From 1 to 6 April 2026: find out what to do in and around Rome, including religious traditions, open museums, parks, unusual and fun activities and great food.
For over two thousand years, Rome has embraced us with its warmth and timeless beauty: over the centuries, Easter has drawn crowds of tourists and pilgrims, poets and writers, the faithful and the curious to the Eternal City. It was the Christian feast par excellence, accompanied by rituals and customs partly handed down to the present day.
Today, the Easter festivities are one of the best times to explore Rome, get lost in its alleys, stop to admire its monuments and discover unique perspectives.
Roma Live is the calendar for experiencing Rome to the full, a multimedia platform designed for both city residents and visiting tourists. Check out the Roma Live events calendar for 1–6 April 2026 and choose from exhibitions, sports events, concerts, theatre performances, festivals and dance acts. The information is constantly updated.
- LITURGICAL RITES AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF EASTER
- ART AND CULTURE - EASTER HOLIDAYS IN ROME'S MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
- MUSIC AND SHOWS ON EASTER HOLIDAYS IN ROME
- WALKS IN THE PARKS AND OUT-OF-TOWN TRIPS ON EASTER HOLIDAYS 2026
- THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS ON EASTER HOLIDAYS 2026 IN ROME
- EASTER ON THE TABLE: THE TRADITIONAL ROMAN CUISINE
- EASTER HOLIDAYS 2026: TIPS FROM TURISMO ROMA'S STAFF
LITURGICAL RITES AND RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF EASTER
Good Friday, 3 April – “Passion of the Lord” – Celebration of the Passion of the Lord at 5:00 pm and Stations of the Cross at 9:15 pm.
Following the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord in the Papal Chapel of St Peter’s Basilica, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV presides over the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum, first held on Good Friday in 1750. To this day, the commemoration of Christ’s Passion, led by the Holy Father against the backdrop of the city’s most iconic monument, remains one of the most evocative and widely attended religious rites.
Saturday, 4 April – Easter Sunday “Resurrection of the Lord” – Easter Vigil in the Holy Night, 9:00 pm
In the Church’s liturgy, the Easter Vigil takes place after sunset on Holy Saturday and before dawn on Easter Sunday to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. A solemn Mass is celebrated in St Peter’s Basilica, as in every church across the city, albeit at different times.
Sunday, 5 April – Easter Sunday “Resurrection of the Lord” – Mass of the Day, 10:15 am – “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing, 12:00 pm
On 5 April, beginning at 10:15 am, the celebration of the Easter Sunday Mass will take place in St Peter’s Square, followed by the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing.
Monday, 6 April – Regina Caeli, 12:00 pm
For the full calendar: www.vatican.va
For access arrangements to celebrations within the Vatican, please consult the official website.
Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome – between 1 and 6 April 2026
The Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome is the city’s most famous pilgrimage. It dates back to the Middle Ages, but it was St Philip Neri who revived it from 1572 onwards. One of the periods in which it is still traditionally observed today is between the evening of Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday. The circular route includes what were, in the sixteenth century, the principal churches and basilicas of the city: St Peter’s Basilica, St Paul Outside the Walls, the basilica of San Sebastiano outside the Walls (since the Jubilee of 2000, sometimes replaced by the Shrine of the Madonna del Divino Amore (Our Lady of Divine Love), the basilica of St. John Lateran, the basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, the basilica of St Lawrence Outside the Walls, and the basilica of St Mary Major.
ART AND CULTURE - EASTER HOLIDAYS IN ROME'S MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
Museums and archaeological sites
Prestigious collections, surprising archaeological areas, priceless treasures and a unique cultural heritage ranging from prehistory to modern and contemporary art:
- Rome's City Museums, extraordinarily open, await you on Easter (5 April) and Easter Monday (6 April).
Pasqua nei Musei 2026 (Easter in the Museums 2026) – From Wednesday 1 to Monday 6 April, the annual event “Pasqua nei Musei” returns, featuring a rich programme of extraordinary openings, guided tours, workshops and free educational activities in the civic museums and archaeological areas of Rome Capital, accompanying visitors throughout Holy Week. On Easter Day, coinciding with the first Sunday of the month, free admission for all will be granted to the civic museums and archaeological areas of Rome Capital. The Civic Museums will remain open to the public, including on Easter Monday, offering their extensive artistic and cultural heritage. Among the special events, guided tours of Palazzo Senatorio (Senatorial Palace) on the Capitoline Hill—seat of the Municipality of Rome since 1143—are also confirmed for Sunday 5 April. During these tours, expert guides will lead visitors through the palace’s majestic halls, with insights into its millennia-long history. The tours, free of charge with compulsory booking via the number 060608 (bookings open on Thursday 2 April at 4:00 pm), are conducted in Italian in four time slots, with a maximum of 30 participants each. Departures are scheduled at 10:00 am, 11:30 am, 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm, with a duration of approximately 75 minutes.
