The Circus Maximus turns into an open-air venue from June to September. If you are holding a ticket, the evening needs about ten minutes of planning — mostly around what happens when forty thousand people leave at the same time.
Book a table at ROSSO — Viale Aventino 32, by the Circus Maximus.
The 2026 season, date by date
The summer programme runs across genres, from pop to opera to film scores played live.
- 6–7 June — Cesare Cremonini
- 3–4 July — Gladiator in Concert, with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Opera di Roma and Lisa Gerrard
- 6 July — Riccardo Cocciante
- 14 July — Roberto Bolle and Friends
- 20 July — Edoardo Bennato
- 27 July — Patti Smith
- 12–13 September — Jovanotti
The opera season, 29 June to 31 July
The Teatro dell’Opera di Roma moves outdoors for a month, and it is the part of the calendar visitors tend to miss.
- 29 June — Francesco. Un santo scomodo, a lecture-performance by the historian Alessandro Barbero
- 12–28 July — Aida by Verdi, six performances
- 24–25 July — Romeo and Juliet, in John Cranko’s choreography
- 31 July — Carmina Burana by Orff, conducted by Wayne Marshall
Dinner before: the ninety-minute rule
Book the table at least ninety minutes before the doors, and book it within five minutes’ walk. That is not a comfort preference — the streets around the Circus Maximus close progressively as the crowd builds, and a taxi will not get you closer than we are on foot.
Eat something that does not sit heavily. A tagliata, a plate of pasta, a pizza. Save the bone-in steak for a night when you are not standing for three hours afterwards.
Book a table or call +39 342 189 9629. Kitchen open until midnight.
And after: the part most people get wrong
When a Circus Maximus concert ends, several thousand people look for a table within about four minutes of each other. Everything with a light on fills immediately, and what is left is whatever nobody wanted at eight o’clock.
We are open every day until 1am, and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, with the kitchen running to midnight and the bar after that. It means there is somewhere to sit down properly rather than queue — but on concert nights it also means booking, for after as well as before.
Two minutes from the gates
ROSSO is at Viale Aventino 32, a two-minute walk from the main Circus Maximus entrance and four from the Circo Massimo stop on metro line B. Four hundred square metres with a restaurant, a grill, a pizzeria and a cocktail bar, so a group that wants different things is not a problem.
If you want the wider version of the evening — what to see before, where to go after — we wrote about eating before or after an event at the Circus Maximus, and about the neighbourhood in general. The grill list is on the dinner menu.
Frequently asked questions
How early should I eat before a Circus Maximus concert?
Sit down ninety minutes before the doors open. That leaves time for two courses without rushing, and gets you to the gates before the queues build.
Is anything open after a concert at the Circus Maximus?
Some places, but not many, and they fill within minutes of the crowd leaving. We serve until 1am every day and until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
How far is the restaurant from the venue?
Two minutes on foot from the main entrance, on Viale Aventino. The metro B stop, Circo Massimo, is another two minutes further.
Can I book for after the concert rather than before?
Yes, and on concert nights it is the smarter booking. Tell us the time you expect to be out and we will hold the table.
Where do I buy tickets?
Directly from the promoters and, for the opera season, from the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. We do not sell tickets — we are the dinner part of the evening.
Book your table — open every day from 8am, kitchen until midnight, bar until 1am.
More practical questions — hours, parking, dogs, accessibility — in our FAQ.
