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The presepe vivente has run in Civita for more than thirty years. Local volunteers in costume fill the lanes with an Arab market, shepherds' camps, craft workshops and a Roman camp, about ten scenes in all, ending at the nativity. The village is lit by fires and torches, and it is the one time of year you can see Civita working after dark.
It is organised by the Bagnoregio and Lubriano committee of the Italian Red Cross, with the support of the comune, according to the 2025 announcement. Getting there is the hard part, because most of its evenings fall on public holidays.
The quick answer
On 10 October 2026 the 2026-27 dates had not been published. The last three editions ran on five or six afternoons between 26 December and 7 January, starting at 16:00 and ending between 18:30 and 20:00; in 2025-26 the dates were 26 and 28 December and 1, 4, 5 and 6 January, from 16:00 to 18:30. Budget the town's €5 entry and come by car, taxi or private driver, since several of those days have no bus.
When is the 2026-27 living nativity in Civita?
The dates were not published on 10 October 2026; past editions all ran between 26 December and 7 January.
We checked the organisers' announcements, the town's events listing and the regional event sites. None had dates for 2026-27 yet, and the official Civita events page still showed the previous season. The nativity is usually announced in December.
The past three seasons give a reliable shape. Santo Stefano (26 December), New Year's Day and Epiphany (6 January) appear every year, with one more day around 28 to 30 December and, in recent years, the weekend before Epiphany. If you are planning a trip now, keep 26 December, 1 January and 6 January free in the late afternoon. Do not book anything non-refundable for the evening until the dates are out.
| Edition | Dates | Hours | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 26 and 30 Dec, 1, 6 and 7 Jan | 16:00 to 19:00 | Comune di Bagnoregio |
| 2024-25 | 26 and 29 Dec, 1, 4, 5 and 6 Jan | 16:00 to 20:00 | Fanpage |
| 2025-26 | 26 and 28 Dec, 1, 4, 5 and 6 Jan | 16:00 to 18:30 | TusciaUp |
| 2026-27 | Not published yet | Not published yet | Check in December |
What do you see at the living nativity?
A walk through the whole village past about ten staged scenes, from a market at the gate to the nativity itself, lit only by fire.
The route starts after the footbridge at Porta Santa Maria, the only way into the village. Past editions opened with an Arab souk and then wound through the lanes past shepherds with their flocks, blacksmiths, bakers, weavers and stonecutters, noble households and a reconstructed Roman castrum, with live animals along the way. That list comes from the comune's listing and SiViaggia's 2025 report.
It is a community event, not a show with a stage. You move with the crowd through narrow lanes, and the best scenes are in the side streets. Allow an hour inside the village, plus the walk across the bridge both ways. Families with small children do fine; pushchairs struggle on the steep end of the bridge and the stone lanes.
How much does it cost to see the living nativity?
Plan on the town's normal €5 entry ticket per adult; past listings disagree on whether the event itself charged anything extra.
Civita's entry ticket is €5, with free entry for children under 6, people with a 100% disability card and one companion, and Bagnoregio residents, among others, per the official ticket page. That page does not mention the nativity at all.
The listings are inconsistent. The comune called the 2023-24 edition free, while the 2024-25 Fanpage listing gave admission as €5, the same as the village ticket. Our reading: the nativity has no separate charge, and you pay the normal entry to cross the bridge. Buy the ticket online before you go, because the evening queue at the office in the cold is the least fun part of the night.
| Who | Civita entry | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | €5 | Same price online and at the office |
| Child under 6 | Free | ID may be asked for |
| 100% disability card + one companion | Free | Per the official ticket page |
| Bagnoregio residents | Free | Per the official ticket page |
How do you get to Civita for the evening nativity?
By car, taxi or private driver: the COTRAL bus does not run on Sundays or holidays, and its last return on ordinary days leaves Bagnoregio at 17:30.
Look at the dates again. In 2025-26, four of the six nativity days were a holiday or a Sunday, and on those days there is no COTRAL service between Orvieto and Bagnoregio at all. On ordinary weekdays the last bus back to Orvieto station leaves Bagnoregio at 17:30, and on Saturdays at 17:25, which means leaving the nativity almost as it starts.
That leaves three ways in. Drive, and park at Piazzale Battaglini or near the belvedere; expect full car parks on the holiday evenings and a walk in the dark. Stay the night in Bagnoregio or Orvieto, and book a taxi both ways in advance. Or come from Rome with a private driver, priced per group and excluding entry, who can wait for you. None of the coach day trips from Rome are built around the evening event. Organisers have in past years arranged transport for disabled visitors to ease the climb up the bridge, as SiViaggia reported in 2025; ask the Red Cross committee (+39 333 573 4724, [email protected]) before you go.
| Option | Works on holidays? | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| COTRAL bus from Orvieto | No | Last return about 17:30 on weekdays |
| Own car | Yes | Full car parks, dark roads, steep walk |
| Taxi from Orvieto | Yes, if booked ahead | Agree the return time |
| Private driver from Rome | Yes | Per-group price; entry not included |
Your own driver from your Rome hotel, with the timing set by you. On a nativity date that matters more than on any other day.
Check dates Tour detailsWhat else is on around Civita over Christmas 2026?
Umbria Jazz Winter in Orvieto from 30 December to 3 January, and the Orvieto cathedral closes on New Year's Day.
The 33rd Umbria Jazz Winter fills Orvieto's theatres and cafes from 30 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, half an hour from Civita by car. A night in Orvieto lets you combine a concert with the nativity, provided you have a car or a pre-booked taxi.
The Orvieto cathedral keeps winter hours of 9:30 to 17:00, shorter on Sundays and holidays, and is closed all day on 1 January 2027. On Christmas Day there is Mass at 11:30. More on pairing the two towns is in Orvieto and Civita in one day, and the wider season in our autumn and winter post.
Frequently asked questions
When is the living nativity in Civita di Bagnoregio in 2026?
The 2026-27 dates were not published by 10 October 2026. Past editions ran on five or six afternoons between 26 December and 7 January, from 16:00.
Is the Civita living nativity free?
Plan on paying the village's normal €5 entry ticket. Listings disagree on whether the event itself charges; none we found mentioned an extra fee.
Can I reach the nativity by public transport?
Rarely. The COTRAL bus from Orvieto does not run on Sundays or holidays, and on weekdays the last bus back leaves Bagnoregio at about 17:30.
Who organises the living nativity?
The Bagnoregio and Lubriano committee of the Italian Red Cross, with the support of the Comune di Bagnoregio.
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