Festa de' Noantri
Nine free evenings of folk songs, theatre, and street food in the heart of Trastevere
About Festa de' Noantri
A festival called «de' noantri» because it belongs to everyone
In the Trastevere district of Rome, there is a festival that needs no introduction: the Festa de' Noantri, literally «the festival of us others». The name says it all: it is the festival of the Trasteverini, of those who live in and tell the stories of the district, yet it has always welcomed anyone arriving from the narrow alleys or the riverbanks. For nine evenings, between mid and late July, Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere transforms into a grand open-air stage, while the smaller squares of the neighborhood fill with music, games, workshops, and the aroma of Roman cuisine.
The origins: 1535 and the Madonna Fiumarola
Tradition traces the festival back to 1535, when some fishermen found a wooden statue of the Virgin made of cedar at the mouth of the Tiber. The sculpture, donated to the Carmelite friars of San Crisogono, was named Madonna Fiumarola (Our Lady of the River) and became the religious symbol of the district. For nearly five centuries, her image has been carried in procession through the streets of Trastevere, and on the final day, it travels up the Tiber on a boat: one of the most evocative moments of the Roman summer, with crowded riverbanks and lights reflecting on the water.
The stage at Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere
The secular heart of the event is the district's most famous square, dominated by the basilica and its mosaics. Every evening from 9 PM, there is a succession of concerts, readings, comedy shows, and folk dance evenings, all free and open to the public. The tone is intentionally eclectic: ranging from the concert of the Rome Capital Local Police Band to Roman folk songs, from dialect cabaret to flamenco, and from civil readings to performance-lectures about the city. It is a program that brings together Roman popular memory and a contemporary perspective, without ever losing the intimate feel of a neighborhood festival.
Piazza San Cosimato: families, games, and street food
The food and family component of the festival is concentrated in Piazza San Cosimato, the historic local market square. Here, from late afternoon, you can find workshops for children, recreational activities, and street food stalls featuring Roman specialties and grab-and-go options: a perfect opportunity for an outdoor dinner before heading to the main stage. Access to the area is free, and the atmosphere is that of the informal, lively neighborhood festivals of the past.
Theatre in the alleys, museums, and urban games
In recent years, the program has expanded to cover the entire fabric of the district. The Trastevere recita nei vicoli (Trastevere acts in the alleys) project brings short theatrical performances to the most picturesque corners of the neighborhood, while the Museo di Roma in Trastevere opens its halls for guided tours dedicated to popular Rome between the 19th and early 20th centuries. There are also walks with art historians and a smartphone-based urban gaming experience, available in Italian and English, which guides participants through the district's heritage with riddles and interactive stops. At the Giardini di Donna Olimpia, wellness activities designed for those over 65 take place.
The context: Trastevere, Rome, and the Lazio region
Trastevere is the district that best preserves the city's popular identity: cobblestone alleys, laundry hanging out, historic shops, and taverns. The Festa de' Noantri, promoted by the Municipio Roma I Centro of the City of Rome, within the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital and the Lazio Region, is the event that best tells this dual story, both religious and hedonistic. For those visiting Rome in July, it is an opportunity to see the city not in its monumental guise, but in its daily, convivial one, when the neighborhood reclaims its squares.
Tips for the best experience
- Arrive early at Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere: seating is limited and the square fills up well before the start.
- Dine at Piazza San Cosimato before the evening show to avoid queues at the district's restaurants.
- Do not miss the river procession of the Madonna Fiumarola, which closes the festival.
- Get around on foot: Trastevere is pedestrianized during the festival days and traffic is diverted.
Festa de' Noantri — edition 2026
Festa de' Noantri 2026: nine free evenings in Trastevere
From July 17 to 25, 2026, Trastevere returns to being the stage for its most iconic festival. The edition, curated by the Associazione Il Posto delle Fragole APS for the Municipio Roma I Centro, offers a widespread and entirely free program across squares, alleys, and symbolic places of the district.
