If it just isn’t Christmas without the magic of live Christmas music or the Nutcracker, then your holiday in Rome is in for a treat!
While it’s not so likely we’ll have a white Christmas in Rome, that doesn’t mean you can’t beat the cold weather by curling up with a hot beverage and enjoying some good ol’ fashioned holiday spectacles. In Rome, they take a bit of a different tone. Whether you’re in for a concert in an ancient church, Christmas carols in the contemporary Auditorium by Renzo Piano, or the classic Nutcracker ballet at the historic Rome Opera – there’s plenty of yule-tide cheer for the whole family!
The Nutcracker at the Rome Opera House
Around the world, it’s just not Christmas without the Nutcracker (or Lo Schiaccianoci as it’s called in Italian). In Rome you can enjoy the world-famous ballet and accompanying score by Tchaikovsky at Rome’s national Opera House, located near Termini and Via Nazionale. For a bite to eat before or after the show, check out our post about where to eat near Termini Station.
Show Schedule
Sunday, December 18 at 8pm (opening)
Tuesday, December 20 at 11am and 8pm
Wednesday, Decmeber 21 at 8pm
Thursday, December 22 at 3pm and 8pm
Friday, December 23 at 6pm
Saturday, Decmeber 24 at 11am
Rome Opera House: Piazza Beniamino Gigli, 7 – 00184 Rome
2 hours, Act 1: 45″, Act 2: 50″
Tickets: from €17, available for purchase online
The Interior of the dome at Church Sant’Agnese in Agone at Piazza Navona
Music in Bernini’s Rome
For an evening full of rich, Baroque music and a guided tour of the Church Sant’Agnese in Agone at Piazza Navona, join the Roma Opera Omnia for “Music in Bernini’s Rome”. The experience marries voice and antique instruments from the Baroque period with marble sculptures and frescoes in the church, finally ending with a concert in the main hall.
Show Schedule
December 22, 6:30-7:30
December 29, 6:30-7:30
January 5, 6:30-7:30
Church Sant’Agnese in Agone: Piazza Navona – 00186 Rome
Tickets: €20/person (€18 with Romapass), Children 6-16 €8
For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit the Music in Bernini’s Rome Website.
Exterior of Church Sant’Agnese in Agone at Piazza Navona
Christmas Baroque Concert
Enjoy traditional Christmas music in the stunning location of the Church Sant’Agnese in Agone, the jewel of Baroque in Rome. The concert is performed by the Scuola Romana Ensemble, a local group specialized in Roman music from the Baroque period.
Show Schedule
December 21, 6:30
December 28, 6:30
Church Sant’Agnese in Agone: Piazza Navona – 00186 Rome
Tickets: €20/person
For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit the Roma Opera Omnia Website.
The Auditorium “Parco della Musica di Roma”, designed by world-famous Italian architect, Renzo Piano
Gospel Festival in Rome
Visit the contemporary performance arts center in Rome, the Auditorium designed by Renzo Piano, for a week filled with powerful Gospel music by the Mount Unity Choir of the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church in Virginia. For a dose of Christmas carols this season, checkout the schedule of events throughout the week.
Thursday, December 22 to Sunday, January 1, 2017
Tickets: from €24 available to purchase online
For the full Event schedule, visit the Gospel Festival Website
Vacation Rentals near the Rome Opera House
If you’ll be in Rome for a short time but would like to make sure you make it to one of The Nutcracker shows, here are a few vacation rentals located nearby!
Just minutes from Termini Station and the Rome Opera House, our Principe Amadeo vacation rental at Termini Station can host up to 12 guests in 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.
For something a bit different, check out our Jazz House rental accommodation in Rome near Piazza Vittorio, the Colosseum, and Rome Opera House.
For a holiday rental near the Colosseum our Monti apartment is tucked away on a quaint street, but within walking distance of Via Nazionale and the Rome Opera House.
Off Via Cavour you’ll find our vacation apartment in Monti, Cavour, a stone’s throw from Via Nazionale and the Rome Opera House.
Anything else you’re looking to do this holiday season? Let us help you with suggestions in the comments below!
