Quadraro-Cinecittà Neighborhood Carnival

A carnival that takes to the streets

The Quadraro-Cinecittà Neighborhood Carnival is one of the longest-running grassroots festivals in the southeastern quadrant of Rome, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. Born in the early 2000s through the initiative of Csoa Spartaco and later expanded with the Cinecittà Bene Comune network, it reached its twenty-third edition in 2026. This is not a parade of allegorical floats or a show for seated spectators: it is a self-produced carnival made of homemade masks, marching bands, and public squares reclaimed by residents for a few days.

Where it takes place: the neighborhood venues

The festival does not have a single headquarters but moves across the territory, visiting the same symbolic neighborhood locations every year:

• C.A.T. Social Lab, at Via di Campo Farnia 100, in Villaggio Appio: the opening day, primarily aimed at children and families.
• The pedestrian area of Via Flavio Stilicone, the commercial and social heart of Quadraro, where clowning and street theater performances are concentrated.
• The square of the San Policarpo church, overlooking the Parco degli Acquedotti, the meeting point for the masquerade parade.
• Largo Spartaco, the end of the parade and the site of the final celebration.

The parade route holds significance beyond logistics: it connects the great archaeological park of the Roman aqueducts—one of the most photographed landscapes in Rome's periphery—to the residential fabric of Cinecittà and Quadraro, a neighborhood with an anti-fascist history, now also known for its street art.

The Murga Los Adoquines de Spartaco

The common thread throughout the days is the Murga Los Adoquines de Spartaco, a group born within the social center and inspired by the Rioplatense carnival tradition: drums, colorful costumes, singing, dancing, and social satire. The murga sets the rhythm for the parade and closes the evenings. Alongside them, clown and puppet theater companies alternate year by year: in 2026, the duo Le Chien Barbu Mal Rasé, active since 2008 and specializing in improvisation, charlatan traditions, and theatrical clowning; in 2025, the Compagnia La Nuvola Girovaga with the soap bubble show Le petit Voyage.

A free and participatory event

All initiatives of the Neighborhood Carnival are free and open to the public. The festival relies on the voluntary work of local groups and self-financing, with food and solidarity stalls during the final evening at Csoa Spartaco, at Via Selinunte 57. Participation is open to everyone: there is no need to register for the parade; just arrive in costume at the meeting point.

When to go and who it is for

The event falls during the Carnival season, between February and early March, depending on the liturgical calendar. Weekday afternoons are designed primarily for children and families, while the Saturday parade is the most crowded and engaging moment, followed in the evening by DJ sets and concerts for a younger audience. It is also a great opportunity for visitors who want to experience a different side of Rome beyond the historic center: the side of neighborhoods that organize themselves.