Fai la Differenza, c'è… In Search of Sustainability
Rome's Sustainability Festival: art, creative recycling, and social commitment
About Fai la Differenza, c'è…
A widespread festival spanning the Roman summer
"Fai la Differenza, c'è… In Search of Sustainability" is a festival that, from July to October, brings the themes of environmental, social, and economic sustainability out of conference rooms and into the daily lives of Romans. Rather than a weekend-concentrated event, it is a widespread manifestation that unfolds over three months, crossing several districts of the Capital, the Metropolitan City of Rome, and the Lazio region.
The formula is as simple as it is effective: bringing art and workshops to where people already gather—shopping malls, public parks, neighborhood spaces—instead of waiting for the public to travel to a dedicated venue. This is how a sustainable art gallery takes shape among the shop windows of Euroma2, and how an archaeological site like Parco degli Scipioni becomes the circuit for a race of toy cars built from recycled materials.
Contesteco, the artistic heart of the event
The festival's creative engine is Contesteco, a sustainable art and design competition now in its sixteenth edition. Professional artists and enthusiasts are challenged to create works using exclusively waste and recycled materials: plastic, cardboard, fabrics, metals, and electronic components destined for the landfill are brought back to life as sculptures, installations, and design objects.
The finalist works are not locked away in an archive; they are exhibited to the public for the entire duration of the festival, first in the spaces of Euroma2 and then at the DOMUS shopping center, accompanied by captions explaining which waste item each creation was born from. The awards ceremony closes the event in mid-October.
The theme: gender equality and combating violence
Each edition chooses a guiding thread. The most recent edition's theme is stated clearly: "Art, Voices, and Visions for Gender Equality and a culture of Combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide." A theme that runs through the competition entries, photographic exhibitions, local workshops, and talks, linking environmental sustainability to social sustainability—because there is no ecological balance without human equity.
Workshops, exhibitions, and performances
The program alternates between very different formats, held together by the thread of recycling and participation:
- Photographic exhibitions dedicated to Italian protected areas and women working the land;
- Creative recycling workshops and upcycling ateliers for children, teenagers, and adults;
- Recycled Car Race, a race of vehicles built from waste materials, involving teams of young people at Parco degli Scipioni;
- Cooking shows and anti-waste cooking workshops led by professional chefs;
- Artistic and musical performances, from civic theater to choral singing;
- Robotics Fab/Labs and meetings on the 2030 Agenda.
A project supported by institutions
The event is promoted as part of the cultural initiatives of Roma Capitale and is organized by the Percorsi di Crescita Cultural Association together with Creare e Comunicare, with a network of partners including third-sector organizations, cooking schools, neighborhood associations, and shopping centers. In past editions, the festival has received the patronage of the Lazio Region, the Metropolitan City of Rome, and Roma Capitale.
Why it's worth attending
It is a festival that requires no tickets and no prior expertise: you can walk in, view the works, sit at a workshop with your children, and leave with an object built with your own hands. In a city that empties out in the summer and restarts in a rush in September, "Fai la Differenza" offers a rare opportunity for free, continuous participation, spread over three months and across multiple Roman districts.
Fai la Differenza, c'è… — edition 2026
Seventh edition, theme of gender equality
The 2026 edition of "Fai la Differenza, c'è… In Search of Sustainability" opens on July 11 and closes on October 15, organized into four phases and three main venues. The chosen theme — "Art, Voices, and Visions for Gender Equality and a culture of Combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide" — runs through all sections of the program.
Among the most anticipated collaborations is the one with Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto Onlus, which brings the participatory installation "RivestiAMOci nel Terzo Paradiso" to Euroma2. The Contesteco competition, now in its sixteenth edition, exhibits the finalist works made with recycled materials first at Euroma2 and then at DOMUS.
The event is promoted as part of the cultural initiatives of Roma Capitale and takes place across Municipality IX, Municipality VII, and Municipality I of the Capital.
