What’s on in Rome this month?
Free concerts, special openings of hidden places, international sports competitions and breathtaking shows. There’s so much to do in Rome this May 2027!
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 2027
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. The biggest free live music event in Europe. This year the location returns to Piazza San Giovanni, after the renovation works of the piazza that took place last year.
The event starts at 3PM, it’s for free and there’s no need to make reservations. Access to the concert is until full capacity.
More info here: https://www.primomaggio.net/
Night of the Museums (Notte dei Musei) – May 18th (date to be confirmed)
Every year in May, there are extraordinary openings by night of some of the Rome museums. This year the Night of the Museums will take place on May 18th (date to be confirmed) all over Europe.
According to the plan, museums will be exceptionally open from 8PM to 2AM (last entrance at 1AM). On this occasion entry tickets will be €1.
Some of the exceptionally opened sights among the state museums are:
- the Pyramid of Rome! 🤩
- Castel Sant’Angelo
- Caracalla’s baths
- Tombs of the Via Latina
You can find all the info on how to access at this link: https://cultura.gov.it/evento/notte-europea-dei-musei-2026
The website is in Italian only. Where you read “Tutte le regioni”, click and choose “Lazio”. You’ll filter the events by the Lazio region, where you can find the events in Rome.
Here instead you can find the info about the city museums: https://www.museiincomuneroma.it/it/mostra-evento/notte-dei-musei-2026
Some of the highlights among the city museums are:
- Ara Pacis
- Capitoline Museums
- Centrale Montemartini
- Trajan’s market
- Museum of Rome in Palazzo Braschi
- and other little hidden museums off the beaten path
Are you looking to make your Rome trip special? Are you looking for something fun, unique, personal? Our small group walking tours grew from the legacy of our media content online, meaning that we focus on showing you Rome “behind-the-scenes”. We explore the iconic neighborhoods of Rome where you get to discover lots of hidden gems and secrets hiding in plain sight, that most tourists miss. Check all our walking tours here!
BNL Internazionali di Tennis – until May 16th
The Internazionali BNL of Italy Tennis tournament is back at the Foro Italico from from April 27th until May 16th! The biggest tennis players of the world will be in Rome on those dates.
In Rome this is followed by both tennis enthusiasts as well as those who just want to take part in this “glamorous” event 😉
In the past couple of years there has been something new on occasion of the tournament: in Piazza del Popolo, for the duration of the tournament, there has been a tennis court where a match-show was held by Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini. There were training sessions of tennis players participating in the tournament. Let’s see if something similar will be repeated this year!
Info and tickets: https://www.internazionalibnlditalia.com/en/
Open House Rome – dates to be announced
Open House is an annual event which opens for free to the public hundreds of sites in Rome with impressive architectures.
From underground archaeological sites, 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!
The dates of Open House Rome 2027 are still to be announced.
More info: https://www.openhouseroma.org/
Pentecost at the Pantheon – May 16th
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.
To see the rose petals you need to participate to the mass. This mass has very high participation, therefore you should be at the door of the Pantheon at 9AM and participants will be allowed inside until full capacity.
More info on: https://www.pantheonroma.com/
Piazza di Siena international horse show in Villa Borghese
This will be the 93rd 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
Giro d’Italia Grand Finale – May 30th (to be confirmed)
For the third year in a row, Rome will be the final stage of the Giro d’Italia, the most important cyclist race in Italy. The Giro d’Italia crosses the Italian peninsula through mountains and beautiful landscapes, and it will end in via dei Fori Imperiali on May 30th. But the date is still to be confirmed.
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 small group walking tours grew from the legacy of our media content online, meaning that we focus on showing you Rome “behind-the-scenes”.
We explore the iconic neighborhoods of Rome where you get to discover lots of hidden gems and secrets hiding in plain sight, that most tourists miss.
And we do it in small groups only, to keep the experience personal and interactive 😊
Discover more about how our Rome tours work, the best Rome tours or browse all our small-group tours to see the experiences currently available.
