Short Theatre
The international festival of contemporary creation and performing arts in Rome
About Short Theatre
Short Theatre, a living atlas of the performing arts
Short Theatre is one of Italy's most prominent festivals dedicated to contemporary creation and the performing arts. Every September, for ten days, the festival turns Rome into a map of spaces traversed by theatre, dance, performance, music, visual arts, and critical thought. It is not merely a schedule of shows, but a true laboratory of the present, where artists from all over the world meet to interrogate our times.
A festival rooted in the Mattatoio di Testaccio
The heart of the festival has always beaten at the Mattatoio di Testaccio, particularly in the Pelanda pavilion, which has hosted Short Theatre since 2010. Around this core, the event branches out into a network of symbolic locations in the capital: Teatro India (where the festival was born), Teatro Vittoria, the MACRO - Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome, Cinema Troisi, the Botanical Garden, and the MUCIV - Museum of Civilizations. Each venue becomes part of a single organism spread throughout the city's urban fabric.
A look at the world
Conceived and organized by AREA06, Short Theatre is led by a plural curatorial group composed of Silvia Bottiroli, Silvia Calderoni, Ilenia Caleo, and Michele Di Stefano. The programming maps the lesser-known artistic geographies of the Global South and East, bringing voices from countries such as Algeria, Libya, Eritrea, Cameroon, Rwanda, Mexico, and China to Rome, alongside Italian and European companies. It is an international festival in the truest sense: a bridge between different cultures, languages, and artistic practices.
Theatre, dance, music, and critical thinking
The strength of Short Theatre lies in the interweaving of languages. Alongside contemporary theatre and dance performances, there are sections dedicated to dramaturgy, pedagogy, electronic music, and immersive performances. Formats such as CLASSE (a cycle of lectures and pedagogy), CAMERA (a dramaturgical format), and SALON (daily musical appointments) make the festival a space for continuous dialogue between artists and the public, between creation and political reflection.
An event for Rome and the Lazio region
For the Municipality of Rome and the entire Lazio Region, Short Theatre represents one of the most anticipated cultural events of early autumn, capable of attracting a young, international, and curious audience. It is the moment when the capital rediscovers itself as a laboratory for experimentation, offering spectators the chance to encounter the most advanced practices of the international contemporary scene up close.
Short Theatre — edition 2026
Short Theatre 2026 - 21st edition
The 21st edition of Short Theatre takes place in Rome from September 3 to 12, 2026, with ten days of programming, 40 companies, artistic projects, and figures, and over 65 events. The festival maps the contemporary artistic geographies of the Global South and East, bringing together artists from Italy, Spain, France, Poland, Hungary, Algeria, Libya, Eritrea, Cameroon, Rwanda, Mexico, and China.
The programming is distributed between the Pelanda of the Mattatoio, the Botanical Garden, Teatro India, Teatro Vittoria, MACRO, Cinema Troisi, and the MUCIV - Museum of Civilizations. The edition is conceived and organized by AREA06, with artistic direction by Silvia Bottiroli, Silvia Calderoni, Ilenia Caleo, and Michele Di Stefano.
Programme Short Theatre 2026
Inauguration - September 3, Botanical Garden
Opening at the Botanical Garden with an immersive journey through nature, sound, and performance: Annalisa Metta's lecture on landscape inaugurates the CLASSE pedagogical cycle, while the greenhouses are traversed by the sound compositions of Oscar Ngu Atanga. Also on the program are electronic composer LEMMO, the dance "Dance for Nothing (revisited)" by Eszter Salamon, the theatre piece "QUIXOTE_a rose is not a rose" by Industria Indipendente and Vanasay Khamphommala, and performances by Rhuena Bracci, Melissa Guex, and Mariangela Gualtieri.
Dance and Theatre - Teatro Vittoria and Teatro India
- September 4-5, Teatro Vittoria - "El corazón de Ester" by Alberto Cortès
- September 6-7, Teatro Vittoria - "Sentimental1" by Cristina Kristal Rizzo (national premiere, inspired by Derek Jarman)
- September 7-8 - "In perpetual blooming, despite the gods" by Maya Oliva (national premiere)
- September 8-9 - "Pairadaëza #Mattatoio" by Antonio Tagliarini (national premiere) and "Mirlitons" by François Chaignaud with beatboxer Aymeric Hainaux
- September 10-11, Teatro India - "L'Echo" by Nacera Belaza (national premiere, co-produced with Romaeuropa Festival), "Michel. The animals I am" by Chiara Bersani, "Comeback" by Fabritia D'Intino and Agnese Banti, the concert "BELL END" by Mathilde Invernon, and "Variazione No. 2" by Sorelle di Damiano (national premiere)
- September 11-12 - "This resting, patience" by Ewa Dziarnowska (three hours, audience in motion)
- September 12 - "L'Infinito Carnale" by Claudia Castellucci
Special Sections
- CAMERA (dramaturgical format): Daria Deflorian, Giulia Crispiani, El Conde de Torrefiel
- CLASSE (free pedagogy and lectures): Paul Preciado, Teodora Grano, Françoise Vergès, Adelita Husni Bey, Nina Ferrante, and others
- SALON (daily musical appointments): DJ Lola Kola, HABIBIBITCH, otay:onii, CORPS CITOYEN
In total, 40 companies and projects for over 65 events. The full program and detailed schedule are published on the official website shorttheatre.org.
Highlights Short Theatre 2026
- Immersive inauguration at the Botanical Garden of Rome on September 3
- Numerous national dance and theatre premieres (Cristina Kristal Rizzo, Nacera Belaza, Maya Oliva, Antonio Tagliarini, Sorelle di Damiano)
- The CLASSE pedagogical cycle with Paul Preciado and Françoise Vergès
- Artists from 12 countries, with a focus on the geographies of the Global South and East
- Seven venues throughout the city: Mattatoio, Botanical Garden, Teatro India, Teatro Vittoria, MACRO, Cinema Troisi, and MUCIV
Prices Short Theatre 2026
Practical information — Short Theatre
How to get there
The main venue is the Mattatoio di Rome - La Pelanda, at Piazza Orazio Giustiniani 4, in the Testaccio district. It is easily reached by Metro B (Piramide stop), trams 3 and 8, and numerous bus lines. The other venues (Teatro India, Teatro Vittoria, MACRO, Cinema Troisi, Botanical Garden, MUCIV) are distributed throughout the city and served by public transport.
Tickets
Full price ticket €15, reduced €10 (under 35 and over 65), plus presale fees. Some shows have different rates (Teatro Vittoria and Teatro India €20/€15; entry to the Pelanda €8). Subscriptions are available: 3 shows €42/€27, 5 shows €65/€42, 10 shows €120/€75. Tickets can be purchased via the Clappit platform and at the festival box office. For information: [email protected].
Tips
We recommend arriving a few minutes early: entry to the hall is not permitted once the show has started. Full program and updates are available on the official website shorttheatre.org.
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Where does it take place — Short Theatre
Mattatoio di Roma - La Pelanda
Piazza Orazio Giustiniani 4, 00153 Roma