ONDA x i Mercati

A market turned into a stage

ONDA x i Mercati is a performance format that redefines how we experience Rome's local markets, transforming them from simple shopping spots into spaces for shared culture. There are no traditional stages or tickets: performances emerge directly among the market stalls, and the audience sits right alongside the performers in an intimate, direct setting. The concept is simple yet powerful: bringing culture into the flow of daily life, giving neighborhood markets back their central role in the city's social fabric.

The format created by Associazione Onda

The project is conceived and produced by the Associazione Culturale Onda APS, led by artistic director and president Sergio Gabriele Bruni, and is held under the patronage of Municipio III Roma Montesacro. Each event blends magic, theater, choral music, and author talks into a free-entry evening, built in collaboration with artists, local associations, and residents. Over fifty participants animate each stop, all while respecting the market's infrastructure and commercial activities.

The Tufello Market, heart of Municipio III

The 2026 debut took place at the Tufello Market, located in the Tufello district of Municipio III Montesacro, in northern Rome, Lazio. The local market, a daily landmark for area residents, transformed for one evening into an immersive stage where the vendors' stalls became the natural backdrop for a show designed by and for the community.

Art, community, and intergenerational connection

The hallmark of ONDA x i Mercati is its participatory and intergenerational spirit. Alongside professional artists, local entities take center stage: children from the fifth-grade class of the P. Maffi Comprehensive Institute, Auser representatives focused on active aging, and local neighborhood associations and residents. The result is an event that strengthens social cohesion and connects different generations through art.

Towards a network of markets

Tufello is just the first chapter: the project aims to create a network of events in other Roman markets, with future stops to be announced by the organizers. It is a journey aimed at turning city markets into true hubs of local culture, deeply rooted in neighborhood life.