The most anticipated event of the year is just around the corner: starting August 29, 2026, it will once again be possible to visit the Pompeii ruins in the evening!
This is an unmissable opportunity for all Pompeii enthusiasts, who will be able to admire the site in a completely different light less chaotic and crowded than during the morning hours, and bathed in lights and colors.
As in previous years, a two-part tour itinerary is planned for the summer 2026 evening openings. On the one hand, visitors will have access to various residences near the amphitheater and the Great Gymnasium; on the other hand, they will have access to the Villa dei Misteri and the Villa Regina in Boscoreale.
Evening openings will take place on August 29 and September 5, 12, 19, 26, and October 10.
Admission is permitted from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m., with last admission at 10:30 p.m.
Tickets cost €7. Tickets can be purchased on the official Vivaticket website.
In addition, on the same dates (except October 10), the Villa dei Misteri will host theatrical performances as part of the Esopop festival, titled “Ecstatic Pompeii: The Dionysian City, Between Fury and Mysteries.”
This project, dedicated to theater and live performance, draws inspiration this year from the figure of Dionysus and the mysteries of his cults.
The event is available by reservation only and subject to availability at vivaticket pompeisopop for €7.
First itinerary for evening tours of the Pompeii excavations
First itinerary begins at Piazza Anfiteatro, where visitors will be able to explore some of Pompeii’s most elegant domus in a completely new light, adorned with lights and colors.
These include the grand and spectacular urban villa of Praedia Giulia Felice, famous for its expansive garden and the spectacular portico with fluted marble columns.
House of Venus in the Shell, renowned for its large fresco on a garden wall, from which it takes its name.
House of Loreio Tiburtino, characterized by a large canal imitating a Nile landscape and small mythological scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
The tour includes admission to the exhibition of casts from Pompeii, held at the Palestra Grande at the archaeological site.
Second Itinerary for Nighttime Tours
Second itinerary for the evening opening at the Pompeii Archaeological Site includes a visit to the renowned Villa dei Misteri and Villa Regina in Boscoreale. It can be reached via the Pompeii Artebus shuttle service departing from Piazza Esedra (schedule available at www.pompeiisites.org).
In this case as well, the site will be open from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with last admission at 10:30 p.m.
Tickets cost €7 and can be purchased online at vivaticket.
Esopop Evening Series in Pompeii and Other Vesuvian Sites
Once again this year, the 2026 evening opening program will feature new theatrical performances as part of the Esopop festival.
The initiative will involve the sites of Greater Pompeii, offering visitors a calendar of events spread across Pompeii, Oplontis, Boscoreale, and Stabia. The goal is to highlight the archaeological heritage through new ways of experiencing it that combine research, culture, and entertainment.
At the heart of the cultural program will be the second edition of Esopop, titled “Ecstatic Pompeii: The Dionysian City, Between Frenzy and Mysteries.”
This year’s project is dedicated to the figure of Dionysus and the mystery rites associated with his cult, a theme chosen in light of the extraordinary discovery made in Regio IX. There, a refined residence dedicated to the deity, House of the Thiasos, has yielded one of the most important megalographs found to date in the excavations.
Show times: Evening performances are held in two sessions, at 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Reservations are required, and admission is €7; tickets can be purchased at www.vivaticket.it.
Evening hours at other locations
The evening opening will also include other archaeological sites, such as Villa Poppea in Oplontis, Villa Regina in Boscoreale, and Villa Arianna and Villa San Marco in Castellammare.
Villa Poppea in Oplontis at Night
Villa of Poppea in Oplontis a majestic residence attributed to Nero’s second wife will be open for evening walks on September 4, 11, and 18, and October 9, featuring guided tours organized by the Archeoclub and archaeological workshops hosted by the Oplontino Historical Group.
On Friday, September 25, 2026, the site will be open to the public in the evening for self-guided tours.
Admission is €7, with free admission and discounts available as per regulations; tickets can be booked on Vivaticket.
The schedule of evening openings at Villa Poppea begins as early as August 28 with a theatrical performance by Esopop titled “Semele. La verità è un fuoco” (Semele: Truth Is a Fire), which can be booked for €7 on the official Vivaticket website.
Villa Arianna and Villa San Marco in Castellammare di Stabia
The evening openings will also include Villa Arianna and Villa San Marco, two examples of magnificent Roman aristocratic villas located on the Varano hill, which once offered a panoramic view of the sea.
Evening openings will take place every Friday of the month, starting August 28 and running through September 25, with free admission from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with last admission at 10:30 p.m.
As with the other sites in the greater Pompeii area, Villa San Marco will also take center stage on the evenings of September 11 and 18 for two events as part of the Esopop festival. The spaces of the ancient villa will be transformed into a stage dedicated to a theatrical reinterpretation of the myth of Dionysus. The cost of the theatrical performance is €7.
Meanwhile, the Archaeological Museum of Stabia, located in the Reggia di Quisisana in Castellammare di Stabia, will be open on Friday, August 28, and on September 4, 11, 18, and 25. Admission is €7, with free admission and discounts available as provided by law; tickets can be purchased on vivaticket.
And on Friday, September 4, the museum will also host one of Esopop’s performances, “Dionysos. The Stranger.”
Villa Regina in Boscoreale
Boscoreale Antiquarium and Villa Regina will be open in the evening on August 29, and on September 5, 12, and 19, as well as October 10.
The evening tour offers a chance to visit Villa Regina, an ancient Roman farm dedicated to wine production, and the Antiquarium. In addition to artifacts from the Vesuvian area, the Antiquarium also features a room entirely dedicated to the discoveries from the suburban villa at Civita Giuliana, including the famous ceremonial chariot and the cast of the horse.
Hours: 7:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m., with last admission at 10:30 p.m. – Cost: €7.
Admission tickets can be reserved at vivaticket.
Additionally, on Saturday, September 26, the site will host Esopop’s performance “La cura del Dio. Frammenti di un contagio.”
Tickets cost €7 and can be reserved on vivaticket
Evening tours for 1€
As part of European Heritage Days, Pompeii and the other sites of Greater Pompeii, Oplonti, Boscoreale, and the Villas of Stabiae, will be open for evening visits on Saturday, September 26, for €1.
From 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. (last admission at 10:30 p.m.).
