Videocittà

Videocittà, the digital culture festival in Rome

Videocittà is one of the most original events in Rome's summer calendar: the Festival of Vision and Digital Culture, conceived by Francesco Rutelli, which annually transforms the post-industrial space of the Ostiense Gazometro, in the Municipality of Rome, into an open-air laboratory dedicated to imagery, technology, and contemporary arts. Reaching its ninth edition in 2026, the festival has become a national benchmark for those interested in digital art, videomapping, immersive installations, and new audiovisual languages.

Watercult 2026: water as a theme

The 2026 edition, titled «Watercult», centered on water: the origin of life, an essential resource, and a universal symbol capable of traversing cultures, landscapes, and imaginations. The theme served as a common thread throughout the large-scale immersive installations, audiovisual live sets, and video art pieces, under the artistic direction of Anna Lea Antolini and the creative direction of Michele Lotti. The result was a journey where environmental reflection and aesthetic research intertwined seamlessly.

The Gazometro, a unique setting in Lazio

The heart of the festival is the Gazometro, the imposing iron structure that stands as a symbol of Roman industrial archaeology and is among the largest in Europe. Its spans and workshops become screens and stages: the site-specific light installation UNDA enveloped the G4 Gazometro, while In Lympha, conceived and produced by Eni, animated Opificio 41 with music by Apparat. This industrial backdrop, in Rome's Ostiense district, gives Videocittà a visual identity recognizable throughout the Lazio region and beyond.

Installations, video art, and live music

The program weaves together multiple languages: immersive and interactive installations, video art featuring international names such as Adrian Paci, FLATFORM, Shahzia Sikander, Monira Al Qadiri, and Cecilia Bengolea, virtual reality experiences, and concerts on the Main Stage. Musical artists for the Watercult edition included MACE, Apparat, Populous, Nziria, Voices From The Lake, and Sara Persico with Mika Oki, in a constant dialogue between sound and image.

• Large-scale immersive and site-specific installations
• Video art works by international artists
• Audiovisual live sets and electronic music DJ sets
• Virtual reality experiences and talks on the digital future

An international festival in Ostiense

Beyond the public performances, Videocittà hosts the professional section Agorà, featuring international delegates and hundreds of B2B meetings that make the festival a reference platform for the creative and digital industry. Located in the Municipality of Rome, the capital of the Lazio Region, the event combines outreach, entertainment, and networking, confirming itself every July as one of the city's most innovative cultural experiences.