Romaeuropa Festival 2012 Festival / Arts Festival Sep 26–Nov 25, 2012

Every year, Rome harkens back to its imperial days, once again becoming the center of global cultural exchange with the annual Romeeuropa Festival. The festival takes place on scattered days and weekends throughout the months of October and November with dance, music, art, theater, and an exhibition on digital cultures. The performances and presentations take place at some of the biggest venues in Rome including the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Teatro Palladium, and Auditorium Conciliazione.

Since 1986, the best artists, dancers, musicians, writers, actors, directors, and digital innovators from all over the world have come to Rome to share and exchange performances and ideas at the Romaeuropa Festival. In honor of the festival’s reputation, the Wall Street Journal named it one of the top four festivals in all of Europe in 2006. Performers at the Romaeuropa Festival have included international cultural giants like Phillip Glass, Tom Waits, Jean-Luc Godard, Olivier Messiaen, the Lucinda Childs Dance Company, and the Chinese pyrotechnic artist Cai Guo Qiang.

Each year, the festival features unique collaborations with the shared talent of artists from different genres. Historic collaborations, like Per John Cage, offer wide-ranging artists the chance to pay homage to their inspirations. Per John Cage celebrates the visionary composer with live dance and recorded readings by prominent poets including Charles Olson, Robert Duncan, Robert Creeley, and Denise Levertov. Bridging the past with the present, Per John Cage features Cage’s “Four6” performed by Sonic Youth.

In addition to all of the art events happening throughout the city, the 2012 Romaeuropa Festival also presents Digital Life, a celebration of recent research and technological innovations. Past projects featured at RomaEuropa Festival’s Digital Life include the Sonarsound Rome, Sensi Sotto Sopra, Digital Capital, and the Romaeuropa Webfactory.

Tickets to individual performances at the 2012 Romaeuropa Festival range from about €10 to €30 depending on the event and seat section. For the best deal on seeing the festival’s headlining acts, opt for the Formula 5 pass, which includes access to five shows and ranges from about €60 to €80.

After filling your eyes, ears, and brain with enough ideas and stimulation to last you through the year, head over to one of the historic cafés in Rome for some quiet reflection. But if you’re craving something a little more exciting, dance it up with the art crowd and literati at the city’s bars and nightclubs.