The Videocity 2025 lineup is among this year's best

The festival season in summer often comes with expectations that far exceed reality: recycled line-ups, overused formats, and the inevitable race for the perfect picture to share on social media. At the same time, there are events that choose to truly innovate rather than follow the usual script. This is the case of Videocittà, Rome’s festival of vision and digital culture, returning from July 3 to 6 in the industrial setting of the Gazometro Ostiense for its eighth edition, under the creative direction of Francesco Dobrovich and the artistic direction of Francesco Rutelli. Going against the grain of the summer festival monotony, Videocittà stands out for a line-up that embraces audiovisual arts in their most cutting-edge form. The event is more than just an exhibition space—it’s an active observatory where art constantly engages with technology and the future. The festival’s steady growth, with over 22,000 attendees in 2024 and a 150% increase in ticket sales, confirms the success of a formula that prioritizes substance over Instagrammable aesthetics.

This year, Videocittà concludes a four-year cycle dedicated to the relationship between humans and nature, focusing on the sun as a symbolic element of life and transformation, marking the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures by Saint Francis. The emblem of this concept will be the site-specific installation “Solar” by Quayola, a Rome-born internationally acclaimed artist, which will transform the Gazometro G4 into a digital vision of cyclical sunrises and sunsets. The piece is realized with the support of Eni and in collaboration with The Bentway Toronto. But Videocittà 2025 is not just about aesthetics: the program is rich with moments that blend art and technology, including the Italian premiere of the performance “Onirica () live” by fuse*, merging human interaction with artificial intelligence, and the multimedia DJ set by Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin. The bassist will perform an electronic-infused set, enhanced by visual contributions developed with the festival’s creative team, exploring the connection between rhythm, the body, and space. Alongside her, okgiorgio, who has been making waves across major European clubs with his eclectic shows, will bring his visually impactful and genre-blending sound to the festival, confirming Videocittà’s ability to spotlight new energies within the contemporary music scene. Also notable are the return of Max Cooper, one of the most respected names in multimedia experimentation, and the live set by Caribou, celebrating the release of his new album “Honey.”

The festival is also a place for reflection: the opening talk on artificial intelligence by Simone Arcagni offers a critical perspective on the technological future, while the panel series curated by Nicolas Ballario provides sharp moments of dialogue between contemporary comedy and academic thought. With highlights such as the VR experience “Ayahuasca - Kosmic Journey” and cutting-edge installations by artists like LuYang and Lawrence Lek, Videocittà proves it is possible to design a festival that not only entertains but also educates and inspires, positioning itself not just as an event but as an open laboratory of contemporary creativity.

Tickets are available on the Videocittà website and on Xceed, the event’s official ticketing partner.