Other Summer Festival

An alternative vision of a Roman summer

Located in Rome's Municipio VIII, just a stone's throw from the Garbatella metro station, the park on Via Giovanni Battista Magnaghi has hosted one of the city's most beloved southern district festivals for over twenty years. The Other Summer Festival is the signature summer event of Casetta Rossa, a self-managed public space that transforms the local park into a small, multidisciplinary festival for two weeks, entirely free and open to all ages.

The name says it all: the "other" summer is for those who stay in the city, for those looking for a place to meet in the evening without an entry fee, and for those who prefer an acoustic concert under the trees to a night at a club. It is a formula that has set a trend in Rome and continues to fill the park every evening in July.

A program spanning every artistic language

The festival's strength lies in its variety: the same day might feature a children's workshop in the afternoon, a book presentation at sunset, and a concert or open-air screening to close the night. The typical schedule includes:

• Live Music: acoustic sets, local bands, street bands, and repertoires ranging from folk to reggae, pop, and singer-songwriter rock;
• Theatre and Monologues: small independent productions, social storytelling, and comedy;
• Open-Air Cinema: evening screenings in the park's makeshift arena;
• Books and Debates: presentations with authors, journalists, and experts, plus meetings on current affairs and local issues;
• Workshops for children and teenagers: hands-on, creative, and ecological activities in the afternoon;
• Exhibitions and Visual Arts: collective displays by artists and galleries from Garbatella;
• Artisan Market and popular cuisine managed by the association's volunteers.

Garbatella and Casetta Rossa

Garbatella is one of Rome's most distinctive neighborhoods. Established in the 1920s as a "garden suburb," it retains the courtyards, stairways, and housing blocks that make it instantly recognizable. Casetta Rossa, which manages the park through community participation, has long been a social and cultural landmark of the district—a "territorial laboratory" where volunteering, activism, and culture coexist. The Other Summer Festival is the moment this work becomes most visible, with the support of Municipio VIII.

A free and convivial festival

All events are free to attend. If you wish to contribute, you can stop for dinner at the park tables, where the volunteers serve simple dishes at popular prices. Reservations are recommended on busier nights, especially on weekends. The atmosphere is that of an extended neighborhood party: families with children, students, long-time residents, and curious visitors from all over Rome.

Why it's worth the trip

Visitors to the capital in summer will find the Other Summer Festival a rare opportunity to see Rome from the perspective of the locals, far from the tourist circuits of the center, in an authentic neighborhood in the southern part of the city. No monumental stages, no international stars—just quality, care, and a sense of community that is a spectacle in itself.