Easter events in Rome: what to do, exhibitions, free museums and where to stay

In 2026, Easter Sunday falls on 5 April, turning Rome into one of the most evocative places in the world to experience the celebrations of Holy Week.

During these days, the city fills with pilgrims and visitors from across the world, arriving to take part in the rites presided over by the Pope and to experience the spiritual atmosphere surrounding the great basilicas and historic squares of the capital.

The main celebrations take place between St Peter’s Square, St Peter’s Basilica, St John Lateran and the Colosseum, following the liturgical calendar of Holy Week.

The programme begins with Palm Sunday, on 29 March, with the Holy Mass in St Peter’s Square, commemorating the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.

On 2 April, Holy Thursday, the Chrism Mass takes place in St Peter’s Basilica in the morning, followed in the afternoon by the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in St John Lateran Basilica.

On 3 April, Good Friday, the traditional Via Crucis at the Colosseum gathers thousands of faithful in one of the most intense and symbolic celebrations of Christianity.

The following day, 4 April, the Easter Vigil in St Peter’s Basilica marks the beginning of the celebration of the Resurrection.

The culmination arrives on Sunday 5 April 2026, when the Pope celebrates Easter Mass in St Peter’s Square at 10:15 a.m., followed by the solemn Urbi et Orbi blessing from the central loggia of St Peter’s Basilica at noon, one of the most anticipated moments of the Catholic liturgical year.

The Easter period is also one of the best times to experience the city’s cultural offering. Between late March and April, Rome presents a rich calendar of exhibitions, performances and artistic initiatives, allowing visitors to discover new sides of the city while alternating visits to major landmarks with contemporary cultural experiences.

Among the exhibitions to see during Easter 2026, one of the highlights is “Ville e Giardini di Roma: una corona di delizie” at Museo di Roma - Palazzo Braschi, an exhibition tracing the evolution of Rome’s historic villas through paintings, drawings and documents from the Renaissance to the twentieth century, open until 12 April 2026.

At MAXXI – Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, spring is marked by several major exhibitions: “Roma nel mondo. Culture e idee tra storia e contemporaneità”, dedicated to the dialogue between urban identities and international visions, and “Luigi Pellegrin – Prefigurazioni per Roma”, both open until 6 April 2026. During the same period, the museum also hosts “Rome in the World”, an international collective exhibition expanding the contemporary narrative of the city through different artistic languages and perspectives.

Another particularly interesting event is “Antiche civiltà del Turkmenistan”, open until 12 April 2026, offering a journey through the cultures of Central Asia through archaeological finds and rare historical testimonies.

At Scuderie del Quirinale, “Tesori dei Faraoni” continues until 3 May 2026, a major exhibition dedicated to ancient Egypt, while at Museo dell'Ara Pacis visitors can see “IMPRESSIONISMO e oltre. Capolavori dal Detroit Institute of Arts” until 3 May, one of the most anticipated exhibitions of the Roman spring, featuring works spanning Impressionism and European modernity.

Many museums and cultural venues across the city also organise special evening openings and guided visits, making the discovery of Rome even more fascinating after dark, when historic palaces and museums become illuminated and offer a different atmosphere from the usual tourist route.

In addition, since Easter 2026 falls on Sunday 5 April, the first Sunday of the month, many civic museums and state archaeological sites are expected to take part in the free admission initiative, offering the opportunity to visit permanent collections and symbolic places across the city without an entrance ticket, in an especially lively and vibrant atmosphere.

For art lovers, Easter is also an excellent opportunity to visit the museums of the capital. Many institutions remain open during the holiday period and offer special programmes for visitors.

In 2026, Easter falls on Sunday 5 April, coinciding with the first Sunday of the month, when many state museums and archaeological sites take part in the free admission initiative. This means visitors will be able to access many of the city’s most symbolic places without an entrance ticket, making it an especially attractive opportunity to discover Rome through its artistic heritage.

Among the museums involved are Musei Capitolini, Pantheon, Parco Archeologico del Colosseo, Mercati di Traiano, Museo dell'Ara Pacis, Centrale Montemartini, Museo di Roma - Palazzo Braschi and Villa Torlonia, all ideal stops during the Easter period for combining art, history and urban exploration.

The venues of the Museo Nazionale Romano, together with many archaeological sites across the city, also remain open during Easter, offering the perfect opportunity to explore Rome’s millennia-old history through unique collections of ancient art and archaeological finds.

