Necropoli Art Festival

A festival among the Etruscan tumuli

The Necropoli Art Festival is the summer event that brings live art to the Banditaccia Etruscan Necropolis in Cerveteri, one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in the Lazio region and a UNESCO World Heritage site. For a few days, the grand tumuli, tombs carved into the tuff, and ancient paths become a natural backdrop for theatre, dance, and music performances, in an atmosphere suspended between the remote past and contemporary creation. The festival is part of the Estate Caerite programme and is curated by the artistic direction of Margot Theatre.

The 2026 Programme

The 2026 edition takes place from Tuesday, July 21 to Sunday, July 26, featuring free afternoon events and ticketed evening performances. The festival weaves together different languages, from children's shows to string concerts, and from itinerant theatre to musical comedy:

• Tuesday, July 21, 9:00 PM — Esercizi di Fantastica, a dance performance designed for all ages.
• Wednesday, July 22, 6:00 PM — C'è un carro che gira… by Teatro Verde a Motore; followed at 7:30 PM by a concert by the Quartetto Morlacchi (free admission).
• Thursday, July 23, 6:30 PM — La Festa dei Colori, a blend of music and theatre (free admission).
• Friday, July 24, 7:00 PM — Crisalidi. Archeologia Naturale #35, itinerant theatre along the Via degli Inferi by Fernanda Pessolano; 9:00 PM, a tribute to Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Margot Theatre.
• Saturday, July 25, 7:00 PM — Musical aperitif with the Soul Rhythm&Blues Trio; 9:00 PM, the musical comedy Fino alle stelle. Scalata in musica lungo lo stivale.
• Sunday, July 26, 7:00 PM — Attori della notte, dance and science for children; 9:00 PM, the grand finale with the string ensemble Le Capinere and the candlelit concert Guarda che Luna.

Artistic Direction by Margot Theatre

The artistic project is entrusted to the Margot Theatre association, which builds a journey capable of enhancing the sacredness of the site without ever overshadowing it: live music, theatre, and dance engage with the Etruscan funerary architecture, restoring a vibrant and participatory dimension to the necropolis. Highly anticipated is the return of Le Capinere, the string trio led by Maria Letizia Beneduce, which brings a rare and evocative candlelit repertoire to the stage.

Cerveteri and the Banditaccia Necropolis

Located in the municipality of Cerveteri, in the province of Rome and in the heart of the Lazio Region, the Banditaccia Necropolis is the largest city of the dead from the ancient world to have survived to the present day. The ancient Etruscan Kysry, later the Roman Caere, was one of the most powerful metropolises in the Mediterranean. Its tumulus tombs and sepulchral roads, now protected by the Archaeological Park of Cerveteri and Tarquinia (PACT), provide a unique setting for a festival that combines performance, memory, and landscape. The festival is promoted with the support of the Municipality of Cerveteri, the Lazio Region, and the PACT.

Information and Tickets

Afternoon events are free to attend, while evening performances require a ticket (with the exception of July 24). The full programme, schedules, and booking details are published on the Margot Theatre website.