Fonte Nuova Buskers Festival

A city turned into a stage

For two evenings in early July, the Municipality of Fonte Nuova, located just outside Rome in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, suspends traffic on a stretch of the historic Via Nomentana, handing it over to street performers. Between Piazza A. Varisco and Piazza P. Pio, a small city of art and entertainment emerges, inhabited by storytellers, stilt-walkers, trapeze artists, juggling clowns, aerialists, and fire performers. This is the Buskers Festival, a long-standing highlight of the local summer.

The busker phenomenon in Lazio

The term busker refers to an artist who performs on the street, without tickets or a formal stage, relying solely on the curiosity of passersby. In Italy, this tradition has sparked a network of festivals ranging from Ferrara to Muggia, and the Lazio region participates with events scattered throughout the towns of the Roman province. In Fonte Nuova, the formula remains faithful to its roots: no major productions, but short, repeated performances along the route, allowing the public to move freely from one artist to another and create their own evening itinerary.

What to see

• Contemporary circus — aerial acrobatics, trapeze, balancing acts, and theatrical juggling.
• Live music — singer-songwriters, acoustic ensembles, and roaming musicians accompanying your stroll.
• Dance and street theater — short performances designed for urban spaces, without a fourth wall.
• Fire and stilts — the most spectacular acts, reserved for the later hours of the evening.
• Markets and crafts — stalls featuring creative works and hobbies along the pedestrianized stretch.

The Golden Fontenovino

The festival awards a recognition that has become its signature: the Golden Fontenovino, a prize for the best street artist of the edition. In the 2026 edition, it was awarded to singer-songwriter Sara Milani, who summarized the spirit of the event in a few words: performing on the street among the people, giving and receiving emotions, is the greatest victory. The award is presented at the end of the two evenings, in front of the audience that followed the shows.

A volunteer-run event

The Buskers Festival is organized by the Obiettivo E20 Association, which also manages its artistic direction, entirely with volunteers and with the patronage and contribution of the Municipality of Fonte Nuova. This lightweight structure explains the event's longevity: low costs, strong roots in the local community, and participation involving merchants, schools, and local families. Municipal authorities, led by the mayor and deputy mayor, traditionally attend the evenings.

When to go and what to expect

The closure of Via Nomentana begins in the late afternoon, and the shows are concentrated between sunset and late evening, when the temperatures of the Lazio July become pleasant. It is an event designed for families: strollers and small children are not a problem, the route is flat and completely pedestrian, and the acts most suitable for children — clowns, jugglers, puppets — occupy the early hours. Those looking for fire shows and aerial acrobatics should stay until the end.

Fonte Nuova, between Mentana and the Roman countryside

Born in 2001 from the merger of the territories of Tor Lupara and Santa Lucia, the Municipality of Fonte Nuova is one of the youngest in Lazio and one of the most populous in the northeast belt of Rome. Via Nomentana, an ancient Roman consular road, is its backbone and the natural place for collective life: the Buskers Festival, by returning it to pedestrians for two evenings, makes it the town square that the town never had. Nearby, Mentana, with its Garibaldi museum, and the nearby Marcigliana Nature Reserve are worth a detour.