Rome events in September 2025 - Holidays, exhibits, concerts, and other things to do

Rome events in September mostly involve the city coming back to life after the summer holidays.

Romans start flooding back home, any shops or restaurants that closed in August reopen, and it's the time of year when new shows and exhibits open.

September is in fact one of the busiest months of year in Rome.

Find out all the things to see and do in Rome in September 2025.

Rome Events in September 2025 

September is a beautiful month to visit Rome.

It somehow manages to cool down just enough from the August heat and humidity to make it perfect sight-seeing weather.

There is no specific holiday in Rome in September, but there is a lot happening.

Keep reading for more info about the best Rome events in September 2025:

• Holidays in Rome in September
• Current exhibits at Rome's museums
• Free things to do in Rome in September
• Free Sunday Rome events in September 2025
• Strikes and public transport disruption in September 2025
• Concerts and operas in Rome in September
• Tours to take in Rome in September
• Day trips to take in Rome in September
• Things to do with kids in Rome in September

Holidays in Rome in September

There are no bank or religious holidays per se in September in Rome.

But there are some interesting Rome events in September.

Pantheon - Arc of light on September 4

One of the many amazing things about the Pantheon is the way the sunbeam that comes in through the oculus moves around the inside of the dome and the rest of the building throughout the year.

Several times a year, the sunbeam moves over the door to interesting effect (we presume there were specific reasons for this when the Pantheon was built in ancient Rome).

At 1pm on September 4 (and maybe 1-2 days on either side of this date), the sunbeam perfectly encompasses the arc over the doorway, creating a ribbon of light on that arc, and a burst of sunlight through the doorway.

The theory is that this was to celebrate one of the most important, if not THE most important deities of the Roman pantheon, Jupiter Optimus Maximus. 

There is a similar phenomenon in early April to honor another important Roman deity, Cybele.

For me this is one of the best and most fascinating Rome events in September.

For more about this, click here to read the academic paper about it.

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Current exhibits at Rome's museums in September

There are several Rome events in September at various museums around the city.

These are confirmed for 2025:

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Rome events in September - Free things to do

If you're looking for some fun Rome events in September that are free, there are very few so far confirmed for 2025.

The below are either confirmed or pending for 2025.

Please check back as I will be monitoring all these and other possible events:

Visit Rome's Parks and Gardens

September is a beautiful time to visit a park or garden in Rome.

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Free Sunday Rome events in September 2025

Some state and civic sites and museums are free to visit on the first Sunday of the month, and the Vatican Museums are free the last Sunday of the month.

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Strikes and Public Transport Disruptions in September 2025

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 September 2025

• September 4 2025 - Local public transport strike in Rome, between the hours of 8:30AM and 12:30PM
• September 4 and 5 2025 - National rail strike (affecting regional and long distance routes from multiple operators) from 9:00PM on September 4 to 6:00PM on September 5.
• September 6 2025 - National strike of airport ground workers (which could impact incoming and outgoing flights) between the hours of 12:00PM and 4:00PM.

A separate air transport strike that was originally planned for September 26 has now been called off.

Navigating Italian Strike Action

If there is a public transport strike, don't assume you can easily get a taxi instead. These will be in high demand so if you have specific plans, you're better off booking a private transfer in advance instead to ensure you don't miss out.

Make plans for the day that allow you to easily walk between sites in case you have no other option. This goes for taxi strikes as well, as the buses and Metro will be packed on these days.

For longer-distance travel, try to get a seat on a guaranteed service or change your departure time to a point outside the strike window.

The rail companies are pretty good about changing travel plans and will generally allow you to make changes without significant extra charges.

Air travel strikes are the hardest to navigate as apart from changing your flight altogether, there isn't really anyway to escape them. I've found that contacting your airline directly is the best way to make any necessary changes.

Rome events in September - Concerts, operas, shows

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

Tours to take in Rome in September

It's a good idea to take a tour in September.

First of all, it can be hot, and a good tour will both take your mind off the heat and also keep you focused and spending limited time outside.

Second of all, September really is peak, peak season.

So 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.

For tours to take in September, start here:

Day trips to take in Rome in September

September is a wonderful time to take a day trip, especially if you are looking to beat the heat in Rome.

We have 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 September

September is usually when many kids have gone back to school, but there are still plenty of tours and activities in Rome geared to 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 September, and most central.

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