Futura Festival

A jazz festival looking to the future

Futura Festival is a musical event founded in 2025 in Rome, in the heart of Municipio IV, between the Tor Cervara district and various local cultural landmarks. Promoted by the Sofy Music association and led by the artistic direction of Roman saxophonist Stefano Di Battista—one of the most renowned names in European jazz—the festival offers a contemporary take on jazz. It is not a genre confined to itself, but a language capable of engaging with theatre, literature, popular music, and street bands.

Where it takes place

The main venue is the outdoor space adjacent to the Ristorante Da Peppe in Tor Cervara, at Via di Tor Cervara 65, but the program is spread across several locations in Municipio IV, creating a cultural map in an area of the city rarely included in major Roman event circuits:

• Casa del Municipio Roma IV Ipazia di Alessandria — Viale Rousseau 90
• Coffee Studio Records — Via di Tor Cervara 39, host of the masterclasses
• Centro Culturale Gabriella Ferri — Via delle Cave di Pietralata 76
• Villa Farinacci, for afternoon sessions

The artistic project

The festival is built on three pillars. The first is the jazz concert itself, featuring ensembles ranging from classic quartets to original projects. The second is the fusion with the spoken word: writers and actors share the stage with musicians in performances where text and sound intertwine. The third is education, with technical masterclasses and open workshops involving young musicians from the area.

The inaugural edition featured names such as Rita Marcotulli, Flavio Boltro, Andrea Rea, Gegè Munari, the Cutello Bros, the Paco Sery Group, singer Nicky Nicolai, writer Erri De Luca, and actor Alessandro Preziosi: a lineup that brought together historic figures of Italian jazz and the new generation.

Accessibility and participation

One of the hallmarks of Futura Festival is its commitment to inclusion. Events are designed to be accessible to everyone, featuring LIS (Italian Sign Language) interpretation, English subtitles for spoken performances, and barrier-free spaces. The Di Segno in Suono project, featuring the Coro Mani Bianche (White Hands Choir), brought this vision of music shared beyond the barriers of hearing to the stage.

Context and support

The festival is promoted by Roma Capitale — Department of Culture and was a winner of the Artes et Iubilaeum 2025 public call, funded by the European Union — Next Generation EU as part of the PNRR, measure M1C3 Investment 4.3 Caput Mundi. This public support has allowed for free admission to all events, with booking recommended.

Why it's worth the trip

Visitors to Rome rarely venture into Tor Cervara, which is precisely why Futura Festival holds such special value: it is an opportunity to hear world-class jazz in an informal, unfiltered neighborhood setting where the audience is just a few meters from the musicians. Within the landscape of Lazio festivals, it represents a successful experiment in cultural decentralization that found its identity in its very first edition.