In November, Rome shifts gears: the tourists thin out, sunset comes before dinner, and the city feels a little more like ours again.
If you’re wondering what to do in Rome in November, the answer is: more than you think.
There are the rain-glistening cobblestones, the smell of roasted chestnuts on street corners, and evenings that end at a theater instead of an outdoor café. It’s the perfect month to rediscover the city at a leisurely pace and treat yourself to a few day trips just as the skies clear up.
Here are 13 ideas for enjoying November in Rome and the Lazio region: a jazz festival celebrating its 50th anniversary, a library opening its doors for the first time, the San Martino festivals, and a free, hot outdoor bath under the stars are just a few of the options worth considering.
Candlelight Concerts at Palazzo Ripetta and the Circus Maximus
Hundreds of candles, a string quartet or a piano, and an hour of music you know by heart, reimagined in a classical style. There are plenty of Candlelight performances in Rome this November. Our favorites:
- Ludovico Einaudi: November 5, Teatro Ghione.
- Lucio Dalla and other singer-songwriters: November 6, Boscolo Circo Massimo.
- Tribute to Fabrizio De André: November 14, Palazzo Ripetta.
- A Tribute to the Beatles: November 27 and 28, Palazzo Ripetta.
Tickets start at 25 euros. Arrive early, because once the concert starts, you won’t be allowed in.
Free admission to museums on the first and last Sundays of the month
The month kicks off with one of the most anticipated free events. Sunday, November 1—All Saints’ Day—is also the first Sunday of the month: state-run museums and archaeological parks offer free admission, from Palazzo Barberini to the Baths of Diocletian. For some sites, such as the Colosseum, check in advance to see if a reservation is required.
On Sunday, November 29, it’s time for the Vatican Museums—free only in the morning and with a guaranteed line: arrive early and head straight for the less crowded galleries, like the Pinacoteca.
The Jury Experience at the Teatro Ghione
On Sunday, November 1, the audience at the Teatro Ghione becomes a jury. The play *A Million-Dollar Murder* is inspired by real events: a millionaire’s divorce, no DNA evidence, and witnesses who are hiding something. You’ll listen, vote at key moments (your choices reveal new details), and in the end, decide whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. The show lasts one hour, with performances at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and tickets start at 23 euros. Get ready to discuss it all the way through dinner.
Rome Jazz Festival at the Auditorium and the Casa del Jazz
Among the concerts in Rome this November, this is the event that fans mark on their calendars first. Founded in 1976 on the Janiculum Hill at the Quercia del Tasso, the festival reaches its 50th edition with a clear theme: Miles Davis, on the centennial of his birth.
From November 1 to 24, eighteen concerts are scheduled at the Auditorium, Casa del Jazz, and Alcazar. Paolo Fresu kicks things off, with tickets around 40 euros. He’ll be followed by, among others, Steve Coleman, Gonzalo Rubalcaba with Hamilton de Holanda, and the Yellowjackets with Kurt Elling. Jason Miles, who arranged *Tutu*, will close out the series.
The Ancient Library of Trinità dei Monti
You have until Saturday, November 7. Behind a green door, to the left of the church at the top of the Spanish Steps, there’s a room never before open to the public, with a wooden ceiling painted in 1693 and the city spread out at your feet. The books are gone: the approximately 9,000 volumes were scattered in 1798, when Napoleon’s troops occupied the convent. Today, that void is filled by an exhibition of Italian and French artists.
Admission is free, Wednesday through Friday from 5–8 p.m. and Saturday from 12–8 p.m. Bring a form of ID.
MedFilm Festival
It’s Rome’s longest-running film festival and also one of the most underrated. From November 5 to 15, MedFilm brings films from the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Europe to the city: fiction, documentaries, animation, and short films, along with premieres, masterclasses, and meetings with emerging and established filmmakers.
It’s the perfect place to see films that are unlikely to make it to multiplexes. The full program will be released by the end of October on the official website: mark your calendars and take your time choosing.
“Blade Runner” film concert at the Auditorium
On Sunday, November 8, Ridley Scott’s rainy Los Angeles returns to the big screen, with Vangelis’s soundtrack performed live in sync with the images. The performance will be by the Avex Ensemble, a British group specializing in electronic soundtracks that has previously performed at the Royal Albert Hall.