Visiting a museum in Rome during spring also means combining the cultural experience with a walk through historic neighbourhoods, among monumental squares, historic cafés and city views that reveal the many layers of Rome’s identity.

Easter Monday, traditionally known in Italy as Pasquetta, is the perfect moment to experience Rome outdoors.

Many Romans choose to spend the day in the city’s parks and gardens, enjoying picnics and long walks surrounded by nature and archaeology. Among the most popular places are Villa Borghese, Parco dell'Appia Antica and Giardino degli Aranci, all offering some of the most evocative views over the city.

For those who prefer a cultural programme, concerts, theatre performances and musicals are often scheduled during Easter Monday, together with a wide range of events at Auditorium Parco della Musica and in theatres across the city.

Museums and exhibitions also remain open, offering an excellent alternative for visitors who wish to dedicate the day to art and cultural discovery.

Beyond events and cultural visits, Easter is also the ideal time to experience Rome at a slower and more authentic pace, taking advantage of the spring light and days that invite visitors to rediscover the city on foot.

Among the most appreciated experiences during this period is an early morning walk through the Imperial Fora and around the Colosseum, when the city is still quiet and the great monuments emerge in a soft light that makes the route especially evocative. From there, the walk can continue towards Campidoglio or into the historic centre, crossing streets where the layers of ancient and Renaissance Rome remain clearly visible.

In the afternoon, one of the most memorable moments is reaching the terrace of Pincio to watch the sunset over Piazza del Popolo: in spring, this panoramic point offers one of the city’s most recognisable views, with domes, rooftops and golden light stretching across Rome.

The Easter period is also perfect for visiting historic markets and traditional food shops in the centre, discovering the flavours of Roman tradition through seasonal specialities, artisanal products and small local addresses that reveal a more everyday side of the city. During these weeks, many pastry shops offer traditional Easter cakes and contemporary reinterpretations of classic recipes.

For those wishing to explore neighbourhoods full of atmosphere, Monti offers quiet alleys, independent bookshops and intimate squares; Trastevere preserves its authentic character through cobbled streets and historic corners; while Campo de' Fiori remains one of the liveliest places to stop between the market, cafés and walks in the heart of the city.

Those staying in the centre can also enjoy less predictable itineraries, such as an evening walk towards Altare della Patria illuminated after sunset, a visit to the terrace of Gianicolo, or a route through Rome’s great basilicas, particularly evocative during Holy Week.

Spring makes Rome especially pleasant to experience on foot, among alleys, squares and monuments that tell more than two thousand years of history, with the rare feeling of being in a city capable of changing atmosphere at every corner.

If you are planning a stay for Easter events in Rome 2026, choosing a central hotel allows you to experience celebrations, exhibitions, museums and spring itineraries in the heart of the city with greater ease, and FH55 Grand Hotel Palatino represents a particularly strategic solution.

Located in Monti, one of the most characteristic districts of the capital, the hotel makes it possible to reach on foot some of the most representative places of Rome during Easter, while also offering the convenience of an excellent connection thanks to the nearby metro stop Cavour. In just a few minutes, guests can arrive at the Colosseum and the Imperial Fora, natural focal points of spring walks and central settings for one of the most intense moments of Holy Week.

For those wishing to attend the traditional Good Friday Via Crucis, the Colosseum can be reached in about five minutes on foot from the hotel, avoiding complex transfers on particularly crowded days and allowing visitors to experience the event more comfortably. Piazza Venezia, Altare della Patria and many of the city’s main monumental areas are also easily accessible on foot, making it simple to build full days of visits without depending on transport.

The hotel’s location also allows guests to alternate the great historic landmarks with a more intimate side of Rome: the streets of Monti, with bookshops, artisan shops, restaurants and urban corners, offer a different atmosphere from the larger tourist flows and allow a more authentic rhythm of stay.

From here it is also easy to reach exhibitions, museums and special openings scheduled during the Easter period, returning comfortably to the hotel between visits without ever moving away from the centre.

During spring, this part of the city takes on a particular charm: stepping outside in the morning and immediately finding yourself immersed in the light of the monuments, returning after a cultural visit or an evening walk, and moving freely between archaeology, historic districts and symbolic places of the capital becomes an essential part of the stay itself.

For those wishing to experience Rome at Easter with comfort, centrality and immediate access to the city’s main events, FH55 Grand Hotel Palatino confirms itself as an ideal starting point.