Estate Romana: Roman Summer events

by Amy Knauff

Tourism tends to slow down in Rome during July and August, as travelers get scared off by the notorious hottest months of the year and would rather head to the seaside or more northern locales.

Despite the heat, I actually think July and August is a great time to visit the city. The crowds have thinned out, the summer sunlight makes the city look gorgeous, and it’s easy to do as the Romans do to avoid the hottest time of the day: get up early to do your sight-seeing, go back to your accommodations for a post-lunch siesta, then go out again in the late afternoon when it’s cooled down a bit, staying out until late at night enjoying the long days and cooler evening air. If you really aren’t used to the heat, consider booking a place with air-conditioning so you can get a good night’s sleep.

The best part of the Roman summer is the variety of festivals that are held in July and August. Many of the art exhibits at galleries and museums across the city are winding down in June or early July, but the outdoor music, dance, and theatre festivals are starting up. Here’s a rundown on the most interesting not-to-miss festivals in Rome:

LUGLIO SUONA BENE, 25 June – 2 August

This literally means “July sounds good.” It’s a series of concerts that take place almost every night, often in the Auditorium but also at other venues across the city. Some of this year’s biggest acts are Massive Attack, Robert Plant, James Blunt, Herbie Hancock, Simple Minds, Keith Jarrett, and Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club. http://www.auditorium.com/eventi/5707901

FESTIVAL DI CARACALLA, 24 June – 9 August

This is one of my personal favorites – the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma moves their opera and ballet performances outside to the Terme di Caracalla, with the stunning backdrop of the ruins of the ancient baths of Caracalla. This year the Terme will host ballets Swan Lake and Robert Bolle and Friends, and operas La Bohème and The Barber of Seville. www.operaroma.it/ita/caracalla.php

NOTTI D’ESTATE A CASTEL SANT’ANGELO, 1 July – 7 September

The Castel Sant’Angelo hosts jazz and classical music concerts on the outdoor terrace (with fabulous views of the city, by the way) on Wed and Fri-Sun. They also have guided evening tours (also in English) from Tues-Sun, where they show you normally “off-limits” parts of the castle, like the prisons and the Passetto di Borgo. http://www.castelsantangeloestate.it/

FESTIVAL MUSICALE DELLE NAZIONI, 4 June – 5 October

All summer long there are classical music performances (both solo musicians and ensembles) in the ancient Teatro di Marcello, an amphitheatre that looks like a smaller version of the Colosseum. http://www.tempietto.it/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

ESTATE ROMANA ON THE TIBER AND ISOLA DEL CINEMA, 21 June – 30 September

One of the Estate Romana’s most popular venues is along the lower river banks of the Tiber, where stalls selling artisanal goods, clothes, gourmet food, etc, are set up along with “pop-up” outdoor bars, restaurants, and pizzerias. It’s a fun spot for aperitivo or late-night drinks. On Tiber Island, an outdoor cinema has been set up with both mainstream films and independent films (all in Italian, though!). www.facebook.com/estateromanaturismo, http://www.isoladelcinema.com/

ROMA INCONTRA IL MONDO, 2 – 31 July

Rome Meets the World is a “world music” festival featuring international and Italian acts, held nightly in the lovely Villa Ada park in northern Rome. http://www.villaada.org/

I CONCERTI NEL PARCO, 6 – 31 July

In another big park, Villa Pamphili (between Trastevere and the Vatican area), outdoor concerts are held throughout July. There’s a variety of international and Italian musicians, with this year’s lineup including Mayra Andrade, the Tango Spleen Orquesta, and an orchestral version of Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon. www.iconcertinelparco.it/#

VILLA CELIMONTANA JAZZ FESTIVAL, JULY & AUGUST

This is a pretty important Italian outdoor jazz festival that takes place in Rome every year, but  unfortunately they still haven’t announced the dates or concert schedule for this year! I do know that it features concerts on a near-nightly basis and an outdoor restaurant/aperitivo area so you can eat or drink during the shows (you must book ahead). www.villacelimontanajazzfestival.com

GLOBE THEATRE, 8 JULY – 7 SEPTEMBER

Yes, Rome has a Globe Theatre – it’s a copy of the one in London, set up in Villa Borghese park. It opens every summer for performances of different Shakespeare plays (in Italian). This year’s plays will be Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Much Ado about Nothing. At the end of the season there will be a “Shakespeare Fest” with theatre, cinema, and music to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. http://www.globetheatreroma.com/

IL CENTRALE LIVE, 1 – 26 JULY

At the Foro Italico in northern Rome (near the Olympic Stadium), the smaller Stadio dei Marmi hosts a series of outdoor concerts of mostly Italian pop stars. Wildly popular (in Italy) Franco Battiato, Alex Britti, and Gigi d’Alessio will perform this summer. There’s also a bonus tango performance by Argentine dancer Miguel Angel Zotto. http://centralelive.it/