It’s an Italian premiere at the Romaeuropa Festival, featuring the 2007 Final Cut version. A must-see if you’ve worn out the VHS tape, but also if you’ve never seen it.
San Martino Festivals in Lazio
Around November 11, the feast of St. Martin, day trips from Rome have the flavor of new wine, freshly pressed olive oil, and chestnuts. These are celebrations rooted in the farming calendar and have been observed for decades, almost always on the weekends surrounding the holiday. Here are a few of them.
As of this writing, not all 2026 event schedules have been published yet, so be sure to check the websites of local municipalities and Pro Loco organizations before you go:
- Festa del Cornuto in Rocca Canterano: On the weekend closest to November 11, in this village of about 200 residents in the Ruffi Mountains, the “Cuckold of the Year” parades through the streets on a throne, carried on the shoulders of participants wearing horns on their heads, in a burlesque procession that makes the whole town laugh.
- Bacchus Day in Palombara Sabina: On the third weekend of November, Savelli Castle transforms into a grand wine cellar. There are tastings of wines from Lazio and novello, a section dedicated to Sabina DOP olive oil, and lunch at the Locanda di Bacco. Be sure to try the fried pizzas—the town’s signature dish—available in both savory and sweet varieties.
- Olive Oil and New Wine Festival in Vignanello: In this village in the Tuscia region, the festival spans two weekends, usually in the first half of November. The medieval streets are fragrant with roasted chestnuts; you can sample freshly pressed olive oil and new wine directly from the producers, and guides will take you on tours of olive mills and wineries.
- Truffle Festival in Campoli Appennino: Campoli Appennino, “the City of the Bear and the Truffle,” is a village in the Ciociaria region built in a ring shape on the edge of a karst sinkhole. The festival program, which usually lasts for the two weekends in mid-November, features tastings, exhibitions, and food-and-wine tours through the historic center.
Roma Arte in Nuvola at the EUR
From November 20 to 22, Fuksas’s “Nuvola” will host around 140 Italian and international galleries for the sixth edition of the capital’s modern and contemporary art fair. This year’s guest country is Germany. Among the exhibits is a retrospective on Giorgio de Chirico, while in the foyer, a tribute to Japanese sculptor Hidetoshi Nagasawa interacts with the building’s reflections.
Even without buying anything, it’s a concrete way to understand what’s happening in the art world today. Hours: 10:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.
Christmas Express from Termini to Arezzo
True Christmas spirit arrives in December, but on Sunday, November 29, the first special train departs from Roma Termini for the Arezzo Christmas markets, now in their 11th edition. The train departs between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. and returns between 8:45 and 9:30 p.m., featuring a dining car and a surprise on board. In Piazza Grande, you’ll find what’s described as Italy’s largest Tyrolean market, complete with pretzels and raclette. In the evening, the building facades light up with the Big Lights Show.
Adult tickets cost 79 euros.
Pontormo at the Scuderie del Quirinale
Through February 7, the Scuderie is hosting the first major retrospective dedicated to Pontormo, the most unconventional of the 16th-century Florentine painters, beloved by Pasolini and Bill Viola. Curated by Cristina Acidini in collaboration with the Uffizi, the exhibition brings together his masterpieces—including the *Visitation of Carmignano*—as well as a rich selection of drawings.
Vibrant colors, glances that meet, compositions without a center. If you’re looking for an exhibition to see in Rome this fall, start here; it’s best to make a reservation for the weekend.
MAM – Media Art Museum on Corso d’Italia
Rome finally has a permanent museum dedicated to media art. The heart of the MAM is a 300-square-meter immersive room, where the walls and floor become a single environment of images and sound. The inaugural exhibition, HyperMedia, traces over twenty years of digital creativity, from early Net Art to artificial intelligence, featuring artists from 11 countries.
If you need an idea for what to do in Rome in November when it rains, here’s the answer. Tickets start at 8.50 euros.
The Free Thermal Baths of Viterbo
When the real cold sets in in Rome, there’s free hot water about an hour and a half away by car: it’s the November getaway you don’t expect. The Carletti Pools, just outside Viterbo, are open-air thermal pools with free admission, open 24 hours a day. A warm soak under the November stars is a memory that lasts a long time. Nearby is also the Bullicame, the spring mentioned by Dante in *Inferno*: for a swim, though, head to the Carletti.
Bring a towel, slippers, and a swimsuit you don’t mind getting stained by sulfur.
