Herculaneum Fridays 2026: Evening openings at the excavations with the theme "Love and War"

They return for the ninth edition The Fridays of Herculaneum, the summer festival that transforms the Herculaneum Archaeological Park into an open-air stage featuring theater, dance, live music, and artistic illumination of the monuments. From July 3 to August 7, 2026, every Friday evening, the UNESCO site opens its doors in a new guise, with the guiding theme of "Love and War."

Calendar and schedule

Place: Archaeological Park of Herculaneum, Corso Resina, Herculaneum (NA)

Date: From July 3rd to August 7th 2026, every Friday (inaugural evening reserved for Thursday, July 2nd)

Working time: by 20: 00 22 to: 30

Entrance: paid (tickets available on the Park's official website)

Info: Ercolano Archaeological Park

The opening evening on Thursday, July 2nd, is reserved for the press, institutional authorities, and Park staff. From July 3rd, the events will be open to the public on a weekly basis for seven evenings, until August 7th. A final event is scheduled for Saturday, September 26th, 2026.

This year's theme: Love and War

The 2026 edition explores the pairing of "Love and War" (eros and polemos), a common thread running through Western history and culture. The seven performances scheduled will bring contemporary artistic languages ​​into dialogue with the memory of the past, transforming the illuminated Roman ruins into a unique stage space.

The program alternates different forms of expression: theater, dance, live music, and light installations, with the artistic illumination of the monuments as a unifying element. Each evening brings the archaeological site back to the city in a new dimension, between inspiration and spectacle.

The director's words

Federica Colaiacomo, director of the Herculaneum Archaeological Park, explains: "With Herculaneum Fridays, the Park renews its commitment to making its archaeological heritage a living space, open to dialogue with the languages ​​of the present. This year's theme invites us to reflect on the complexity of the human experience through the evocative power of art."

The exhibition represents one of the main projects promoting the UNESCO site, combining protection, research, and cultural production in a consolidated format that attracts visitors from all over Italy.

How to participate

Tickets for individual evenings can be purchased online on the official website of the Herculaneum Archaeological Park. Advance booking is recommended, given the site's limited capacity for evening openings. The park is easily accessible by the Circumvesuviana (Ercolano Scavi stop) or by car from the A3 Naples-Salerno motorway, Ercolano exit.