For the opening hours and access procedures of the individual museums and archaeological sites, please consult the official websites
- The State Museums also open on Easter and Easter Monday – Spring offers a unique opportunity to rediscover the most beautiful sites of our cultural heritage: from national galleries to the most renowned archaeological parks, museums, historic villas and monumental gardens of Rome. During the Easter holidays, state museums, monuments and archaeological sites will be open to the public: Sunday 5 April (Easter and the first Sunday of the month) with free admission; Monday 6 April (Easter Monday) with standard ticket pricing. You can consult full opening schedules on the dedicated page of the Ministry of Culture’s website: cultura.gov.it. You are therefore advised to plan your visit in advance, always checking the official websites of individual museums, also accessible via the Musei italiani app (Italian Museums app), through which admission tickets can be purchased.
MUSIC AND SHOWS ON EASTER HOLIDAYS IN ROME
Festival di Pasqua, XXIX edizione (Easter Festival, 29th Edition) – The prestigious event founded in 1998 by the opera and musical theatre director and set designer Enrico Castiglione offers, as tradition dictates, its highly anticipated programme of Sacred Music concerts in Rome during the Easter period, held in the city’s most important and monumental churches and basilicas. Among the major concerts scheduled are the traditional appointments: the Holy Wednesday Concert on 1 April at the Church of San Marcello al Corso, the Easter Concert on Sunday 5 April at the Basilica of Santi Bonifacio e Alessio, and the Easter Monday Concert on 6 April at the Pantheon at 5 pm.
Bach – St Matthew Passion/Minasi – Thursday 2 and Friday 3 April at 8 pm, and Saturday 4 April 2026 at 6 pm – James Gilchrist and Cody Quattlebaum, together with the Orchestra, Choir and Children’s Choir of Santa Cecilia, conducted by Riccardo Minasi, perform on the stage of the Sala Santa Cecilia at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone the magnificent choral passages and deeply moving solo arias of the German composer, recounting the final hours of Christ in a vast theatrical drama about humanity, suffering, betrayal and hope.
I concerti del Tempietto - Festival Musicale delle Nazioni - Sala Baldini (The Tempietto Concerts – International Music Festival – Sala Baldini) – An intimate and evocative atmosphere featuring the most celebrated pieces of the classical repertoire, set within the millennia-old history of Rome:
- Concerto di Pasqua 2026 (Easter Concert 2026) – Sunday 5 April 2026, 6 pm – Following a visit to the Historic Area of the Theatre of Marcellus and the Campitelli district at 5.15 pm, guitarist Carlo Ambrosio presents a programme spanning centuries and styles: from the Cantigas de Santa Maria by Alfonso X the Wise to the famous Ciaccona by J. S. Bach, through to the Spanish dances of Julián Arcas, in a concert of refined musicality and virtuosity.
- Concerto di Pasquetta 2026 (Easter Monday Concert 2026) – Monday 6 April 2026, 6 pm – Jia Li (piano and voice) presents an eclectic concert ranging from the virtuosity of Chopin and Liszt to the lyrical works of Schubert and Tchaikovsky, as well as well-known international and traditional pieces, in a musical journey across classical, film, and world music.
Concerts at All Saints Church – A programme of concerts set in the typically English neo-Gothic atmosphere of Rome’s Anglican church:
- Holy Week Concert – Stabat Mater – Friday 3 April 2026, 8.30 pm – The final work and masterpiece by G. B. Pergolesi, completed shortly before the composer’s death at just twenty-six years of age.
- Easter Concert – Mozart’s Requiem – Saturday 4 April 2026, 8.30 pm – This evocative composition was commissioned from the Austrian composer by an unknown patron in the summer of 1791. Having accepted the commission, he began the work enthusiastically but was never able to complete it, as he died only a few months later. The Requiem was completed by Franz Xaver Süssmayr, Mozart’s pupil and friend.
