Pompeii brings gladiators and 1st-century Roman traditions to life for European Heritage Days
As part of a major cultural event backed by the Council of Europe and the European Commission, on 26–27 September 2026 Pompeii Archaeological Park will offer historical re-enactments and educational activities.
On the occasion of the European Heritage Days (EHD), the largest and most widely attended cultural event promoted by the Council of Europe and the European Commission and coordinated in Italy by the Ministry of Culture, the Pompeii Archaeological Park is putting on a packed programme of re-enactments and educational activities on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026.
The initiative, part of this year's edition built around the theme Protecting heritage. Renew, resist, reinvent, will see museums and cultural venues across the country taking part with guided tours, special openings and conferences. On the evening of Saturday 26 September, state museums will also offer a special late opening at the symbolic ticket price of 1 euro.
The programme prepared by the Pompeii Archaeological Park offers an immersive journey into ancient history through scholarly reconstructions, hands-on workshops and live performances across the various sites.
In Pompeii, Saturday 26 September will be entirely devoted to Roman gladiatorial combat with the event Dies in Arena, curated by Gruppo Storico Romano with Ars Dimicandi, with the participation of Militum Schola, Gruppo Storico Lucerino and Taberna Anticae Arelatensis.
The morning will open at 11:00 in the Basilica with the first act, entitled "People and Power", an introduction to the munus gladiatorio (gladiatorial combat) understood as a cultural, political and social phenomenon of the 1st century AD.
At 12:30, in the Quadriportico dei Teatri, the second act, "The Ludus", will focus on reconstructing the gladiatorial school, presenting the different categories of fighters, offering a philological analysis of the armour and explaining internal rituals and hierarchies.
Throughout the morning, until the performance takes place, the Quadriportico area will host educational stalls devoted to ancient weapons. From here a procession will set off which, following Via Stabiana and Via dell'Abbondanza, will reach the Amphitheatre.
At the Amphitheatre, at 15:30, the third and final act, "Munera" (contests) will take place, featuring the entrance of the imperial procession, court figures and magistrates, followed by demonstrations by four pairs of gladiators explained to the public for outreach purposes and concluding with the direct involvement of spectators in judging the bouts.
On Sunday 27 September, Pompeii will host the third edition of the Ludi Pompeiani, curated by Dyron Consulting.
Inside the Amphitheatre, the opening ceremony and the ovatio municipale (military celebration) in honour of Gaius Cuspius Pansa will be staged, followed by an alternating sequence of moments dedicated to historical dance, gladiatorial and legionary games, the ritual of manumissio (the freeing of a slave by their master) and the Roman wedding. Educational stalls for workshops and further exploration will be available from 9:30 in the camp set up in the area next to the Amphitheatre.
In Boscoreale, on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, from 9:00 to 18:00, educational stalls will be set up on the forecourt of the Antiquarium focusing on weaving, cosmetics, perfumery, pharmacology and surgery, games, numismatics, with the possibility of minting a coin, as well as sculpture, arts, crafts and seasonal produce.
Closed-number workshops (for a maximum of eight participants each) will also be offered, divided into two daily sessions from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00, devoted to weaving, cosmetics and perfumery, accompanied by re-enactments with costumed characters inside the Villa. The re-enactment initiatives are curated by the association Legio XXX Ulpia Victrix.
In Stabia, at Villa San Marco, the day of 26 September will revolve around the performance "Rectina! The day the sky fell on Pompeii", with visitors welcomed from 10:00 and repeat showings of the production throughout the day, alternating with educational sessions and talks open to visitors until the site closes. These events are curated by Dyron Consulting.
At the Villa of Poppaea in Oplontis, educational workshops and historical re-enactments are also planned, curated by Gruppo Archeologico Kyme with the collaboration of: Gruppo Storico Oplontino, Archeoclub di Torre Annunziata, Aps Proloco Spartacus, Centro studi storici "Niccolò D'Alagno" and ArevOd - Ospitalità Diffusa per un Turismo di Qualità.
On Saturday 26 September, the morning slot from 10:00 to 13:00 will feature guided itineraries and educational stalls on the theme "Theatre, music and masks of the ancient world", including a musical performance on the double flute.
During the evening opening from 20:00 to 22:30, themed itineraries will focus on "Baths and sport", the first edition of the "Neronia Oplontini" with two athletes awarded by Emperor Nero, and the "Ludi Gladiatorii" show.
On Sunday 27 September, again in Oplontis, the morning will be devoted to the performance "Poppaea and Cleopatra: allure and power", centred on cosmetics and jewellery from the Egyptian and Roman periods in relation to the Gold of Oplontis, with the presence of the two historical figures.
In the afternoon, from 16:00 to 18:30, guided tours and stalls will focus on navigation and trade in wine in the ancient world, with reconstructions of Roman vessels and readings of themed poetic compositions.
