Rome events in April 2022 - Holidays, exhibits, concerts, and other things to do

By Elyssa Bernard

April 9, 2022

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

One of my favorite April happenings in Rome is on April 21, when Rome's Roseto Rose Garden opens in conjunction with Rome's birthday.

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

Rome events in April 2022 - 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.

Keep reading for more info about the best Rome events in April 2022:

• 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
• Nighttime things to do in Rome 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. In fact, just about everything is open.

Rome events in April - On Rome's birthday on April 21, you might see some fanfare like this band playing on Capitoline Hill.

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

All events are free.

In addition, some of Rome's civic museums will be open with free entry on April 21, 2022, 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 here 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.

The ANPI (Italian Partisans) marching in Rome on Liberation Day. Photo credit: Roma Today

The Associazione Nazionale Partigiani d’Italia (ANPI), which means "Association of National Partisans of Italy", will parade from the Colosseum to Porta San Paolo (where the Pyramid is), starting around 9:30am.

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 when the Roseto Rose Garden opens in late April. Even in the rain, it's beautiful.

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.

I think one of everyone's favorite Rome events in April is when the Spanish Steps get adorned with blooming pink and white azaleas. To get this kind of shot, you'll need to come by about 7 AM!

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

Current exhibits and events at Rome's museums in April

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 at various museums around the city:

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Chiostro del Bramante

CRAZY: Madness in Contemporary Art

Through 8 January 2023.

Chiostro del Bramante is just behind Piazza Navona.

Monday to Friday 10 am - 8 pm

Saturday and Sundays 10 am - 9 pm

The box office and show entrance close one hour before.

15€ Weekdays. 18€ Saturdays and Sundays.

Advance booking strongly suggested.

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Domus Aurea

Raphael and the Domus Aurea - the invention of the Grotesque.

Through April 3 2022.

Monday - Thursday, accompanied site visit. 12€ adult.

Friday - Sunday, guided visit including the workspace. 18€ adult.

Free for anyone under 6, and anyone disabled and their caregiver, with written medical proof. 

Advanced booking is required. 

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Galleria Borghese

Guido Reni

Through May 22, 2022

Open: Tuesday - Sunday 9 am - 7 pm. Closed Mondays. 

Full €13; Reduced (Europeans ages 18-25) €2;

Advanced booking is required.

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The Mausoleum of Augustus

Ongoing

Open daily but with availability only for the following few weeks at a time.

5€ full price. Free for children under 6, tour guides, and many other categories. For a full list, click the below link.

Advanced booking is required. 

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

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Rome E-Prix 2022

ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars.

April 9-10, 2022

Buy Tickets

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La Corsa di Miguel

The Race of Miguel is dedicated to the memory of poet and runner Miguel Benacio Sánchez, a young Argentine man who was kidnapped and killed under the Argentine dictatorship of Jorge Rafael Videla.

April 25, 2022

Rome Events in March

Rome Events in May

Vatican Events in April

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Easter Sunday is April 17, 2022.

There will be a lot of Vatican events.

Visit my dedicated page for details.

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When the Pope is in town, you can attend the Wednesday Papal Audience, or watch the pope give the Angelus in St. Peter's Square on Sunday.

Both are free.

For the Papal Audience, you need tickets. For the Angelus, you don't.

Visit Rome's Parks and gardens

April is a beautiful time to visit a park or garden in Rome, when flowers are really beginning to bloom all over the place.

Villa Borghese

Botanical Gardens

Secret Gardens

Vatican Gardens

Rome events in April - Free things to do

If you're looking for some fun Rome events in April that are free, the below are confirmed for 2022:

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On Sunday April 3, 2022, the Colosseum will be free for everyone.

You can expect the Colosseum to be pretty much a mob scene.

I'd highly recommend visiting one of the other sites that is also free on this day, like the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill, or Ostia Antica.

The first Sunday of the month, Rome's Civic Museums are free for everyone.

On Sunday April 3, 2022, you can visit the Capitoline Museums, Ara Pacis, Villa Torlonia, Trajan's Market and many others for free.

For more details and booking, click the link below to visit the official site.

Advance booking is required.

Green Pass is required.

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The Vatican Museums will be free and open on Sunday April 24 2022. Expect large crowds on this day.

St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square are free and open daily.

You cannot buy tickets in advance for the Free Sunday, but you can book a tour of the museums through the Vatican.

If you don't want to book this tour, just come early. By early I mean by 8am.

But otherwise I recommend you book your visit ahead of time and pay to go another day.

Spring in Rome

Weather in Rome

Rome on a rainy day

Best time to visit Rome

Nighttime things to do in Rome in April

In Rome in April the evenings can be chillier than you might think, but there are some Rome events in April that open up for night visits and experiences.

Some of the dates for 2022 are still to be announced. Please check back!

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Night visits of the Colosseum

Usually starting in April, you can visit the Colosseum at night. 

Entry for night visits to the Colosseum is NOT part of the Roma Pass.

NB - Sometimes there is availability for this only a few days in advance, so if you don't see availability for when you want to go, check back!

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Every Friday and Saturday, from April 22 to October 29 2022, the Vatican Museums are open from 7-10:30 PM, last entry 8:30 PM.

It won't be uncrowded, although it is less crowded than during the day.

And it's a magical way to spend a Friday or Saturday evening. (And you can opt for happy hour inside the Pinecone Courtyard!)

Click here to book your tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel on Friday or Saturday night.

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Viaggio Nei Fori (Journeys Through Ancient Rome) is one of the best shows you can see in Rome to really get a sense of Ancient Rome.

This usually starts sometime in April, but for 2022 it won't be starting until later in the year.

Usually through early November, every night there is an hour-long light show, with holograms, lasers and fabulous narration (in several languages), that brings the whole thing to life.

For more nighttime tours and Rome events in April, visit Viator.

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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!

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Enjoy the opera in Rome's beautiful Teatro dell'Opera (Opera House.)

Rome Opera Tickets

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At the Rome Auditorium, you can attend wonderful concerts and other events.

Concert tickets

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Get your Rome Opera Pass to choose from a number of shows inside a scenic and suggestive setting in central Rome (locations vary).

These wonderful opera singers put on a mini-production of various operas, often in full costume.

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Visit the extraordinary Capuchin Crypt, then head into the recently restored church to listen to sacred music in a gorgeous setting.

Wednesday afternoons.

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Don't miss this unique opera + aperitivo on one of Rome's most amazing rooftops, the Borromini Terrace. Combine beautiful music, with the stunning baroque setting on Piazza Navona, and a special aperitivo, to make for a fabulous evening in Rome.

There's a maximum 30 people (including an art historian guide), to keep this experience exclusive and special.

Friday evenings.

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Enjoy private access to one of Rome's most exclusive rooftops right on Piazza Navona, while sipping your aperitivo and listening to Italian opera classics from Verdi, Rossini, and Puccini.

Sunday early evenings.

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The Three Tenors - Nessun Dorma

See the "Three Tenors" in a beautiful church setting.

You will be treated to three of Rome's most famous tenors singing some of the best-known and loved songs of Neapolitan opera, accompanied by the Mandolin Orchestra.

Music from La Traviata, Rigoletto, Tosca, and many others. 

Wednesday evenings. From 25€.

For more concerts and music Rome events in April, click here to visit Get Your Guide.

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.

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