ROCK IN ROMA, 3 JUNE – 2 AUGUST

At the Capannelle Hippodrome in the south of Rome (it’s not well-connected by public transport so you’d be better off taking a taxi here) is a rock festival. The rest of this year’s lineup features important names like Franz Ferdinand, Placebo, and The Lumineers, plus some Italian favorites like Caparezza and Paolo Nutini. http://www.rockinroma.com/

¡FIESTA!, 13 JUNE – 24 JULY

Also at the Capannelle Hippodrome, the ¡Fiesta! is an “international festival of Latin American music and culture”. Remaining concerts will be held by Gente D’Zona and Eva Ayllon, and on the other nights of the festival (Wed-Sun) there are DJs, dancing, and Latin American food. http://www.fiesta.it/

Lisbon – Summer of Live Music

OUT JAZZ

The OUT JAZZ festival is a free open-air range of live concerts and DJ sets held throughout Lisbon every Friday and Sunday evening from May to September. Friday venues change every week, held at scenic points of the city, a hotel or museum grounds and start at 18:00. The Sunday evening concerts start at 17:00 and are held in a different public garden or park every month: in May the venue is Jardim da Estrela (near Lapa apartments/tram 28 route), whilst Anfiteatro Kiel to Amaral (Monsato park) is the chosen venue for June, Parque Eduardo VII (city centre near Marquês do Pombal) is the July venue, Jardim da Torre de Belem (Lisbon riverside) is the August venue and, Tapada das Necessidades (also on the tram 28 route) will be the venue in September. Download full details here: Lisbon Outjazz Program 2012

*****

ROCK IN RIO

2012 is the year of ROCK IN RIO-LISBOA, the festival that takes place every two years with lots of major international stars such as Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder, Smashing Pumpkins, Maroon 5, Metallica and Bruce Springsteen. Held at Parque da Bela Vista (Beautiful View), one of the largest open areas located within the Eastern city limits of Lisbon, the park comprises an area of 85,000 m² and is transformed into a “City of Rock” during this event. This year’s Rock in Rio will be held on the 25/26 May and 1/2/3 June. Using public transport is recommended as traffic and parking spaces in and around the venue will be restricted: metro (Linha Vermelha/Bela Vista) or Carris buses ( 5, 10, 17, 21, 22, 708, 755, 794). Full details at: www.rockinriolisboa.sapo.pt

*****

SANTO ANTONIO

Lisbon explodes into an all-night party on the 12-13 June, for the feast of SANTO ANTONIO, its patron saint – the Avenida da Liberdade (Liberty Avenue) hosts a parade /competition of folk music and dance between the city’s bairros (districts); the streets of old quarters such as Santos/Madragoa, Alfama/Castelo and Bairro Alto get decorated with colourful lanterns and streamers hanging from one building to another; the locals open their houses to sell wine and sardines or grill them at street stands; there are people dancing to live bands on many of the cities squares; and men give “mangericos” (pots of lucky basil with a poem) to their sweethearts! The nights of São João (23-24 June) or São Pedro (28-29 June) are also celebrated, although the party is somewhat more sedate!

*****

COOL JAZZ FEST

The motto for the COOL JAZZ FESTIVAL is summer nights, a beautiful garden and excellent music sound! The 2012 festival features leading contemporary singers and instrumentalists who will be performing open-air in Oeiras (easy to reach by train from Cais do Sodré from Lisbon city centre and then a local bus to the venue). This year’s opening number will be a performance by Sting on the 29th June at Parque dos Poetas (a larger venue for a larger audience); and the remaining concerts, which include Al Jareau and Buena Vista Social Club, will be held on the 4, 8, 19, 21 and 22 July in the Palace of the Marquis of Pombal Gardens. See last year’s video. Full details at http://www.cooljazzfest.com

*****

OPTIMUS ALIVE

And let’s not forget the annual OPTIMUS ALIVE festival on July 13, 14 and 15. This year it will bring bands like Radiohead and the Cure amongst others, and it will be held on the riverside at Algés, an area quite easy to reach by bus, metro and train. Full details at: http://www.optimusalive.com

*****

"Fado" by José Malhoa - at the Museu da Cidade

FADO

Last but not least, Portugal’s national song FADO has recently been added to UNESCO’s list of World’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is mournful and sad and mostly about “saudade” (longing), sung in late-night establishments throughout Lisbon and accompanied by guitars. You will find many of these establishments in the Bairro Alto and Alfama quarters of the city, and the golden rule is: if it looks like a dark and dingy hole in the wall, it will probably offer the most genuine experience. Avoid the places where a waiter comes to the door and invites you in, as these are more tourist-orientated. There is also a Fado museum in Lisbon.