Decima Fest

A festival born from the neighborhood

Decima Fest is a free cultural event held every September in the Decima district, within Municipio IX of Rome, in the heart of the Lazio region. The area, nestled between Torrino, EUR, and Tor di Valle, has grown significantly in recent decades but long lacked communal spaces: it was precisely from this void that the idea for a festival capable of connecting the local Decima community to the rest of the city was born. The project is carried out by the Decima50 ETS association together with AurorArt Impresa Sociale, under the patronage of Municipio IX.

Live music at the heart of the event

Each edition revolves around evening concerts, ranging from progressive rock to singer-songwriter music, jazz to hip-hop, with a clear preference for Roman artists and emerging local talent. Over the years, the stage has hosted long-standing tribute bands, Roman songwriters, jazz ensembles, and contests dedicated to young rappers. The goal is always to offer a varied program that appeals to diverse audiences without the cost of a ticket.

Environment, sustainability, and conscious consumption

Alongside the music, Decima Fest dedicates ample space to environmental issues. Past editions have featured meetings on biodiversity and urban beekeeping, container gardening workshops, reuse stalls, flea markets, and moments of reflection on the urban regeneration of the Tor di Valle area and the district's urban history. The G.A.S. Torrino-Decima solidarity purchasing group brings the culture of conscious consumption and short supply chains to the festival, featuring tastings of typical Lazio products.

Workshops, games, and activities for all ages

The intergenerational dimension is one of the event's hallmarks. The program consistently includes:

• Board games open to children, teenagers, and adults, with tables active for most of the day;
• Creative and artistic workshops, often created in collaboration with local schools;
• Narrated walks to discover Tor di Valle and the history of the district;
• Photographic and art exhibitions set up in outdoor spaces;
• Tastings of local products and stands from local associations.

The event venues

The festival has changed locations over time based on the availability of public spaces in Municipio IX: after editions hosted in the Viale Camillo Sabatini park, the event moved to the park of the former Stardust Village on Via di Decima, a large area that allows for the distribution of the stage, stands, and workshop zones without overlap. This choice is consistent with the festival's spirit, which aims to return otherwise underutilized spaces to the neighborhood.

Why it's worth visiting

Decima Fest is not a massive city-wide event; rather, it is a successful example of a grassroots festival built from the bottom up by associations and volunteers. Visitors from outside the neighborhood will find a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere, three days of free outdoor music, and an opportunity to experience a side of Rome beyond the historic center—one made of community committees, shared gardens, and neighborhood projects. For the Roman public, it is also a simple way to discover Municipio IX beyond the main EUR thoroughfares.