An overview of the important and less important festivals and other events that take place in Rome each year.
Annual events Rome
January
Befana
On January 6th, the Befana comes with candy for the children. Or really, for the good children, the bad ones get charcoal instead.
February
Equilibrio Dance Festival
The Equilibrio Modern Dance Festival takes place in the Auditorium Parco della Musica.
March
Libri Come Literature Festival
The Libri Come Festival is an annual literature festival. Most of the event takes place at the Auditorium.
April
Liberation Day
April 25th is a public holiday in Italy.
May
Labor Day
May 1 is the busiest day of the year in Rome. Labor Day is celebrated with free concerts at the Basilica of St. John of Lateran. Numerous famous Italian pop musicians perform for free.
June
Celimontana Jazz festival
Every year, the Villa Celimontana Park hosts a jazz festival, usually in the month of June.
July
Summer sales
The summer sales usually start in the very beginning of July and last until mid-August.
August
Snowfall on August 5
The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is situated where it is, because snow is said to have fallen on the spot on August 5th once. Each year on this date, this event is celebrated with a solemn mass during which flower petals swirl down.
September
October
International Film Festival
Rome’s most important film festival is the International Film Festival. As always, the main events take place at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, but of course there are films to be seen elsewhere in the city.
November
Christmas bread
The 7th edition of the Fiera Nazionale del Panettone e del Pandoro (2014) will be held the weekend of December 22 and 23 at the Camera di Commercio building (Piazza di Pietra).
December
Gospel Festival
During the last weeks of December, the gospel festival takes place every year. Venue, as usual, is the Auditorium Parco della Musica.