Great Easter Concert at the Church of Saint Paul within the Walls – Sunday 5 April, 8.30 pm – In this highly anticipated Easter concert, audiences will hear the moving music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi.
Musical Chapel of Santa Maria dell’Anima – Sunday 5 April, 10:00 am and 7:30 pm – The Musical Chapel of Santa Maria dell’Anima, conducted by Flavio Colusso, performs Mozart’s Missa K192, the offertory Terra tremuit by the current Maestro di cappella, and a world premiere by Leonardo Monopoli for solo organ, composed especially for the Chapel and performed by the composer himself.
L'Ara si rivela (The Ara Revealed) – A fascinating immersive multimedia experience exploring the Ara Pacis Augustae, revealing the original polychromy of one of Rome’s symbolic monuments through videomapping technology, accompanied by an evocative narrative, music and soundscapes.
Cirque du Soleil - Ovo – From 2 to 5 April 2026 – A new and captivating interpretation of one of the company’s most famous shows, featuring over 50 artists, acrobats and musicians, staged at the Palazzo dello Sport.
Gilberto Gil – 6 April 2026 – The international music legend returns to Italy, performing on the stage of the Sala Santa Cecilia at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, celebrating over sixty years of his extraordinary artistic career.
WALKS IN THE PARKS AND OUT-OF-TOWN TRIPS ON EASTER HOLIDAYS 2026
A day at the park - Villa Borghese, Villa Doria Pamphilj, Villa Ada Savoia, Villa Torlonia, Villa Celimontana are just some of the wonderful places in which Rome's marvellous villas are set, buildings rich in history and charm for a regenerating stroll amidst the green of nature and the white of shining marble during the Easter holidays.
A day at the seaside
- The Sea of Rome - At Ostia you can experience the magic of the sea just a few kilometres from the centre of Rome: walk barefoot on the beach after a rich meal of fresh fish and good wine, feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and breathe in the intense sensations that only the sea can transmit.
- Il Borghetto dei Pescatori (Fishermen's Village) - Discover the picturesque settlement where time seems to stand still: flavours and ancient traditions between the sea of Ostia and the lush Castelfusano pine forest.
- The Pineta di Castelfusano - Overlooking the wild coastal dunes of the Roman coastline, the Pineta di Castelfusano extends over about 15,900 hectares and features a great variety of natural environments including evergreen forests, river banks and mouths, dunes, wetlands, expanses of Mediterranean scrub, stretches of surprisingly beautiful Roman countryside and agricultural landscapes. The area preserves an exceptional historical-archaeological heritage that includes the Ostia Antica Archaeological Park, the Imperial Ports of Claudius and Trajan, the Via Severiana, Pliny's Villa, the Castle of Julius II, the Renaissance Tor San Michele, attributed to Michelangelo, the medieval Torre Boacciana, the medieval castles of Castel Fusano (Chigi) and Ostia Antica, and the palaeontological sites of Castel di Guido and Malafede.
- Santa Severa and Pyrgi - A few kilometres from Rome, a magical place where you can spend a day of culture or relaxation by the sea, strolling through fields of wheat and striking beaches of black sand and blue water. A magical place dominated by the imposing castle, a strategic outpost on the sea with an enchanting village whose narrow streets still exude a medieval atmosphere with their festivals, noble courts and battles.
A day at the Castelli Romani - Located south-east of Rome, the Castelli Romani area, immersed in greenery and history, is the ideal place for a day trip out of town. Among the lakes and ancient volcanic craters, where emperors, pontiffs and ecclesiastical dignitaries had their luxurious residences built, overlook the 17 municipalities that offer unusual itineraries on foot or by bicycle to discover the architectural and natural beauties and the excellent food and wine that make the traditional Roman cuisine unique. Don't miss: the bread of Genzano and Lariano, the PDO wine of the area, the grapes of Colonna, the 'coppiette' of Ariccia, spicy strips of dried meat, and the 'pupazza' of Frascati, a shortbread biscuit flavoured with honey.
A day in Tivoli - Discovering the enchanting town framed by nature of extraordinary beauty. Tivoli is the ideal place for walks and excursions even during the holidays. The marvellous Villa Adriana, Villa d'Este and Villa Gregoriana were, at the time of the Grand Tour, favourite destinations of novelists, painters, poets and musicians who drew inspiration from their works of art, monuments and unspoilt landscapes.
THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS ON EASTER HOLIDAYS 2026 IN ROME
Strolls through the city’s beautiful gardens, exciting explorations of the city’s museums and art venues, and engaging, immersive experiences for children and families: discover the wide range of fun, child-friendly activities planned for Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.
EASTER ON THE TABLE: THE TRADITIONAL ROMAN CUISINE
As on every great occasion, the Easter table is set to the brim, a prelude to a gluttonous and abundant meal. Lots of sweet and savoury dishes, to be enjoyed by letting yourself be carried away by the flavours and aromas of Rome's gastronomic tradition made up of popular and authentic recipes, made with simple and easy-to-find products. After the fasting and moderation that characterised the Lenten period, traditional sweets, eggs, boiled and chocolate, and lamb meat, the Christian symbol of rebirth, arrive on our tables.
- The Easter breakfast - The absolute stars of the Easter breakfast are hard-boiled eggs, often decorated, to be eaten with the Roman coral, a dark red salami, the soft 'pizza sbattuta', a cake reminiscent of sponge cake, which goes well with the delicious chocolate eggs so loved by children.
- Easter lunch - After a hearty breakfast, you certainly cannot refuse a hearty lunch that puts on the table tasty dishes such as omelette with artichokes, the main vegetable of Roman cuisine, present in an unavoidable dish on the tables of the faithful of tradition: coratella with artichokes, made with the innards of the lamb. At the end of the meal, you cannot miss the sweet-symbol of Easter, the delicious colomba, covered with crunchy almonds, icing and sugar crystals.
- The Abbacchio a scottadito - One of the tastiest dishes of Roman cuisine, the Abbacchio a scottadito (grilled lamb) is the dish of the festivities and the spring season, according to the tradition of Rome and Latium; an unfailing dish on Roman tables, especially at Easter lunch, perfect when accompanied by an excellent red wine from the Castelli.
EASTER HOLIDAYS 2026: TIPS FROM TURISMO ROMA'S STAFF
It is said that a city can be described through a single panorama, a colour, a perfume, and it is precisely those nuances, imperceptible and evanescent, that often turn into indelible memories. The magic of Rome, then, has been endlessly recounted in the words of poets and writers and wonderfully depicted in the works of great artists. Eternal and mysterious, Rome embraces you with its millennial charm and surprising modernity. There is no better time than the Easter holidays, laden with the colours and perfumes of spring, to fully immerse yourself in its vibrant mornings, warm sunsets and enchanted nights.
Here are our suggestions and visit tips for an unforgettable Easter:
- Take a stroll through Rome’s historic centre, winding through its characteristic alleyways and iconic squares to discover fresh perspectives, breathtaking views and hidden corners, all waiting to be experienced and shared.
- The Madonnelle of Rome – Discover the sacred shrines bearing images of the Virgin Mary, symbols of deep popular piety, placed on street corners, on walls or on the corners of ancient buildings, affectionately known as ‘Madonnelle’ by the Romans.
- The Dome of St Peter’s and the magical illusion – Admire the dome of St Peter’s Basilica in a magical play of perspectives: walking along Via Niccolò Piccolomini, near Villa Doria Pamphilj, you will discover that, as you approach, the “Cupolone” seems to recede, whilst, as you step back, the dome appears larger and closer.
- Over the Tiber: discovering Rome's seven most iconic bridges, in a blend of ancient architecture and bold contemporary visions, uncovering glimpses of unparalleled beauty and unusual itineraries, where history, nature and romance merge into unforgettable memories.
- A stone zoo – Where art meets legend, explore the heart of Rome in search of symbolic animals that evoke myths and historical events.
- The panoramic viewpoints offer you an unmissable opportunity to enjoy a splendid view and take in all the magnificence of the city from a privileged perspective, to play at spotting the most famous monuments, to be moved by Rome’s rosy sunsets, and to take in the entire historic centre and beyond at a single glance.
- Gems in the greenery: open-air Great Beauty – Discover romantic and ‘secret’ gardens shrouded in an ancient and enchanting aura, where you can stroll, relax with a book and take a break from the city’s hustle and bustle, enjoy a snack in the open air or admire one of the many evocative facets of the Eternal City, immersed in the magical atmosphere of Rome’s colours.
Discover all our tips for the month of April.
Photo: Turismo Roma
