year, transforms into one of Europe's most evocative arenas.

The festival is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Pompeii Archaeological Park, in collaboration with the Municipality of Pompeii and the Campania Region. Technical organization is managed by Blackstar Entertainment and Fast Forward, with artistic direction by Giuseppe Gomez.

From the first edition to 2026

The project was born in 2024 with the stated goal of enhancing the archaeological site through world-class events, ideally picking up the thread of a musical legacy that in Pompeii dates back to the famous Pink Floyd concert filmed in the amphitheatre in 1971.

The second edition, in the summer of 2025, ran from July 1st to August 5th with eleven evenings featuring names such as Gianna Nannini, Dream Theater, Jean-Michel Jarre, Antonello Venditti, Stefano Bollani, Ben Harper, Nick Cave, Bryan Adams, and Wardruna. In 2026, the third edition significantly expanded its calendar: twenty concerts from June 24th to July 27th, featuring sixteen Italian and international artists, with numerous dates selling out well in advance.

A deliberately eclectic programme

The festival's hallmark is its lack of genre boundaries. Over a few weeks, the amphitheatre shifts from progressive rock to symphonic music, from jazz to Italian songwriting. The main musical directions include:

• International rock and progressive, featuring legendary bands and cult acts;
• Jazz and instrumental music, with world-renowned soloists;
• Classical and symphonic music, with top-tier orchestras and conductors;
• Italian songwriting and pop, from established icons to emerging voices;
• International pop and special projects designed specifically for the site.

Concerts typically begin at 9:00 PM, with seating arranged in the arena and on the tiers: the capacity is intentionally limited, making every evening feel intimate despite the high-profile lineup.

More than just concerts: the ruins by night

One of the most successful aspects of the festival is the evening opening of the Archaeological Park on performance nights. Concert ticket holders can access areas of the ruins otherwise closed at that hour, particularly the Great Palaestra, which hosts an exhibition dedicated to the eruption of 79 AD and the plaster casts of the victims.

The supporting programme includes guided tours by reservation, tastings of local products, and initiatives linked to the ancient vineyards of Pompeii, replanted on-site following archaeological evidence. The garden adjacent to the entrance becomes a gathering space with refreshment areas before and after the show.

Pompeii, the town and its context

Today, Pompeii is a town of about 25,000 inhabitants at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, world-renowned for its UNESCO-listed archaeological site and the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary, a major pilgrimage destination. The city is less than half an hour from Naples and a few kilometres from the Sorrento Coast: for those arriving from outside the region, the festival is easily combined with a day visiting the ruins, a hike up Mount Vesuvius, or a stop in Herculaneum.

Why it's worth the trip

Many summer festivals offer similar lineups; what cannot be replicated elsewhere is the setting. Listening to a guitar solo or a symphony orchestra inside a two-thousand-year-old amphitheatre, with the silhouette of Vesuvius in the background and stones still warm from the sun, is an unforgettable experience. This is also why many evenings sell out in hours: those who want to attend should book as soon as the calendar is announced, usually between spring and early summer.