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New Year’s Eve in Rome, this is how the Romans celebrate the New Year. Enjoy a New Year’s Eve menu, party in the streets, concerts and fireworks.
New Year’s Eve is primarily a big street party in the center of Rome. Many Romans eat at home or in the restaurant and at midnight they flock to the city center, to the Colosseum or to the lookout hills to celebrate and watch the fireworks.
New Year traditions in Rome
Want to be lucky in the New Year? Wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve. A good portion of lentils with cotechino, a kind of coarsely cooked sausage, promises financial success. In the past, porcelain was also thrown out of the window, but this is now considered too dangerous.
Events on New Year’s Eve 2025/26
There are many shows and concerts on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Many restaurants and nightclubs celebrate the New Year in style.
The Pope celebrates a Te Deum in St. Peter’s Basilica at 17:00, which will be broadcast via video stream.
The City festival
The city of Rome organizes a big festival on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
One of the most popular places to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Rome is the Circus Maximus, where a big concert is traditionally held. Admission is free and around 50,000 people are expected to attend.
The concert offers a colorful mix of rock, folk and disco. It starts at 9 p.m. with the hosts of the RDS 100% Grandi Successi radio station. Alessandra Amoroso, Fabri Fibra and Tananai will perform live. The New Year’s wishes will be followed by a DJ set with dancing and singing.
Glass bottles and containers are prohibited at the concert and in the streets!
Fireworks on New Years Eve
The Roman municipal authorities put on a fireworks display above the Palatine Hill at midnight. Romans love fireworks and firecrackers on New Year’s Eve. They flock to vantage points, such as the Pincio and the Gianicolo, to get a good view.
It’s important to note that private fireworks have been banned in Rome on New Year’s Eve for years. However, this has not stopped Romans from celebrating the new year with fireworks and loud noises. The city administration has now tightened the rules. Since 2025, it has been illegal to possess or use firecrackers and rockets in December and January.
Watch the fireworks
You can watch the fireworks in Rome from different points of view. Many Romans come to the terrace of the Gianicolo or the Pincio. There is a cold wind and you should dress warmly.
Buying fireworks in Rome
In the supermarkets in Rome you will only find adult free fireworks. There are also some shops that specialize in fireworks. You can find their addresses on the Internet by searching for “vendita fuochi d’artificio Roma”.
On New Year’s Eve there are long queues in front of the fireworks shops and it can take several hours before you get your turn. So if you want to buy something, you should leave a few days in advance.
Rome New Year 2026
Rome is very quiet on New Year’s Day. Many Romans go to bed very late. However, some museums are open. You can go for a walk in the city or take a trip to the sea or the mountains. You can find suggestions in our category 3 days in Rome.
The city of Rome celebrates New Year’s Eve with the Capodarte cultural festival, featuring concerts, events, and free admission to municipal museums.
At noon, Pope Leo prays the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square. The traditional jump from the Cavour Bridge into the Tiber River also takes place at 12 noon.
At 12 noon, the city police band gives its traditional New Year’s concert at the Spanish Steps, and at 3:30 p.m., the colorful New Year’s parade begins at Piazza del Popolo, proceeding to the Spanish Steps and back again via Via dei Condotti and Via del Corso.
- Via Margutta, Sound&Image 15-18
- Piazza Navona 15.30 Stand-up-Comedy, 18.00 Tango & DJ-Set
- Casino Nobile, Villa Torlonia 15.30 Quartetto David (Accademia di Santa Cecilia)
- Stazione Ostiense Metromare 16-20 S/A TAKEOVER @ STAZIONE METRO MARE
- Palazzo Braschi 16.30 Quartetto Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
- Centrale Montemartini 17.00 QUINTETTO BAERMANN
- Macro 17.00 DJ-Set – Playgirls from Caracas
- Museo di Ara Pacis 17.30 Concerto classico
- Casa del Jazz 18.00 DIAFRIK 4et
- La Nuvola 18.30 Concerto di Capodanno
- Auditorium Parco della Musica 15-20 Il primo ballo del nuovo anno
Open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (last entry one hour earlier): Capitoline Museums, Mercati di Traiano – Museo dei Fori Imperiali, Museo della Forma Urbis, Ara Pacis Museum, Museo di Roma – Palazzo Braschi, Centrale Montemartini, Villa Torlonia Museums (except Serra Moresca), Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Museo Civico di Zoologia, Galleria d’Arte Moderna.