Programme Fai la Differenza, c'è… 2026
July — opening at Euroma2
- July 11-12, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM — Festival Eco-Party at Euroma2 Shopping Center (Municipality IX): creative workshops, seminars, and meetings with experts on recycling and circular economy.
- July 11 to September 9, 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM — Exhibition of Contesteco 2026 finalist works at Euroma2.
- July 11 to September 9 — "Obiettivo Terra" photographic exhibition at Euroma2, dedicated to Italian protected agricultural areas and women farmers.
- July 24 to October 15, 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM — "O POST MIO" exhibition by Francesca Leonardi at the DOMUS Shopping Center.
- July 25, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM — Local workshop "Donne al Centro" by the GoTellGo Association, Piazzale Tiburtino (Municipality II).
September — Parco degli Scipioni and DOMUS
- September 1 to 12, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM — Recycled Car Race at Parco degli Scipioni (Via di Porta Latina 10, Municipality I), as part of "La Città in Tasca".
- September 1-4 and 7-11, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM; September 5-6 and 12-13 — Anti-waste cooking workshops with chef Alessio Guidi (TuChef) at Parco degli Scipioni.
- September 13 to October 15, 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM — Contesteco 2026 exhibition at the DOMUS Shopping Center (Via Vittorio Ragusa 120, Municipality VII).
- September 19, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM — Second "Donne al Centro" meeting, Municipality I.
- September 26-27, at DOMUS — Creative workshops by Norberto Cenci, "Make Love Not Violence" performance by Rocco Lancia, ARTALO upcycling workshops, and K-Pop show.
October — towards the awards
- October 3-4, at DOMUS — Cardboard workshop "LA DONNA È MOBILE", MindSharing robotics Fab/Lab, ARTALO workshops, and Vocal Oddity group performance.
- October 10-11, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM — Autumn Eco-Party at DOMUS, with "Da Venti a Trenta" and "Wild Roots" talks.
- Thursday, October 15, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM — Final meeting "Le Buone Re-Azioni" at Spazio Field Brancaccio (Via Monte Oppio 7, Municipality I), limited to 100 people.
- Thursday, October 15, 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM — Contesteco Awards ceremony and presentation of the "Charter of the Future".
Highlights Fai la Differenza, c'è… 2026
- Contesteco 2026, 16th edition of the art and design competition made with waste materials, exhibited for three months in two venues.
- "RivestiAMOci nel Terzo Paradiso", participatory installation with Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto Onlus at Euroma2.
- Recycled Car Race at Parco degli Scipioni, the race of vehicles built entirely from recycled materials.
- "Obiettivo Terra" photographic exhibition on protected agricultural areas and the women who cultivate them.
- Anti-waste workshops with chef Alessio Guidi and robotics Fab/Lab for young people.
- Le Buone Re-Azioni and Contesteco Awards, the final day on October 15.
Prices Fai la Differenza, c'è… 2026
Practical information — Fai la Differenza, c'è…
How to get there
Euroma2 (Viale dell'Oceano Pacifico 83, EUR district, Municipality IX): Metro line B, EUR Palasport or EUR Fermi stop, then bus; by car, exit the Grande Raccordo Anulare towards Via Cristoforo Colombo, large free parking available.
Parco degli Scipioni (Via di Porta Latina 10, Municipality I): Metro line A or B, San Giovanni / Circo Massimo stop, then a short walk.
DOMUS Shopping Center (Via Vittorio Ragusa 120, Municipality VII): Accessible by car and local bus lines.
Admission and reservations
Participation in all activities is completely free. Some workshops and the final meeting have limited capacity and require reservation.
Information
Phone +39 349 7557593 — updated program at www.failadifferenza.com and www.contesteco.com.
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Where does it take place — Fai la Differenza, c'è…
Centro Commerciale Euroma2, Parco degli Scipioni e Centro Commerciale DOMUS
Viale dell'Oceano Pacifico 83, 00144 Roma