Mace, Populous, Voices From The Lake and Nziria among the musical highlights of Videocittà 2026 (Rome, July 10-12)

Now in its ninth edition, Videocittà, the Festival of Vision and Digital Culture, returns to Rome from July 10 to 12. Light installations, immersive and interactive experiences, Virtual Reality, video art, A/V live sets and DJ sets, talks and performances will once again bring to life Rome's Gazometro, the largest urban industrial archaeology site in Europe.

Having dedicated its previous editions to the Moon, the Earth, the Galaxy and the Sun, Videocittà 2026 chooses water as its central theme: the origin of life, an essential resource and a universal symbol capable of crossing cultures, landscapes and imaginations, while also serving as a key to reflect on today's great urgencies — rising seas caused by melting glaciers, the fragility of ecosystems, and the increasingly complex relationship between environment, technology and human presence. The festival's entire programme, from installations to audiovisual live sets, from immersive works to talks, right down to the name of this edition — Videocittà Watercult 2026 — declines the theme of water through different forms and languages, inviting audiences to reflect on its ecological, political and cultural value as a living, ever-changing and universal element.

Once again this year, the great Gazometro G4 will light up with an illuminated installation visible from the southern quadrant of the capital, while In Lympha, the large immersive installation conceived and produced by Eni in collaboration with Videocittà, will take over the spaces of Opificio 41, interpreting water as origin and generative principle: that which nourishes, sets in motion, and from which every form evolves and expands. An environment in which the forms of life emerge, transform and dissolve, within an open, ever-evolving system where the viewer is pierced through by the vision.

For this edition, G2 — the central gasholder of the three smaller ones — becomes a space connecting images, technology and live performance, once again under the sign of water. Images of oceans, rivers and rainfall from around the world shape the immersive, multidisciplinary installation Water: always the same, always different, bringing together the research of Giuseppe La Spada — an Italian artist whose collaborations range from Ryuichi Sakamoto to Franco Battiato — the sounds of Francesca Heart, and the bodily research of Brazilian performer Amanda Lana.

Arriving at the festival for the first time is Cao Yuxi, a Chinese artist among the most significant figures on the contemporary scene, who presents the Italian premiere of his celebrated immersive installation Nature's Computility: an enveloping waterfall that, through the use of algorithms, decodes the beauty of nature and renders the flow of water in dynamic, ultra-high-resolution visualisations. Cao Yuxi's work is in perfect harmony with the space hosting it: Opificio 60 Nord, which Videocittà is using thanks to a partnership as experience partner with eFM, an international leading platform company in digital Real Estate and co-founder of ROAD, which is opening its new space for the first time — a walk-through PlaceTech Lab where different realities and languages — art, technology, innovation, research — meet to generate experiences, and thus value.

The audio-visual music section translates water into a sonic and visual experience, with a main stage conceived as a hybrid between installation and performance space, and a line-up boasting some of the most respected names on the electronic scene. July 10 opens with Sara Persico and Mika Oki, winners of the Videocittà Awards 2025 in the AV Performance category, for a live set blending experimental electronics, sound art and radical vocality. Next up is Mace, one of the most influential producers on the contemporary Italian music scene, who, after two sold-out Forum shows and a recent appearance at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, brings to Videocittà an audiovisual DJ set built together with Sugo Design, translating sound into landscape and vision. It's an immersive experience in which nature and spirituality merge, where organic imagery, visual flows and sonic textures interact in real time, shaping a sensory narrative. On July 11 the programme continues with Nziria, singer, producer and performer born in Ravenna to Neapolitan roots. The artist presents live Syysma, her new album out June 26 on DRACO (IT), moving between Neapolitan Neomelodica, hardcore gabber and contemporary club culture. Inspired by the bradyseism phenomenon and by Naples, a city of the sea and stratifications, Syysma imagines a future sound of the Mediterranean, suspended between memory, transformation and experimentation. Next is Populous live with visuals by Furio Ganz, presenting the album Isla Diferente, written in Lanzarote, a mysterious, archaic island where volcanic silence meets the ocean. On July 12 the main stage will be dedicated to the project by Donato Dozzy and Neel: Voices From The Lake, through which the two Italian artists explore experimental sonic universes evoking underwater dimensions shaped by nature, along with the new AV live show by transmedia studio Liminal State dedicated to water: FREEFALL, an audiovisual improvised live performance in which sound, music, lights and generative visuals develop in real time, exploring free fall as a space of freedom.

