Rome to offer free cinema screenings as refuge from summer heat

Free screenings will run in 11 air-conditioned cinemas until Aug 4

Tourists queue under the sun outside the Colosseum during hot weather in Rome, Italy, Jun 20, 2026. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane/File Photo

Rome will offer free screenings in 11 air-conditioned cinemas as part of a heat-relief plan Mayor Roberto Gualtieri presented on Wednesday, while most of Europe was sweltering through a hot summer.

The scheme, named after the 1983 US film classic "Il Grande Freddo" ("The Big Chill"), will run from Thursday to August 4, expanding an existing network of climate shelters in the Italian capital including public libraries and museums.

"Beautiful films, including recent releases, will be screened," Gualtieri said in a press conference.

The free screenings will take place between 1 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., with admission on a first-come, first-served basis. The first movie will be the 2023 Italian comedy drama "C'è Ancora Domani" ("There's Still Tomorrow").

"Each day a different film will be shown in all 11 participating cinemas, and people will be able to spend time there watching a movie in a cool environment, because not everyone has air conditioning," Gualtieri said.

Temperatures in Rome were expected to peak at 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday, and 35C on both Thursday and Friday, according to the weather service of the Italian air force.