The main stage remains Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, with evening events from 9 PM. In Piazza San Cosimato, from July 18 to 25 starting at 6 PM, activities for families, workshops for children, and street food stalls are concentrated. At the Giardini di Donna Olimpia, wellness activities for those over 65 are scheduled on the mornings of July 20, 22, and 24 (by reservation).
The religious component accompanies the entire event, with solemn masses in the district's churches and the traditional procession of the Madonna del Carmine, leading up to the evocative river procession of the Madonna Fiumarola on the Tiber on the final day, July 26.
Programme Festa de' Noantri 2026
Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere — evenings from 9 PM (free entry)
- July 17 — Concert by the Rome Capital Local Police Band
- July 18 — «Liberi Sempre – Ancora una volta», concert-reading with Michela Ponzani
- July 19 — «Pezzi Comici in una Piazza – Trastevere si racconta», evening of comedy and improvisation
- July 20 — «Genitori Romani», cabaret show with Sergio Giuffrida
- July 21 — «Dalla Pizzica al Flamenco», evening dedicated to folk dances
- July 22 — «Roma. Meraviglie, contraddizioni, poesia», performance-lecture
- July 23 — «Stornellata romana» with Nadya Borzak and Lorenzo Ceci; also featuring «Francesco. Il passo leggero», theatrical performance for the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi
- July 24 — «Omaggio a Roma», concert with Raffaella Misiti & Le Romane and Pino Marino
- July 25 — «Sanpietrino disco», concert by Burning Season to close the evenings
Piazza San Cosimato — from July 18 to 25 from 6 PM
- Recreational activities and workshops for children and families
- Street food area with Roman specialties and grab-and-go options
In the alleys and museums
- July 21, 24, and 25 — «Trastevere recita nei vicoli»: short theatrical performances in the district's picturesque corners
- Guided tours at the Museo di Roma in Trastevere and walks with art historians
- City Adventure – Trastevere in gioco: urban gaming experience on smartphone, in Italian and English, with riddles and interactive stops
Giardini di Donna Olimpia
- July 20, 22, and 24 from 10 AM — wellness activities for those over 65, by reservation via WhatsApp +39 328 6692116
Religious celebrations
- Masses and procession of the Madonna del Carmine in the district's churches
- July 26 — river procession of the Madonna Fiumarola on the Tiber
Highlights Festa de' Noantri 2026
- Nine completely free evening shows in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere
- The Roman folk songs (stornellata) on July 23, the heart of the district's musical tradition
- Street food and family activities in Piazza San Cosimato
- «Trastevere recita nei vicoli», scattered theatre in the most picturesque corners
- The river procession of the Madonna Fiumarola on the Tiber
- «Francesco. Il passo leggero», for the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis
Prices Festa de' Noantri 2026
Practical information — Festa de' Noantri
How to get there
By tram: line 8 from Piazza Venezia, stop Belli or Trastevere/Mastai. By bus: lines H, 780, and 125 along Viale Trastevere. By train: Roma Trastevere station, then tram 8. By metro: line B stop Piramide or line A stop Circo Massimo, continuing by bus. Those arriving by car will find paid parking outside the district (Lungotevere, Gianicolo): the festival area is closed to traffic.
Admission and costs
All evenings in Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and activities in the district's squares are free and open to the public. Consumption at the Piazza San Cosimato street food area is paid at individual stands. Guided tours at the Museo di Roma in Trastevere are free for Rome residents, with a standard ticket for non-residents.
Information
Detailed program and updates on festadenoantri.it and the City of Rome website. For activities requiring reservations (wellness at Giardini di Donna Olimpia), the WhatsApp number +39 328 6692116 is active.
Where to stay
Trastevere offers B&Bs and small hotels, often fully booked in July: valid alternatives are the Testaccio, Ostiense, and Prati districts, all connected by foot or a few minutes by tram.
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Where does it take place — Festa de' Noantri
Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, Piazza San Cosimato e vicoli di Trastevere
Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, 00153 Roma