The ninth edition of the festival dedicated to the theme “Love and War” is underway, featuring theater, dance, and live music amidst the illuminated ruins of the ancient city.
“I Venerdì di Ercolano” (Herculaneum Fridays) kicks off on Friday, July 3, 2026. Now in its ninth edition, this series of theater, dance, live music, and artistic lighting transforms the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum—a UNESCO World Heritage site—into an open-air stage set amidst the ruins of the ancient city. Visitors will be able to walk through the site, illuminated for the occasion, and enjoy the performances that will bring the entire summer season to life.
The central theme of the 2026 edition is Love and War—a theme exploring the profound bond between *eros* and *polemos* through seven artistic performances (two theatrical, three dance, and two musical) staged at various locations across the site. From Lucretius, who in *De Rerum Natura* describes the act of love in terms of war, to Kleist, who in *Penthesilea* links “kisses” and “bites,” and even Thucydides, who characterizes the Athenians’ drive to conquer Sicily as *eros*—a “passionate love”—love and war are passions that have shaken and transformed humanity since its very appearance on earth.
This narrative will be brought to life by theater, dance, and music companies and artists, who will enliven the Park’s various settings with site-specific performances, weaving together contemporary performance languages and the evocative atmosphere of the archaeological sites.
“With ‘I Venerdì di Ercolano’ (Fridays at Herculaneum), the Park renews its commitment to transforming its archaeological heritage into a living space, open to dialogue with the languages of the present. The ancient city becomes a meeting point where memory and creativity converge. This year’s theme, ‘Love and War,’ invites reflection on the complexity of the human experience through the evocative power of art, set against the backdrop of Herculaneum—a site unique in the world.”
Federica Colaiacomo, Director of the Herculaneum Archaeological Park
The event schedule
“I Venerdì di Ercolano” opens to the public on Friday, July 3, and continues on the evenings of Friday, July 10, 17, 24, and 31, and Friday, August 7, with an additional date on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
Opening hours and access methods
On the evenings of the event series, the Park will be open from 8:00 PM to midnight, with entrances at Corso Resina 187 and Via dei Papiri Ercolanesi 19. Tickets are available online, with a maximum of 600 visitors per time slot, divided into two shifts:
First shift: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM — checkout by 9:30 PM, full checkout by 10:00 PM
Second shift: 10.00pm – 11.30pm – exit by 11.30pm, complete exit by 12.00am
Detailed information regarding the program and booking procedures is available through the official channels of the Archaeological Park of Herculaneum.
Photo: ANNA ABET.