Marta Del Grandi and Rareș at Mattatoio: Indie Pop Meets Industrial Grit

By Alyssa | WhatsOn music and nightlife writer Alyssa tracks the gigs, festivals, club nights and late-late plans worth leaving the house for.

The old slaughterhouse in Testaccio has traded its industrial grit for something far more compelling: the low-end hum of a soundsystem warming up against raw brickwork. When the sun dips below the Tiber and the courtyard shadows lengthen at the Mattatoio, the energy shifts. The air smells faintly of warm dust and spilled vermouth as Rome’s plugged-in indie crowd filters through the iron gates, trading cigarettes and set-time speculations. This isn't the postcard version of Rome; this is the city's modern sonic pulse laid bare.

Romaeuropa Festival consistently pushes the envelope, and this September, they are handing the keys to two of the most vital voices in Italy’s contemporary underground: Marta Del Grandi and Rareș. Forget heritage rock or classical renditions; this double-bill is a deep dive into the current left-field pop and ethereal indie scene. Del Grandi brings her spellbinding, cinematic vocal layering—a mesmerising blend of avant-pop and jazz inflections—while Rareș cuts through with an infectious, synth-heavy urgency. Landing a ticket to this showcase is less about catching a gig and more about witnessing the vanguard of Italian independent music in one of the capital's most atmospheric post-industrial spaces.

Cinematic Synths and Raw Brick Acoustics

Step inside the Mattatoio's vaulted spaces and the acoustics immediately take over. Del Grandi’s set is an atmospheric slow-burn. Expect cascading vocal loops and minimalist synth textures that bounce off the cavernous ceiling, wrapping the room in a thick, dreamlike haze. It’s the kind of performance that commands absolute silence from the floor, broken only by the sharp, collective exhale of the crowd when a track peaks. Conversely, Rareș shifts the gear entirely. The lighting dips into saturated reds and blues, tracking the sudden surge of driving basslines and kinetic, guitar-driven pop. It’s a beautifully curated clash of energies—the ethereal sweeping into the visceral, keeping the room entirely on its toes.

The Testaccio Night Owls

If you want to take the temperature of Rome's creative youth, this queue is the thermometer. The crowd leans heavily into the city's art students, off-duty DJs, and seasoned gig-goers who know exactly which nights are worth leaving the house for. Conversations blur between Italian and English, pivoting from the merits of analogue synthesisers to where the afterparty is migrating later. There is a palpable sense of ownership here; the audience isn't just spectating, they are actively feeding energy back to the stage. It’s a community that thrives on the fringes of the mainstream, united by a shared reverence for genuinely boundary-pushing live music.

Know Before You Go

• Arrive early: The Mattatoio complex is a labyrinth of contemporary art spaces. Get there an hour before the 19:00 start to grab a drink at the pop-up bar and secure a good sightline.
• The booking pressure: Romaeuropa's contemporary music nights are notoriously oversubscribed by locals. With tickets running at EUR 15, book ahead via the official Romaeuropa Festival page because the door allocation will vanish quickly.
• Getting there: The Piramide Metro station (Line B) is a ten-minute walk away. Avoid driving if you can; parking around Testaccio on a weekend evening is an extreme sport.
• Dress code: This is Testaccio indie—think vintage denim, oversized layers, and comfortable trainers for standing on concrete floors. Leave the stilettos at home.

Make a Weekend of It

You don't come to Testaccio without making a proper evening of it. If you want to line your stomach before the bass drops, stay in the neighbourhood and head to Rione 13 Ristorante. It’s the perfect spot to sit down with a plate of flawless pasta and a glass of local wine while soaking up the pre-gig buzz. If you prefer to kick things off across the river in Trastevere—just a short tram ride or a bracing walk away—the bustling energy at Tonnarello is hard to beat for a lively, acoustic-soundtracked meal. For something a little more rustic but equally electric, snag a sidewalk table at Osteria Nannarella or dive into the hearty Roman meat dishes at Otello. After the gig, as the adrenaline settles, wind your way back through the cobblestones for a nightcap—the city stays awake long after the final encore.

Catch you by the sound desk, Alyssa.