To mark Europe’s largest and most widely attended cultural event, on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026 the Pompeii Archaeological Park will host a rich programme of historical re-enactments and educational activities.
To mark the European Heritage Days (EHD), the largest and most popular cultural event promoted by the Council of Europe and the European Commission and coordinated in Italy by the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii is putting on a packed programme of re-enactments and educational activities on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September 2026.
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The initiative, part of this year's edition built around the theme Protecting heritage. Renew, resist, reinvent, will involve museums and cultural venues across the country with guided tours, special openings and conferences. On the evening of Saturday 26 September there will also be special late openings of state museums at the symbolic price of 1 euro.
The programme drawn up by the Archaeological Park of Pompeii offers an immersion in ancient history through historically accurate reconstructions, hands-on workshops and live performances staged at the various sites.
In Pompeii, Saturday 26 September will be entirely devoted to the practice of Roman gladiatorial combat with the event Dies in Arena, curated by the Gruppo Storico Romano with Ars Dimicandi, with the participation of Militum Schola, the Gruppo Storico Lucerino and Taberna Anticae Arelatensis.
The morning will open at 11.00 in the Basilica with the first act, titled "People and Power", an introduction to the munus gladiatorium (gladiatorial games) understood as a cultural, political and social phenomenon of the 1st century AD.
At 12.30, in the Quadriporticus of the Theatres, the second act, "The Ludus", will focus on reconstructing the gladiatorial school, presenting the different types of fighters, providing a scholarly analysis of their armour and explaining the rituals and internal hierarchies.
Throughout the morning, until the performance gets under way, the area around the Quadriporticus will host educational stands devoted to ancient weaponry. From here a procession will set off, making its way along Via Stabiana and Via dell'Abbondanza to reach the Amphitheatre.
At the Amphitheatre, at 15.30, the third and final act, "Munera" (combats) 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 educational purposes and concluding with the direct involvement of spectators in judging the contests.
On Sunday 27 September in Pompeii, the third edition of the Ludi Pompeiani, organised by Dyron Consulting, will be held.
Inside the Amphitheatre, the opening ceremony and the ovatio municipale (military celebration) in honour of Gaius Cuspius Pansa will be staged, followed by an alternation of moments dedicated to historical dance, gladiatorial and legionary games, the rite of manumissio (the freeing of a slave by their master) and a Roman wedding. Educational stands for workshops and in-depth explorations 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 stands will be set up in the entrance forecourt of the Antiquarium focusing on weaving, cosmetics, perfumery, pharmacopoeia and surgery, games, numismatics, with the chance to mint coins, as well as sculpture, arts, crafts and seasonal products.
There will also be small-group workshops with restricted numbers (for a maximum of eight participants each), 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 activities 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 performances scheduled throughout the day, alternating with educational sessions and talks open to visitors until the site closes. The events are organised by Dyron Consulting.
At the Villa of Poppaea in Oplontis, educational workshops and historical re-enactments are also planned, curated by the Gruppo Archeologico Kyme in cooperation with: the Gruppo Storico Oplontino, the Archeoclub of Torre Annunziata, Aps Proloco Spartacus, the 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" with a performance on the double flute.
During the evening opening from 20.00 to 22.30, themed tours will be devoted to "Baths and sport", the first edition of the "Neronia Oplontini" with two athletes being awarded by Emperor Nero and a show titled "Ludi Gladiatorii".
On Sunday 27 September, again in Oplontis, the morning will be devoted to the performance "Poppaea and Cleopatra: allure and power", focused on cosmetics and jewellery from the Egyptian and Roman eras 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 the wine trade in the ancient world, with reproductions of Roman ships and readings of themed poetry.