Open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last admission one hour earlier): Napoleonic Museum, Museo Repubblica Romana e della memoria garibaldina, Museo Carlo Bilotti – Aranciera di Villa Borghese, Museo Pietro Canonica, Museo delle Mura, Museo Casal de’ Pazzi, Serra Moresca, Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco, Villa di Massenzio, Circo Massimo Archaeological Area, Area Sacra di Largo Argentina.
Archaeological Area of the Imperial Forums 9-16.30, Macro 16-19, Palazzo delle Esposizioni 16-20
Many national museums are also open on January 1st. So you can also visit museums on New Year’s Day. These include Castel Sant’Angelo (14.30-19), Palazzo Spada with the Borromini optical illusion and a small gallery (11.30-19.30), ancient art in Palazzo Altemps and Palazzo Massimo (10.15-17.45), Palazzo Barberini and the Corsini Gallery (15-19), Palazzo Venezia and the Victorianum with the glass elevator (9.30-17). In the field of archaeology, the Baths of Diocletian opposite Termini station are open (10.15-17.45) as well as the Baths of Caracalla, the Colosseum, the excavations in Ostia Antica (8.30-16.30), the state museums in the park of Appia Antica (13.30-16.30), Villa Adriana and Villa D’Este in Tivoli (9-17).
Restaurants
Many restaurants are open on January 1st. If you want an extensive menu or a brunch, you should make a reservation.
Amusement parks
New Year’s Eve at Luneur
The Luneur amusement park is located in the EUR district. Luneur celebrates New Year’s Eve with Christmas decorations and mythical creatures. You can find the opening times in the calendar.
Via delle Tre Fontane, 100
Bus 30, 170, 714, 791 Colombo/Agricoltura
New Year’s Eve at Cinecittà World
Cinecittà World is an amusement park in the south of Rome. At the turn of the year, the park is open all night from 6pm to 6am. There is a big party with fireworks.
Regional bus COTRAL from Metro Laurentina to Castel Romano 2,60€ <->, on board 14€ The shuttle bus departs from the ATAC stop in Viale America above the EUR/Palasport metro station on line B from 10:30 – return journey 18:00 14€Public transportation
There is an extended timetable on New Year’s Eve.
The metro runs on December 31 until 2:30 a.m. The line to Ostia Lido and the line Rome-Flaminia Montebello run until 2:30 a.m. From 2:30 to 8:00 along the metro lines and the line to Ostia Lido run the buses nMA-nMB-nMB1-nMC-nME.
Bus and tram: Last departure on Dec. 31 at 9:00 p.m., except for lines H-2-128-170-200-280-301-336-544-766-881-905, which run until 2:30 a.m.. In addition, the night bus line n913 runs from 9 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
On 1st January the holiday schedule starts from 8 a.m. The metro runs from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. After that, nMA-nMB-nMB1-nMC buses run along metro lines A, B and C.
From Christmas until January 6, the lines Free1 will run from Termini station to the city center, Free2 from Ostiense/Piramide station to the city center and, also free, line 100 from Via Veneto to Piazza Cavour.
Information on long distance bus and rail connections can be found at Omio.
The weather on New Year’s Eve
It’s cold on New Year’s Eve. It is windy at the viewpoints and if you want to light fireworks you should have a storm lighter with you.
If you want to party outside at night, you need warm clothes and gloves. The probability of rain can be found in the current weather report.
The name day
There are few name days where everyone knows which date is meant. December 31st is the anniversary of the death of St. Sylvester, who was Bishop of Rome from 314-335. In his time, Emperor Constatine made Christianity the state religion.
Under Pope Sylvester I, three of the four most important basilicas were built, the Basilicae maiores of St. Peter, St. Paul and St. John. In addition, the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme was built under him to house the relics of the cross, and many other churches were built over the tombs of martyrs. He is venerated in the Basilica of San Silvestro e Martino in Monti in Viale del Monte Oppio 28.
Good job leaving a note where tourists can buy fireworks and bypass the ban. It’s not like there is any good reason for such a ban.
Maybe a link to hundreds of birds that die from fireworks should educate the author of this article and the uneducated tourists who do not care about wildlife.
We pointed out the ban. In fact, the fireworks this year were probably more extensive than usual. We doubt whether our article has made a significant contribution to this. Obviously, many Romans felt the need to chase away the spirits of 2020 and to welcome a new, better year.
Bird protection is of course important. Perhaps, in this regard, it would be helpful to restrain the seagull plague that is devouring all other birds.
Hi Rome, Is good information nevertheless, and Bernhard has a good point about the seagulls
Great information, thank you! 🙂
Thank you 🙂 , have fun!