New Year’s Eve in Rome 2026: What’s Open and What to Book

New Year’s Eve in Rome falls on a Thursday in 2026, and the holiday stretch runs on to Epiphany on Wednesday, January 6, 2027. Over these days, some of the city’s big sights close, the Pope celebrates in St. Peter’s, and the evenings are a good time to walk the center. Here is what is open, what is not, and what to book.

Updated September 2026. Opening days from the Colosseum Archaeological Park and the Vatican Museums; papal celebrations from the Vatican calendar. All checked in September 2026. The Vatican has not published its 2026–27 program yet, so the times below are last year’s, as a guide.

New Year’s Eve in Rome at a glance

What is open on New Year’s Eve in Rome

The Colosseum

The Colosseum Archaeological Park closes only on January 1 and December 25. So you can visit on New Year’s Eve and on Epiphany, with winter hours: from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until December 31, and the same from January 2, with last entry at 3:30 p.m.

The Vatican Museums

In 2026, the Vatican Museums listed January 1 and 6, and December 25 and 26, among their closing days. They also close on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month, when entry is free: in December 2026, that is December 27. However, the Museums had not published the 2027 calendar as of September 2026, so check it before you book a January visit.

The Pope’s celebrations: last year’s times

The Vatican publishes its calendar a few weeks ahead. For example, these were the times for New Year 2025–26, all at the Vatican.

Tickets for the Pope’s celebrations are always free, according to the Vatican: you request them from the Prefecture of the Papal Household. For the rules and a full week of papal liturgies, see our Easter in Rome guide.

What to book for New Year’s Eve in Rome

We chose the experiences below on Viator for a rating of 4.5 or higher across more than 400 reviews, checked in September 2026. None of them is a New Year’s Eve party: they are evening and food experiences that run through the season, so check the dates before you book.

Rome at night, on foot

Affiliate link: Italy2Love earns a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.

The small-group Rome at night walking tour covers Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, and ends with views of the Colosseum, in about two and a half hours and in groups of up to 15. Travelers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 402 reviews, and prices start from about $25 (checked September 2026).

A street food tour

The Rome street food tour with a local guide tastes supplì, the fried rice croquettes of Rome, zucchini flowers, pastries and pizza, with wine and beer, in about two and a half hours and in groups of up to 15. Travelers rate it 4.8 out of 5 across 2,640 reviews, and prices start from about $54 (checked September 2026).

Rome by golf cart, after dark

The golf cart tour of Rome by night covers more ground than a walk, in about three hours and in groups of up to 15. Travelers rate it 4.5 out of 5 across 1,412 reviews, and prices start from about $87 (checked September 2026).

Beyond New Year’s Eve in Rome

If you arrive before New Year’s Eve in Rome, start with our Christmas in Rome guide and the Christmas events across Italy. For the big sights, compare the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tours and the Colosseum tours. Finally, for a trip out of the city, Umbria Jazz Winter plays Orvieto over New Year, and our Rome travel guide covers the rest.

Sources: opening days and hours from the Colosseum Archaeological Park’s official website; 2026 closing days from the Vatican Museums’ official website; papal celebrations for December 31, 2025, and January 1 and 6, 2026, from the Vatican’s calendar of activities. All checked September 24, 2026. Experiences: ratings, review counts, prices and inclusions read on each Viator product page (product codes 109384P42, 20455P43 and 439081P3), checked in September 2026. Featured photo: Livioandronico2013, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Considering another city? Our guide to New Year’s Eve in Italy compares Venice, Florence, Naples and Milan.

Still choosing a base? Our guide to where to stay in Rome compares the areas by what you will book.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Colosseum open on New Year’s Day?

No. The Colosseum Archaeological Park closes on January 1 and December 25. It opens on New Year’s Eve and on January 6, with winter hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and last entry at 3:30 p.m.

Are the Vatican Museums open between Christmas and Epiphany?

Only on some days. In 2026, the Vatican Museums listed January 1 and 6 and December 25 and 26 among their closing days. In addition, they close on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month, which in December 2026 falls on December 27.

What does the Pope celebrate on New Year’s Eve?

In 2025, the Pope presided over First Vespers and the Te Deum of thanksgiving for the past year in St. Peter’s Basilica at 5:00 p.m. on December 31. Then, on January 1, he celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at 10:00 a.m. and led the Angelus from St. Peter’s Square at noon.

Is January 6 a holiday in Italy?

Yes. Epiphany, January 6, is a public holiday in Italy. In 2026, the Vatican Museums closed that day, while the Colosseum stayed open.

Where else can you spend New Year’s in central Italy?

In Orvieto, about an hour from Rome by train, Umbria Jazz Winter runs from December 30, 2026, to January 3, 2027.