Rome International Kite Festival

A festival among the Roman aqueducts

The Rome International Kite Festival is one of the most original spring events in the Municipality of Rome and the entire Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. The festival takes place at Parco degli Acquedotti, in the area behind the church of San Policarpo, with access from Via Lemonia in the Appio Claudio district (Municipality VII). The setting is a spectacle in itself: the monumental arches of the Claudio and Acqua Felice aqueducts provide a natural stage for dozens of kites soaring above the meadows, creating a visual dialogue between Roman archaeology and ancient Eastern art.

The connection with Weifang

The festival stems from a cultural twinning with Weifang, the Chinese city recognized as the world capital of kites, whose artisanal tradition is inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Each year, a delegation of master artisans brings to Rome handmade silk and bamboo kites, some of monumental proportions: dragons dozens of meters long, butterflies, phoenixes, and figures from Chinese mythology, each hand-painted. Alongside them, Italian and European clubs fly their own sport and acrobatic kites, creating a technical and poetic exchange.

Thematic areas

The program is organized into areas that run concurrently throughout the event, allowing families to move freely between activities:

• Flight Area: master demonstrations, acrobatic displays, and the international competition open to the public;
• Stage Area: official ceremonies, meetings, cultural forums, and live performances;
• Culture and Craft Area: workshops on Chinese calligraphy, tea ceremonies, Hanfu traditional dress parades, and kite construction and painting;
• Wellness and Martial Arts Area: open lessons in Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Kung Fu, and Five Animal Gymnastics, plus tuinà massage demonstrations;
• Kids' Play Area: games, entertainment, and creative activities designed for the little ones;
• Food Area: authentic Chinese cuisine with freshly prepared dishes.

Music and Cinema

In recent editions, the festival has expanded with two sections that have changed its rhythm. The Kite Music Festival brings live bands to the stage with a deliberately eclectic lineup ranging from rock to funk, pop to rap, entertaining the audience into the evening. The Kite Film Festival offers outdoor screenings, short films, and meetings with Italian and international directors: cinema under the arches, with free admission, has become one of the most anticipated moments of Sunday.

A free event for all ages

Admission to the festival is free, and almost all activities, including workshops, are free of charge. This is a key reason for the event's success, which over the years has drawn huge crowds to Parco degli Acquedotti, primarily families from the south-east quadrant of Rome but also visitors from across the Lazio region. Environmental sustainability is a stated theme of the organization: the kite, which flies without a motor or noise, is presented as a symbol of a gentle relationship with the landscape.

Organizers

The event is promoted by the International Sino-Italian Cultural Association Melodie di Seta, with the patronage of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Italy, the Lazio Region, the Appia Antica Regional Park, and the International Kite Federation, and with the support of Municipality VII of Rome Capital.

Visiting tips

Parco degli Acquedotti is a large green area with very little shade: a hat, water, and comfortable shoes are highly recommended. The best time to see the giant kites in flight is in the afternoon when the breeze is most consistent; in the evening, the park changes atmosphere with music and screenings. It is worth taking advantage of the visit to walk along the path of the Claudio Aqueduct, one of the most photographed landscapes in Rome's historic outskirts.