The Pompeii Amphitheatre was built around 70 BC, making it the oldest surviving stone amphitheatre in the Roman world — predating the Colosseum in Rome by approximately 140 years. It could accommodate up to 20,000 spectators.
The Colosseum in Rome is the world’s most famous amphitheatre, but it was not the first. That distinction belongs to an arena on the eastern edge of Pompeii, built around 70 BC by two Roman magistrates, