Live in Ottavo – Illustration and Music Festival

A festival of drawing and music in the Eighth Municipality

Live in Ottavo – Illustration and Music Festival is a cultural project conceived for Rome's Eighth Municipality, the vast territory stretching from Garbatella and Ostiense to the countryside of the Appia Antica. The underlying idea is both simple and ambitious: to create a dialogue between two languages beloved by contemporary audiences—illustration and live music—by taking them out of traditional circuits and into the everyday spaces of a neighborhood that has always breathed art and social life.

A 'Cosa Vedere a Roma' initiative for Roma Creativa 365

The festival is promoted by Cosa Vedere a Roma (Cosa Vedere S.r.l.), a collective known for its illustrations dedicated to the city's districts and its storytelling regarding Rome's cultural heritage. The project was presented as part of Roma Creativa 365 – Culture all year round, the extensive call for proposals promoted by Rome Capital to support widespread and continuous cultural programming, capable of overcoming the seasonality of events and reaching areas far from the historic center. It is within this framework that Live in Ottavo takes shape, with the goal of weaving together exhibitions, live drawing, and concerts.

Garbatella and the Eighth Municipality, Rome's creative heart

Choosing the Eighth Municipality was no accident. Garbatella, with its courtyards, social housing blocks, and 'village-within-the-city' atmosphere, is one of the symbols of authentic Rome and one of the most photographed and drawn neighborhoods in the capital. Together with Ostiense, now a hub for street art, exhibition spaces, and nightlife, and the historic backdrop of the Appia, this territory of the Municipality of Rome, in the Lazio region, offers an ideal setting for a festival that seeks to unite popular memory with contemporary artistic research.

Illustration, visual arts, and music

Consistent with its dual soul, Live in Ottavo places the world of illustration and drawing at the center, alongside live music. An event of this kind lends itself to a plurality of offerings:

• exhibitions and installations by illustrators and visual artists;
• live drawing and live painting sessions in the neighborhood's spaces;
• workshops and activities for adults, youth, and children;
• concerts and live musical performances;
• meetings and talks on the relationship between image, city, and creativity.

The combination of visual arts and music makes the festival naturally multidisciplinary and suitable for a wide audience, from comic and design enthusiasts to local families.

A project for emerging creativity

Beyond individual appointments, Live in Ottavo positions itself as a piece of the Eighth Municipality's vibrant cultural scene, alongside other festivals that animate Garbatella and Ostiense throughout the year. It is a festival that looks toward emerging creativity and the enhancement of the territory, consistent with the spirit of Roma Creativa 365 and the vocation of Cosa Vedere a Roma to tell the story of the city through drawing. Dates and a detailed program will be announced by the organizers: here you will find essential information on an event that promises to add color and music to the Roman cultural landscape.