What’s on in Rome this month?

Special openings of hidden places, international sports competitions and breathtaking shows. There’s so much to do in Rome this May 2023!

Without wasting a lot of time, let’s dive into these super exciting things to explore in the city! 🤩

Things to do in Rome in May 2023

May 1st free concert

May 1st is a bank holiday dedicated to workers’ rights.

Every year for the occasion, there is a massive free concert in Piazza San Giovanni. The biggest free live music event in Europe.

The event starts at 3PM, is for free and there’s no need to make reservations. Access to the square is free, until full capacity.

More info here: https://www.primomaggio.net/

Night of the Museums (Notte dei Musei) – May 13th

Every year in May, there will be extraordinary openings by night of some of the Rome museums. This 2023 the Night of the Museums will take place on May 13th.

According to the plan, museums will be exceptionally open from 8PM to 2AM (last entrance at 1AM). On this occasiona entry tickets will be €1.

The full list of museums is not published yet (we’ll update this article when we know more), however among the sites which will participate (and that we recommend visiting) are the Musei Capitolini, Centrale Montemartini, Trajan’s markets, Museum of the Ara Pacis, the Museum of Rome in Palazzo Braschi (Piazza Navona), Museum in Trastevere, Villa Torlonia and other little hidden museums off the beaten path.

Open House Rome – May 20-28

Open House is an annual event which opens for free to the public hundreds of sites in Rome with impressive architectures.

From the Ancient Roman pyramid, to embassies and ministry buildings, the difficult thing is choosing where to go! Make sure you book in advance as soon as the bookings open, as the best sites get fully booked super quick!

More info: https://www.openhouseroma.org/

Are you looking to make your May Rome trip special? Are you looking for something fun, unique, personal? Our in person experiences grew from the legacy of our media content online. We won’t dwell on academic frills, only on insider’s knowledge with the fun storytelling of a local expert. Check our private and semi-private experiences here

BNL Internazionali di Tennis – May 8th-21st

The Internazionali BNL of Italy Tennis tournament is back in Rome from May 8th (with the qualifications) to the 21st (with the finals).

This year the tournament will have an upgrade compared to the previous years, hosting 96 players (instead of 56) and 12 days of games (instead of 8). We can wait to go!

Info and tickets: https://www.internazionalibnlditalia.com/en/

Piazza di Siena international horse show in Villa Borghese – May 25th-28th

This will be the 90th edition of this international horse show in Villa Borghese. Same as in the previous years, those who want to attend will be able to watch the shows for free from the spectators’ seats around the field.

More info: https://www.piazzadisiena.it/en/news-piazza-di-siena-english.html

When Rome was a Republic – exhibition at the Musei Capitolini

This exhibit at the Capitoline Museums tries to give an overview about the transformation of the Roman society across 5 centuries, from the beginning of the Republic to the birth of the Empire. In case you didn’t know the Roman legacy started first as a monarchy, then it became a Republic, to the become an empire. This exhibit focuses on the Republican period, to give you an idea, the times of Cicero, Caesar and so on..

Majority of the artifacts which you can see in this exhibition are usually not visible to the public, because they are usually kept in the deposits (did you know that the deposits are sometimes more crowded of artifacts than the museums themselves?!).

This exhibit started on January 13th and will last until September 24th. More info here: https://www.museicapitolini.org/en/node/1012211

This exhibition can be perfectly combined with the “Wonders of the Capitoline hill” itinerary included in our Video Guide.

Van Gogh exhibition in Palazzo Bonaparte – last chance to see!

May 7th will be the last day to visit this exhibition that we loved so much. Palazzo Bonaparte since last October hosted an incredible exhibition dedicated to Van Gogh and his works.

The exhibition includes 50 Van Gogh artworks, including Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait, as well as documentation of Van Gogh biography.  

The exhibition takes place in Palazzo Bonaparte, which used to be the residence of Napoleon’s mother in Rome.

Website: https://www.mostrepalazzobonaparte.it/mostra-van-gogh.php#

Caracalla Festival 2023 – from May 30th to August 10th

Have you ever been to a concert within 2000 walls? Things like these can only happen in very few places in the world, and one of them is in Rome. The Caracalla festival takes place in none other than Caracalla baths!

Opera, ballet, cinema, theatre, jazz and pop music. All this is taking place this summer, starting from May, in this ancient Roman thermal bath ruins. 50 gigs in total.

More info here: https://www.operaroma.it/news/caracalla-festival-2023

Pentecost at the Pantheon – May 28th

After the mass at 10:30AM, the firefighters around midday, will throw thousands of rose petals from the top of the dome, which will fall inside the Pantheon.

This is a breathtaking show which originates from ancient times. The rose petals symbolize the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church, as well as the blood of Christ for the redemption of humanity.

More info on: https://www.pantheonroma.com/

Live a unique experience with us!

If you want to make your May Rome trip special and looking for something fun, unique, personal… you’re in the right place!

Our in person experiences grew from the legacy of our media content online, meaning that we focus on discovering the authentic side of Rome. We won’t dwell on academic frills, only on insider’s knowledge with the fun storytelling of a local expert. Our experiences include the hidden gems of Trastevere, Centro Storico and the heart of Ancient Rome. You can find them all here!