Rome's Historic Theatres Reopen: Valle, Eliseo and Piccolo Eliseo Return in October 2026
In October 2026, the theatre scene in Rome will experience a revival with the reopening of three historic venues, as announced by Mayor Roberto Gualtieri. The Piccolo Eliseo will kick off on 2 October with the play "Turbati come siamo, pallidi di preoccupazioni." Following that, Teatro Valle will reopen on 16 October, and the Eliseo will welcome audiences on 28 October with "Dylan Dog – Horror Show," directed by Valter Malosti. Both the Eliseo and Piccolo Eliseo have been under the management of Alessandro Longobardi since their closure in 2020. Meanwhile, the Teatro Valle, which had been shut for nearly 16 years, has undergone a €10 million renovation and will debut "La sera della prima" on 16 October. Additionally, the Teatro di Cintura Elsa Morante is set to open soon, with €650,000 in funding from the municipality.
Key facts
- The Piccolo Eliseo reopens on 2 October 2026, the Teatro Valle on 16 October and the Eliseo on 28 October
- The Eliseo and Piccolo Eliseo had been closed since 2020
- Alessandro Longobardi took over management and artistic direction at the end of May 2026
- The Eliseo's lease covers one season with an option for six more
- Luca Barbareschi has owned the Teatro Eliseo since 2018 through a company burdened by debts
- The Teatro Valle's redevelopment cost €10 million and it was closed for nearly 16 years
- The Teatro Valle was inaugurated in 1727 on a design by Tommaso Morelli
- The Eliseo opens with "Dylan Dog – Horror Show" directed by Valter Malosti, marking the comic's 40th anniversary
- The Teatro Valle reopens with Francesco Piccolo's "La sera della prima. Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore" from 16 to 18 October
- Rome announced the imminent opening of the Teatro di Cintura Elsa Morante in Laurentino 38 with €650,000 in municipal funding
Entities
Artists
- Roberto Gualtieri
- Alessandro Longobardi
- Luca Barbareschi
- Sergio Mattarella
- Valter Malosti
- Tiziano Sclavi
- Geppi Cucciari
- Mattia Torre
- Lella Costa
- Luigi Pirandello
- Francesco Piccolo
- Tommaso Morelli
- Giuseppe Valadier
- Franca Valeri
- Livia Montagnoli
- Totò
- Anna Magnani
- Eduardo De Filippo
- Luchino Visconti
- Virginia Wolf
- Aristofane
- Alaa Shehada
Institutions
- Teatro Valle
- Teatro Eliseo
- Piccolo Eliseo
- Viola Produzioni
- Sala Umberto
- Teatro Brancaccio
- Brancaccino
- Spazio Diamante
- The Palestinian Circus
- Ente teatrale italiano
- Comune di Roma
- Teatro di Roma
- Zetema
- Teatro di Cintura Elsa Morante
- Quirinale
- Artribune
- Premio Le Maschere del Teatro italiano
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Via Nazionale
- Palazzo Koch
- Sant'Eustachio
- Laurentino 38