One of the festival's most beloved appointments returns: the virtual reality experiences. Amid natural and liquid landscapes, the Amphitheatre will host the world premiere of In Pinus, an all-Italian VR experience about the Italian stone pine, produced by Impersive for Videocittà in collaboration with the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano as part of the European CO-VISION project, directed by Guido Geminiani, featuring performer Delfina Stella, with text by Simone Arcagni and music by Vincenzo Pizzi. And on the first floor of G3, the largest of the smaller gasholders, comes L'acqua in virtual reality, a body of four VR experiences — Jellyfish by French artist Mélodie Mousset, Biolum by French artist Abel Kohen, Plastisapiens by Canadian artists Edith Jorisch and Miri Chekhanovich, and The world came flooding in by Australian artists Van Sowerwine and Isobel Knowles — presented in Italian premiere by Diversion, a French outfit among the most important and influential in the international immersive arts scene; plus the virtual reality documentary Sweet end of the world! by Stefano Conca Bonizzoni, selected from Rai Cinema's VR library, which once again renews its partnership with Videocittà this year.

Videocittà once again confirms itself as a place of thought and exchange between artists and creatives, experts and audiences of all ages, with AQUA, three encounters by and with Francesco Rutelli: "Seas and Oceans in a Changing World: geopolitics and navigation; energy and underwater resources; communications and security"; "Water Shortages and Intense Rainfall: prevention, adaptation and sponge neighbourhoods, far better than repairing damage"; and finally "The Lessons of Ancient Rome: water in baths and fountains, but above all water for millions of people, from the Caput Mundi to the Atlantic coasts, to Syria". This continues with the three AQUA talks, informal and multidisciplinary encounters in which new media scholar and expert Simone Arcagni converses with artists, creators and figures whose artistic and professional paths are rooted in research, experimentation and thinking outside the box: N.A.I.P., Valentina Tanni, Siamounmagazine, Valerio Ferrara, Elisabetta Modena, Vino, Matilde De Feo, Federico Ferrazza. These moments of dialogue are enriched by a public panel dedicated to the production of the virtual experience In Pinus, featuring Professor Giuseppe Scarascia Mugnozza and its protagonists as part of the European CO-VISION project, at the amphitheatre.

The Video Art section, curated by Damiana Leoni and Rä di Martino, hosts on July 10 a programme of works by international video artists who each approach the festival's theme in a different way. On July 11, one of the best-known artists on the international scene arrives: Adrian Paci, who, in conversation with the curators, will present the work Turn on along with two of his pieces centred on water: Di queste luci si servirà la notte, a video installation born from a performance carried out in the Arno river, and The Column, a powerful visual metaphor on labour, cultural identity and the dialogue between East and West, weaving together art, migration and the dynamics of globalisation.

The Tiber, a vital presence in the city of Rome, is at the centre of the research by young digital artist Tommaso Cherubini who, for Videocittà, studies its past and present, translating hydrological and environmental data into an immersive particle system with the artwork Invisible Ecologies: Tevere, presented here in world premiere. Confluence, produced by Signal as part of the European CO-VISION project, in collaboration with the Save the Confluence initiative and an international team of artists including Marie Tučková, Katarina Gryvul, David Přílučík and the duo Selmeci Kocka Jusko, focuses instead on the ecosystem of Europe's largest floodplain forest, where the Morava and Dyje rivers meet.

Interactive play takes shape in the Garden with another work by Giuseppe La Spada, Particle Catharsis, which converses with the multiform installation at G2, inviting the audience to enter into communion with the primordial element and its purifying power through gesture and movement; and with Maelstrom by American artist Lake Heckaman, curated by Luca Martinelli powered by RNMW, a generative audiovisual installation built in TouchDesigner — a digital ecosystem in which fluid turbulence interacts in real time with code to generate an ever-shifting vortex.

Videocittà, always attentive to experimentation, new talent and new technologies, hosts the awards ceremony for the IGPDecaux Graphic Award, unveiling the three winning works capable of reinterpreting Rome, the "Eternal City", through the new frontiers of artificial intelligence. The winning works, selected for their visual power and technological innovation, are set to become an urban stage that will inhabit the streets of the capital, bringing digital creativity into dialogue with the everyday fabric of the city. Closing out the festival, the vision toward the future continues with Cinecittà, whose President Antonio Saccone and CEO Manuela Cacciamani announce that it will be directly involved in Videocittà through an initiative aimed at showcasing the talent of a young artist under 35 and making use of the immense heritage of the historic Archive Luce.

Education resonates at the heart of all of Videocittà's activities: over these three days for the city of Rome, in its international dimension, it is expressed through the participation and creative expression of students from various institutes and academies in the capital, who present works designed specifically for Videocittà: IED Istituto Europeo di Design with the site-specific installation Egeria, NABA Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti with ATLANTE, RUFA Rome University of Fine Arts, and the Saint Louis College of Music in Rome with the AV show Trio live. The collaboration with Istituto Rossellini is also renewed, involving students in a hands-on educational experience.

