With the official lighting of the tree in Piazza Vittorio Veneto and the lights along the main streets, Matera enters the holiday period. The center lights up and the city presents itself with a more intimate face, suitable for evening walks. The decorations hide little of the authentic nature of the places: the light slides on the stones of the Sassi and enhances their profile, without distorting it. An atmosphere that attracts visitors and people from Matera to the heart of the city, where clubs, shops and markets remain points of passage and meeting.
The dates of the Living Nativity scene in the Sassi
The fifteenth edition of the Living Nativity in the Sassi will open on 5 December 2025. The event will continue on the following days:
It will take place in Sasso Caveoso following a route that will cross historic districts, starting from the Piazza San Francesco area up to the final stretch in via Bruno Buozzi. Over 200 figures will animate the scenes. The theme chosen this year revolves around the concepts of peace and dialogue.
Access methods and ticket costs
Entry is permitted by reservation. The expected price is as follows:
The prices indicated are to be considered in addition to presale costs and ticketing commissions.
For groups with more than 25 participants, booking is required by contacting the secretariat directly:
Dedicated methods are provided for people with disabilities, with organized and assisted access.
A journey inside the city
The nativity scene is not a representation on stage but an itinerary among tuff houses, alleys and views that belong to the history of Matera. The natural scenography of the Sassi allows the reconstruction of the Nativity to integrate into the places, without adding extraneous elements. The visit involves from a historical and cultural profile, as well as an emotional one.
The initiative has attracted tens of thousands of visitors for years, including parish and organized groups. The expected influx will impose controls on access and traffic, with a plan for the management of tourist buses.
Matera beyond the event
Those who come for the nativity scene often tend to stay in the city, visit rock churches, walk the panoramic streets of the Sassi and try the local cuisine. On the busiest days, the center remains alive even outside of event times, with constant movement between squares, alleys and commercial activities.
Matera, in winter, presents itself without scenographic excesses: the artificial light interacts with the natural light of the stones, and the Christmas atmosphere is linked more to the sobriety of the places than to the spectacular. A choice that, in fact, remains his strength.
Visiting the city of Sassi during the Christmas period means immersing yourself in one of the largest, most spectacular and fascinating living nativity scenes but also in Lucanian traditions, from local Christmas cuisine to traditional songs accompanied by the sound of bagpipes.
