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Rome’s Circus Maximus — once the site of ancient chariot races — will host a major international festival gathering focused on reconciliation and spiritual renewal this October.
The two-day event, called Vitae Fest Rome, is scheduled for Oct. 17 and 18 and will feature music, art, and entertainment during the Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year.
Organized by the nonprofit Vitae Global Foundation and hosted by the Pope, the festival is framed as a once-in-a-generation cultural and spiritual gathering intended to promote reconciliation, beauty, and shared purpose, according to its official website.
Festival organizers say the venue, often used for papal gatherings, will become a space of celebration and shared purpose.
“[T]he heart of Rome will transform into an electric town square, alive with activation experiences, live entertainment, and food worth showing up for,” the site said.
The event will feature musical performances, art installations, and other cultural expressions. While a final lineup has not yet been released, organizers say the festival will include “some of the world’s biggest artists.”
Vitae Global, which began in Argentina, previously hosted a similar event in Mexico City in May 2025. That festival drew a large crowd and marked a new chapter in the group’s efforts to engage cultural influencers on issues of meaning, truth, and reconciliation, according to the organization.
“It’s more than a festival — it’s a catalyst for reconciliation, connection, and awakening,” the website states. “Awakening to our place in the world; realising our collective strength; and furthering our individual discovery of faith.”
The Rome event is expected to coincide with a larger influx of pilgrims during the Jubilee Year, raising the profile of the gathering.
Vitae’s organizers describe the Jubilee year not only as a spiritual observance, but as a personal invitation.
The website asks visitors to consider if 2025 “wasn’t just another year” and if it instead could be a time of renewal and celebration.
“A year where the past doesn’t weigh you down,” the site reads. “Where broken relationships get mended, old wounds heal, and everything heavy gets left behind.”
The message framed the event’s mission around healing — both within and among communities. It speaks of trust rebuilt and generations “finally seeing eye to eye.”
“What if this was the year we chose reconciliation — not just with each other, but with ourselves, and that quiet part inside us craving something deeper?” it asked. “What if this is our chance to rewrite the story — for us, and for the world?”
