MArteLive – Theatre Section (Biennale)

MArteLive, the Total Show in Rome

MArteLive is one of Italy's most important multidisciplinary competitions dedicated to emerging artists. Founded in Rome in 2001 by Giuseppe Casa and a group of young university students and Academy of Fine Arts pupils, it has grown to become, since 2011, the MArteLive Biennale, a widespread festival involving dozens of venues across the Municipality of Rome and the rest of the Lazio region.

The heart of the event is the Total Show format: sixteen artistic disciplines performing simultaneously, on the same night and in the same place, without the usual divisions between genres. Music, theatre, dance, contemporary circus, short films, music videos, video art, literature, live painting, sculpture, photography, graphic illustration, street art, fashion, and artistic crafts coexist in a single great experience for the public.

The Theatre Section

Within the competition, the Theatre section is reserved for actors, playwrights, and directors aged 18 to 35 who are seeking visibility and professional opportunities in the Italian theatre circuit. A jury of professionals evaluates the proposals and selects artists to be included in the programming of festivals, theatres, and MArteLive network projects. Winners receive a cash prize, participation in the Biennale as special guests, entry into the Scuderie MArteLive — described as Italy's largest multidisciplinary collective — and opportunities for training and co-production.

The 2026 Biennale at Lanificio

The national final of the MArteLive Biennale 2026 takes place from October 1st to 3rd, 2026, at Lanificio in Rome, a historic 3,500-square-meter creative space housed in a former wool mill on Via di Pietralata, in the Pietralata district. Over the three nights, finalists selected from all over Italy perform before a large audience and a qualified technical jury. Finalists are chosen to represent all the country's geographical macro-areas — North, Centre, South, and Islands — ensuring a truly national perspective on the new artistic generations.

A festival for under-35 artists

MArteLive is not just a showcase, but a genuine gateway to the professional world: bookings in circuit festivals, tours, productions, and growth paths. The 2024 edition of the Biennale recorded over 40,000 spectators, approximately 188 events, and more than 1,200 artists involved, confirming MArteLive as one of the reference points for youth creativity in Rome and Lazio.

Not just theatre

It should be remembered that MArteLive is not exclusively a theatre festival: theatre is one of the sixteen disciplines in competition, within the Performing Arts category alongside dance, circus, and literature. It is precisely this cross-pollination between different languages that makes the Lanificio Total Show unique.