If you are in Rome over the weekend of Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September 2026, the city offers plenty of concrete options to fill your days beyond the usual archaeological tours. There is no need to run aimlessly from one side of the city to the other. Just three or four well-chosen stops are enough to see something different, avoiding tourist traps and getting around with the right public transport.
This weekend, the cultural calendar is split between major exhibitions in the heart of the historic center, contemporary theater festivals in local neighborhoods, and exhibition spaces created from restored old country houses. Below is a selection of the most interesting events and all the practical details to help you plan without wasting time in traffic.
Kandinsky at Palazzo Bonaparte
The main highlight this week is the arrival of the major exhibition dedicated to Vasily Kandinsky. Hosted in the rooms of Palazzo Bonaparte, the exhibition brings the Russian painter back to Rome after many years. The palace is located right on the corner of Piazza Venezia and Via del Corso, a spot you will definitely pass during your walks through the center.
A practical detail to keep in mind: Piazza Venezia is currently affected by major construction work for the new subway line. The area is partially fenced off, and crossing it on foot requires following the yellow pedestrian paths. Do not let the visual chaos discourage you, the entrance to the palace is fully accessible.
- Opening hours: the exhibition is open on Saturday and Sunday. I recommend planning your visit between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, the time slot when most visitors sit down for lunch and the rooms empty out a bit.
- Tickets: you can buy them directly on-site, but at weekends, booking online is highly recommended to avoid waiting on the narrow sidewalk of Piazza Venezia.
- How to get there: on foot from anywhere in the center. If you are coming from further away, you can check public transport connections on the ATAC website.
- Useful tip: if you are looking for a quick lunch or a coffee after the exhibition, avoid the tourist cafes with tables right on the square. Walk three minutes toward Via d'Aracoeli to find small historic bakeries serving pizza by the slice at normal prices.
- Link to source: to check ticket availability and precise opening hours, you can consult the presentation of the Kandinsky retrospective, which describes the organization of the event.
The Romaeuropa festival in the city theaters
For those looking for contemporary performances, the Romaeuropa Festival 2026 is currently underway. This is one of the most important theater, dance, and music festivals in Europe, with shows spread across various venues in the city. This weekend, the events are mainly concentrated in the Via della Conciliazione area and other Roman cultural spaces like the Teatro Argentina.
The festival performances attract a very loyal local audience, which means tickets for the best seats tend to sell out several days in advance. If you see something you like, do not wait until the day of the show to buy your ticket.
- Program and prices: ticket costs vary greatly depending on the show and the chosen venue.
- How to get there: the venue in Via della Conciliazione is just a short walk from St. Peter's Basilica. For information on how to reach the venue by public transport, check the ATAC website.
- Link to source: the complete schedule of weekend performances and the map of the venues can be found on the Rome Municipality official website in the section dedicated to cultural activities.
Warhol at La Vaccheria outside the center
If you want to get off the beaten track and discover a different neighborhood, La Vaccheria is hosting the exhibition Andy Warhol, Forever Love. La Vaccheria is an exhibition space housed in an old historic farmhouse restored by the municipality, located in the southern part of Rome, not far from the EUR district.
This visit allows you to combine pop art with a discovery of EUR's rationalist architecture. The neighborhood, designed in the 1930s for a world's fair that never took place, offers a completely different visual impact compared to the historic center, with its large white marble buildings and wide grid streets.
- The exhibition: it brings together a selection of Warhol's famous works in a quiet and uncrowded environment, perfect for a relaxed visit.
- Cost: entry to La Vaccheria is often free or has a very low ticket price, making it ideal if you are traveling on a budget.
- How to get there: for information on public transport connections, check the ATAC website.
- Link to source: practical information about this exhibition space and details of the show are available in the cultural services section of the municipality.
Testaccio Estate for Saturday evening
On Saturday September 19, the program of Settembre a Testaccio Estate offers outdoor events, live music, and meetings in Rome's most traditional working-class neighborhood. Testaccio is the ideal choice for the evening if you want to eat well without the inflated prices that characterize restaurants around Piazza Navona or the Pantheon.
The event is mainly held in the spaces of the former Mattatoio, a large industrial archaeology complex from the late nineteenth century that now houses exhibition pavilions, university classrooms, and concert spaces. This place shaped the culinary identity of the neighborhood: this is where the fifth quarter cuisine was born, which is the use of offal in Roman culinary tradition.
- The event: entry to the former Mattatoio area is usually free, while some specific concerts inside the pavilions may require a ticket.
- What to eat: before heading to the events, look for one of the historic trattorias in the neighborhood's side streets to try rigatoni con la pajata or coda alla vaccinara cooked according to the traditional recipe.
- How to get there: to plan your route by public transport, check the ATAC website.
- Link to source: for the list of concerts and meetings scheduled for Saturday evening, you can consult the page for weekend events in Rome.
How to get there and opening hours
Here is a practical summary to help you plan your journeys over the weekend of September 19 and 20, 2026:
- Palazzo Bonaparte (Kandinsky exhibition): Piazza Venezia, on the corner of Via del Corso. Open Saturday and Sunday during the day. For information on public transport connections, check the ATAC website.
- Teatro di Via della Conciliazione (Romaeuropa Festival): Via della Conciliazione. For information on schedules and transport, check the ATAC website.
- La Vaccheria (Andy Warhol exhibition): Via Giovanni l'Eltore 35. Open over the weekend. For information on how to reach the venue by public transport, check the ATAC website.
- Ex Mattatoio (Testaccio Estate): For information on how to reach the event and schedules, check the ATAC website.
If you only have two days, I recommend spending Saturday afternoon at the Kandinsky exhibition at Palazzo Bonaparte, then heading to Testaccio for dinner and the evening events at the former Mattatoio. Sunday morning can be dedicated to the trip outside the center to EUR and La Vaccheria, leaving the afternoon free for an aimless stroll before heading home. For a complete overview of all other activities available in the city during the month, you can consult the official guide on the Rome tourism portal.