Within Videocittà Watercult 2026, Agorà returns — the festival's professional programme, coordinated by Guido Pietro Airoldi, dedicated to the internationalisation of the Italian creative technologies, immersive audiovisual, digital art and contemporary cultural industry supply chain. Realised with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and of ICE – the Italian Trade Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of Italian companies, Agorà once again establishes itself as a meeting platform between Italian and international operators, buyers, curators, institutions, festivals, creative studios and companies. The 2026 programme will run on July 9 and 10 and will feature B2B meetings, pitch presentations, workshops, studio visits to Italian production companies, and professional networking moments, with the aim of promoting creative Made in Italy on international markets and generating new opportunities for collaboration, circulation and development for Italian artists, studios and businesses. Following the results of the previous edition, Agorà 2026 aims to further strengthen its international dimension, involving more than 40 foreign operators and consolidating Videocittà's role as a European hub for digital culture, creative innovation and new forms of audiovisual media.

During the days of Videocittà, the third edition of Arte al Gazometro also opens, with the exhibition "Riflessi", a diffuse exhibition path made up of installations and site-specific interventions, featuring national and international artists. Curated by Marco Capasso, in collaboration with the "Il Sole" gallery, the "Orma" gallery and the "Eidos" gallery, "Riflessi" explores water not as a mere natural element but as an active device of transformation, capable of making visible what normally remains invisible: energy. The initiative was created to foster dialogue between contemporary art, industrial context and research, as part of the cultural activities promoted by Eni.

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Box Office

For the 2026 edition, Videocittà is introducing a new accessibility policy for the Festival, aiming to broaden its audience and make participation in the artistic, immersive and performance experiences at the Gazometro Ostiense even more open.

Tickets will be available at the following prices:

• Daily Ticket: €20

• 3-Day Full Pass: €50

• Free entry for children under 12

People with disabilities who require assistance can also request a complimentary ticket for their companion, following the procedures indicated on the Festival's official channels.

A choice that confirms Videocittà's commitment to promoting an ever more inclusive, accessible and participatory contemporary cultural experience.

• Entrance: Via del Commercio 9/11 – Rome
• Doors and box office open to the public from 7:00 pm 

Videocittà invites you to reach the venue well in advance, on foot or via sustainable mobility.

Useful Links

videocittà.com

instagram.com/videocitta

facebook.com/videocittafestival

linkedin.com/company/videocitta/

tiktok.com/@videocitta

Schedule 

Opificio 60 nord // waterimmersion – Immersive installation

7:00 PM – 1:00 AM Nature's Computility by Cao Yuxi in collaboration with eFM

Tettoia // Art at the Gazometro

7:00 PM – 2:00 AM Riflessi curated by Eni

Giardino // watersoundlight – Digital edu

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AV showSaint Louis Trio live & Rufa 

7:00 PM – 1:00 AM Atlante by NABA Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti

10:00 PM – 1:00 AM Egeria by IED Istituto Europeo di Design

Giardino e Opificio 36A // waterinteraction – Interactive installation

9:00 PM – 1:00 AM Maelstrom by Lake Heckaman curated by Luca Martinelli powered by RNMW

9:00 PM – 1:00 AM Particle Catharsis by Giuseppe La Spada

Anfiteatro // watereality – Virtual reality

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM In Pinus produced by Impersive for Videocittà as part of the European project CO-VISION

Gazometro G3

Main stage // watereality – Virtual reality

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM  Water in virtual reality VR experiences presented by Diversion

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM  Sweet end of the world! VR documentary by Stefano Conca Bonizzoni selected from Rai Cinema's VR library

Gazometro G3

Terrace // watereflection – Talk, contest, video art, artworks

8:00 – 8:45 PM  AQUA by and with Francesco Rutelli 

8:45 – 9:15 PM IGPDecaux Graphic AWARDS award ceremony

9:15 – 10:00 PM AQUA talk by Simone Arcagni with N.A.I.P., Vino and more

10:00 – 11:00 PM video art various artists curated by Damiana Leoni and Rä di Martino

11:00 – 11:30 PM artworks –Invisible Ecologies: Tevere by Tommaso Cherubini 

11:30 PM – 12:00 AM artwork – Confluence produced by Signal as part of the European project CO-VISION

Opificio 41 // waterimmersion – Immersive installation

9:45 PM – 1:00 AM IN LYMPHA conceived and produced by Eni 

Gazometro G2 // waterimmersion – Immersive installation

10:00 PM – 1:00 AM Water: always the same, always different by Giuseppe La Spada 

10:00 PM – 11:00 PM live performance by Francesca Heart and Amanda Lana

Main stage / waterfall – AV music

10:30 PM – 11:00 PM waterfall

11:00 PM – 11:45 PM AV Music – Sara Persico & Mika Oki Live AV

00:15 – 02:00 AV Music – Mace DJ set AV

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Saturday, July 11, 2026

7:00 PM – 1:00 AM Nature's Computility by Cao Yuxi in collaboration with eFM

Tettoia // Art at the Gazometro

7:00 PM – 2:00 AM Riflessi curated by Eni

Giardino // watersoundlight – Digital edu

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AV showSaint Louis Trio live & Rufa 

