Rome Stone Fest

Rome Stone Fest: The capital discovers stoner rock

Rome Stone Fest is the first festival in Rome with a clear identity: celebrating the heaviest and most saturated sounds of stoner rock, psych, and doom. The event was born in response to repeated requests from fans who had long been asking for a major day dedicated to these genres in the capital, where international heavyweights rarely performed. The first edition is scheduled for Saturday, August 8, 2026.

The lineup for the first edition

The bill brings together international headliners and local Italian talent. Leading the charge are the Californians Fu Manchu, icons of global stoner rock, choosing Rome for their only Italian date, and the Ukrainian band Stoned Jesus, one of the most solid acts in the European scene, making their debut in the capital. Joining them on stage are several bands from the underground scene:

• Fu Manchu (USA) — only Italian date
• Stoned Jesus (Ukraine) — Rome debut
• Aganor
• Ira del Baccano
• Gorilla Pulp
• Fuzz Populi

From Villa Ada Flow to Parco Schuster

Initially announced as part of the Villa Ada Flow series, the festival later changed venue to Parco Schuster, the green space adjacent to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in the Ostiense-San Paolo district. This space, better suited for a day of heavy music, hosts the event without changing the date: tickets already purchased for the previous location remain valid. The artistic direction is curated by Villa Ada Flow in collaboration with INIT.

An event for Rome and the Lazio region

With this first edition, the City of Rome adds a missing piece to its summer calendar, capable of attracting fans from across the Lazio region and beyond. Rome Stone Fest aims to become a fixed reference point for the stoner and doom scene in central Italy, in a capital that thrives on outdoor concerts and park festivals during the summer.

Atmosphere

Volume, fuzz, and saturated guitars under the August sun: Rome Stone Fest promises a single long day of live music, with the imagery of skateboards, muscle cars, custom vans, beaches, and deserts typical of Californian stoner rock. A gathering designed for genre enthusiasts and those looking to discover it live in a green setting within the city.