Is the Piazza Maggiore cinema free?

Yes. The summer screenings in Piazza Maggiore are free, with no ticket and no booking. The Cineteca di Bologna lists every night of the 2026 season as free entry.

What you cannot count on is a seat. Rows of chairs are set out in front of the screen, but they go to whoever gets there first, and a well-known title or a guest director fills them early. Arrive well before the start time if you want one. Otherwise you watch from wherever there is room.

One exception applies during Il Cinema Ritrovato in late June. The square stays free, but festival pass holders have had priority access to a reserved seating area, which they book in advance and enter between 20:00 and 21:15.

The festival’s daytime screenings in Bologna’s cinemas are a different matter: those need a paid festival pass.