7:00 PM – 1:00 AM Atlante by NABA Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti

10:00 PM – 1:00 AM Egeria by IED Istituto Europeo di Design

Giardino e Opificio 36A // waterinteraction – Interactive installation

9:00 PM – 1:00 AM Maelstrom by Lake Heckaman curated by Luca Martinelli powered by RNMW

9:00 PM – 1:00 AM Particle Catharsis by Giuseppe La Spada

Anfiteatro // watereality – Virtual reality

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM In Pinus produced by Impersive for Videocittà as part of the European project CO-VISION

Gazometro G3

Primo piano // watereality 

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM  Water in virtual reality VR experiences presented by Diversion

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM  Sweet end of the world! VR documentary by Stefano Conca Bonizzoni selected from Rai Cinema's VR library

Gazometro G3

Terrace // watereflection – Talk, contest, video art, artworks

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM AQUA by and with Francesco Rutelli 

9:00 PM – 9:15 PM Permea: The Inner Flow by Giuseppe La Spada

9:15 PM – 10:00 PM AQUA talk by Simone Arcagni with Valentina Tanni, Siamounmagazine

10:00 PM – 11:00 PM video artwith Adrian Paci curated by Damiana Leoni and Rä di Martino

11:00 – 11:30 PM artworks –Invisible Ecologies: Tevere by Tommaso Cherubini 

11:30 PM – 12:00 AM artwork – Confluence produced by Signal as part of the European project CO-VISION

Opificio 41 // waterimmersion – Immersive installation

9:45 PM – 1:00 AM IN LYMPHA conceived and produced by Eni 

Gazometro G2 // waterimmersion – Immersive installation

10:00 PM – 1:00 AM Water: always the same, always different by Giuseppe La Spada 

10:00 PM – 11:00 PM live performance by Francesca Heart and Amanda Lana

Main stage // waterfall – AV music

10:30 PM – 11:00 PM waterfall

11:00 PM – 11:30 PM Nziria Live 

23:45 – 00:45 TBA live

01:00 – 02:00 Populous with Furio Ganz Live AV

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Sunday, July 12, 2026

19:00 – 00:00 Nature's Computility by Cao Yuxi in collaboration with eFM

Tettoia // Art at the Gazometro

7:00 PM – 2:00 AM Riflessi curated by Eni

Giardino // watersoundlight – Digital edu

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM AV showSaint Louis Trio live & Rufa 

19:00 – 00:00 Atlante by NABA Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti

22:00 – 00:00 Egeria by IED Istituto Europeo di Design

Giardino e Opificio 36A // waterinteraction – Interactive installation

21:00 – 00:00 Maelstrom by Lake Heckaman curated by Luca Martinelli powered by RNMW

21:00 – 00:00 Particle Catharsis by Giuseppe La Spada

Anfiteatro // watereality – Virtual reality

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM In Pinus produced by Impersive for Videocittà as part of the European project CO-VISION

22.15 – 22:45 In Pinus talk with the project's protagonists

Gazometro G3

Primo piano // watereality 

9:00 PM – 12:00 AM  Water in virtual reality VR experiences presented by Diversion

21:00 – 00:00 Sweet end of the world, a VR documentary by Stefano Conca Bonizzoni selected from Rai Cinema's VR library

Gazometro G3

Terrace // watereflection – Talk, contest, video art, artworks

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM AQUA by and with Francesco Rutelli 

21:00 – 21:15 Cinecittà event with Manuela Cacciamani

21:15 – 22:00 AQUA talk by Simone Arcagni with Elisabetta Modena, Matilde De Feo and Federico Ferrazza

22:00 – 22:30 artworks – Invisible Ecologies: Tevere by Tommaso Cherubini 

22:30 – 23:00 artwork – Confluence produced by Signal as part of the European project CO-VISION

Opificio 41 // waterimmersion – Immersive installation

21:45 – 00:00 IN LYMPHA conceived and produced by Eni 

Gazometro G2 // waterimmersion – Immersive installation

22:00 – 00:00 Water: always the same, always different by Giuseppe La Spada 

10:00 PM – 11:00 PM live performance by Francesca Heart and Amanda Lana

Main stage // waterfall – AV music

21:30 – 21:45 waterfall

21:45 – 22:25 Liminal State FREEFALL Live AV

22:30 – 00:00 Voices From The Lake Live

Ride the wave of great music

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