6 October. Museums, galleries, monuments and archaeological sites in Rome and throughout Italy open free of charge on the night of Saturday 6 October from 20.00 until 02.00, with last admission at 01.00.

Rome’s fourth consecutive edition of Notte dei Musei involves more than 60 of the capital’s state, civic and private museums, historic buildings, libraries and foreign cultural academies. During the evenng the permanent and temporary shows are enlivened by 150 events such as concerts, theatrical and dance performances, readings, screenings, lectures, guided tours and workshops.

Among the venues participating are the Capitoline Museums, Galleria Borghese, Palazzo Barberini, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, the Romanian Academy, Villa Torlonia and Casa del Cinema. Highlights include a film and music tribute to much-loved Roman actor Alberto Sordi in Piazza del Campidoglio; music at Casa del Jazz, Museo di Roma in Trastevere, Centrale Montemartini, Ara Pacis and the National Gallery of Modern Art (GNAM); artists at work in their studios at MACRO on Via Nizza; tours of the Chamber of Deputies in parliament buildings; performances at the MAXXI Museum of 21st Century Art; and a representation of "food in art" along Via Margutta.

The museum night had been scheduled to take place in Rome on 19 May – in conjunction with other European countries – but was cancelled as a sign of respect for the victims of the Brindisi bomb attack that morning. The explosion occurred outside a girls’ school named "Morvillo Falcone" – after the wife of anti-Mafia judge Giovanni Falcone who was murdered in Sicily 20 years ago that week. This year's museum night in Rome is dedicated to Melissa Bassi, the 16 year-old girl killed in the bombing.

The event has taken place annually since 2005 and this year includes over 3,000 museums and 40 countries. Last year’s event in Rome attracted over 200,000 people.