Olim Palus Fest - Street Artists Festival

A festival that tells the story of Latina's origins

The name Olim Palus Fest is no coincidence: olim palus means «once a swamp» and recalls the origins of Latina, a city founded in the 1930s following the reclamation of the Agro Pontino. It is an elegant way, chosen by the organizers, to bridge the past and present of the capital of the youngest province in Lazio. The event began in 2023 under the name Notte Rosa, designed to enliven the city center on a summer night; by its third edition in 2025, it had grown into a full-fledged street artist festival, promoted by the Pro Loco of Latina Centro Lido APS with the support of the Municipality of Latina.

What happens in the city

The formula is simple and proven: the heart of Latina is closed to traffic and divided into fixed stations — eight in the 2025 edition — each assigned to a company or artist who performs their act multiple times throughout the evening. The audience moves freely from one square to another using a downloadable map, with no rigid schedules and no tickets required. The event axis runs from Palazzo M to Piazza San Marco, passing through Corso della Repubblica and the pedestrian area.

• Aerial circus: acrobatics on silks and hoops over five meters high
• Juggling and balancing, with acts that directly involve the spectators
• Comedy magic and close-up, blending cabaret and illusion at close range
• Fire dancing and luminous stilt walkers during the late hours
• Giant soap bubbles, mime, and puppet theater for families

More than just shows

The city's commercial life revolves around the performances: shops stay open for evening shopping, street food stalls line the main streets, and children's rides are concentrated in Piazza San Marco. There are also live street art performances and booths from the Italian Red Cross, featuring workshops for children and first-aid demonstrations. It is an event designed for all ages, which has become a defining identity marker of the summer in Latina.

Also at Christmas

The Olim Palus Fest brand does not end with the summer: since December 2025, there has been an afternoon Christmas edition in Piazza del Popolo, featuring clown shows, juggling, balancing, and fire dancing in the late afternoon, also with free admission. This reflects the desire to transform the festival into a recurring format rather than a single evening event.

Latina and the Agro Pontino

Visitors from outside the region will find Latina a convenient base for discovering a lesser-known corner of Lazio: the Circeo National Park and Lake Sabaudia to the south, the beaches of the Pontine coast, the hilltop villages of the Lepini Mountains, and the rationalist architecture of the 'new towns', of which Latina is the most famous example. The province of Latina is also a land of excellent products: buffalo mozzarella, white wines from the Cori and Aprilia areas, artichokes, and vegetables from the reclaimed plains.

A suspended 2026 edition

The 2026 summer edition, announced for Friday, July 10, did not take place: on the official website, the organizers stated that «the Festival was cancelled for reasons beyond the organization's control», apologizing to the public. It is therefore advisable to follow the channels of the Pro Loco of Latina Centro Lido and the Municipality of Latina for future dates.