Rome events in April 2026 - Holidays, exhibits, concerts, and other things to do

Rome events in April include Rome's birthday, Liberation Day, and much more!

Find out all the things to see and do in Rome in April.

Rome events in April 2026 - What's happening

April is a great time to visit Rome for a lot of reasons, like the beautiful cool spring weather, flowers beginning to bloom, lots of new openings, and longer days.

April weather in Rome can still be cool, which makes it comfortable for sight-seeing.

It's also a good time to enjoy some hot Roman lunches and dinners indoors with some good wine.

Check out all these great things to do in Rome in April 2026:

• Holidays in Rome in April
• Current exhibits at Rome's museums
• Sports/sporting events in Rome in April
• Vatican events in April
• Free things to do in Rome in April
• Strikes and public transport disruptions in April
• Concerts and operas in Rome in April
• Tours to take in Rome in April
• Day trips to take in Rome in April
• Things to do with kids in Rome in April

---

Holidays and special dates in Rome in April

Special dates in April in Rome include Liberation Day, Rome's Birthday, and often, Easter.

But there are also some new openings and other special and interesting things to see and do in Rome in April.

Read on:

April 21 - Rome's Birthday

According to legend, Rome was founded on April 21, 753 BCE.

So on April 21, there is a sort-of holiday, the Natale di Roma, or Rome's birthday.

Nothing is closed.

Visit the website of the Gruppo Storico Romano for more information, they organize re-enactments and parades on this day.

Each year there are a series of events taking place in the days leading up to April 21, culminating in a procession of people dressed in historical costumes down the Via dei Fori Imperiali to the Circus Maximus.

All events are free.

In addition, some of Rome's civic museums will be open with free entry on April 21, including the archeological area of the Circus Maximus, Capitoline Museums, the Ara Pacis and many more. 

There will also be various events, walks and talks to celebrate the day - take a look at the Musei in Comune's website for the full listings of free entry locations and events.

April 25 - Liberation Day

Liberation Day, the Festa della Liberazione, is an important national holiday in Rome and in Italy - it celebrates the end of Nazi occupation during WWII, and the end of Fascist rule in Italy (Benito Mussolini was shot 3 days later).

Being a national holiday, schools, banks and shops are closed. 

No tourist sites are closed.

The Vatican is not part of Italy, and therefore is not affected by this holiday at all.

April 21 - Roseto Rose Garden opens

Rome's Roseto Rose Garden is known for being open only in the month of May (and in recent years, also for a few weeks in October.)

But it actually opens every year on April 21, Rome's birthday (and closes around the first week of June.)

I love visiting the Roseto when it first opens in late April.

Many of the roses have yet to bloom, and as people don't really know about it opening in April, it's usually very quiet and empty.

And so beautiful!

Late April/early May - Azaleas on the Spanish Steps

Every spring, around the last week of April through the first week or so of May, you will find the Spanish Steps covered in Azaleas.

It's a very special time of year to see them this way.

---

---

Current exhibits and events at Rome's museums in April 2026

The cooler spring months are a great time to take in the arts indoors.

Some museums stay open later on the weekends.

There are several Rome events in April 2026 confirmed so far at various museums around the city:

There are a lot of smaller exhibitions in April.

To see a complete list of them, visit this page of the Rome Tourist Board where you can filter to see all Rome events in April, or drill down further by category such as dance, music, etc.

Sport/sporting Rome events in April

---

---

Vatican Events in April

Rome events in April - Free things to do

If you're looking for some fun free things to do in April, the below are confirmed for 2026:

---

---

Strikes and Public Transport Disruptions in April 2026

Occasional strikes do happen in Italy, which can affect airports, taxis, public transport and more.

Called 'sciopero' in Italian, it is entirely legal for workers to strike here, but there are specific rules that have to be followed.

There are guaranteed services that have to be provided regardless of the strike and strikes can only run for a set time period.

Strikes can be at a national or regional level, and as there are many unions workers can be members of, often it is not an entire workforce that is on strike at once.

However, these strikes can still be disruptive, so there are a few things to consider if one has been announced.

How to Check Confirmed Strike Actions

In theory you can see all upcoming strikes on the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport website.

However, this is hard to decipher and to understand if your plans are going to be affected. So, instead, I recommend checking the official news/updates pages for the relevant organizations, namely:

• Trenitalia - for regional and high speed trains
• Italo - for high speed trains *these can also be affected by strike action even though they are a private company*
• ATAC - for public transport in Rome (buses, trams and Metro lines)
• Cotral - for the Metromare line to Ostia and other routes in Lazio
• Aeroporti di Roma - for information affecting flights in and out of Fiumicino and Ciampino airports
• Roma Comune - for information on Rome taxi strikes or other disruptions in the city

With all of these, you can also see general information about route changes or other things that could impact you so they are useful links to have saved.

On these pages, the affected organizations will not only confirm the details of a strike, but also the guaranteed services and timings of the strike action.

Very infrequently there are strikes by other unions that impact workers at museums or archeological sites, but if you have tickets that could be impacted by this, you will be contacted directly.

Strikes in April 2026

There are no strike dates currently confirmed for April 2026. We are closely monitoring official announcements and will keep this page updated as new information becomes available.

---

Rome events in April - Concerts, operas, shows

Disclosure : If you make a purchase through a link on this page, I may receive a small commission - at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my site!

For more concerts and music Rome events in April, click here.

Tours to take in Rome in April

Booking a tour is a good way to make sure you get tickets to the sites you want to visit, and also get to enjoy them without fighting the crowds too much.

And even if it's not too crowded, a tour is a great way to see the sights and get to know a bit about them as you go.

For more tours to take in April, start here:

Day trips to take in Rome in April

April is a wonderful time to take a day trip, especially if you want to try some food/wine ventures outside Rome.

There are lots of options for places to visit which you can easily reach within 1-2 hours of Rome.

For organized day trips, visit Get Your Guide.

Activities with kids in Rome in April

Whether you are visiting Rome in April for spring break or just for a short getaway, if you are coming with kids, there are plenty of tours and activities in Rome geared towards children of all ages. 

If you're looking for some fun activities with kids, start here:

I've listed some of what I think are the most fun and interesting Rome events in April, and most central.

For a complete list of Rome events in April, visit the website of the Rome Tourist Board.