Montesacro Carnival ("Anything goes at Carnival")

A neighborhood carnival in the heart of Montesacro

The Montesacro Carnival is the local festival that brings the spirit of Carnival back to the squares of Municipio Roma III, in the city of Rome, Lazio. The heart of the event is Piazza Sempione, the historic living room of the Città Giardino Aniene district, which for one afternoon closes to traffic to become a large, free, and accessible open-air stage.

The initiative is promoted by the Municipio Roma III Montesacro and curated by Twain Centro di Produzione Danza, a local organization dedicated to the production and promotion of performing arts, under the artistic direction of Loredana Parrella. Rather than a large parade of floats, the event follows a more intimate and participatory model—a neighborhood carnival built together with local residents and schools.

Performing arts in the square

The program alternates between creative stations and performance moments, allowing the public to move freely between activities. The artistic languages featured include circus, dance, street theater, and music, with a special focus on younger audiences starting from age 3.

• Interactive Installation — a theatrical play space where children become the stars of the show.
• Face Painting Workshop — hypoallergenic colors to complete masks and costumes brought from home.
• Giant Soap Bubbles — street art performances with transparent sculptures that fill the square with a dreamy, suspended atmosphere.
• Soundscapes — ambient music that acts as the connective tissue of the festival, with rhythms that invite everyone to dance.

A festival that is also a community project

Beyond the fun, there is a clear vision: using live performance as a tool for social cohesion and urban regeneration. The organizers' goal is to create a safe and stimulating space where new generations and the entire community can discover the beauty of the performing arts, fostering inclusion, solidarity, and active participation.

For Montesacro, a neighborhood where life in the square is a core identity, the Carnival is also an opportunity to re-energize the area after the winter months. This is not a "tourist event": it is a festival for residents, offering an authentic portrait of Rome's neighborhoods, far from the circuits of the historic center.

How the event has evolved

In recent editions, the format has alternated between a single-day event and a two-part celebration. In 2025, the Carnival spanned two dates, featuring an evening of street arts on Viale Gottardo—with jugglers, stilt walkers, and a jam session with DJs, dancers, and acrobats—and an afternoon parade starting from the Viale Adrianico market and ending at Piazza Sempione. In 2026, the event was concentrated into a single afternoon on Shrove Tuesday, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

The context: the Roman Carnival

Carnival in Rome has a centuries-old tradition, historically linked to the Berber horse races along Via del Corso and neighborhood masquerades. Today, that tradition survives primarily in its local dimension: municipalities, cultural associations, and theater companies keep the festival alive by bringing it to local squares. The Montesacro Carnival is one of the most successful examples of this new era, where the mask is not just a disguise, but an opportunity for different generations to meet.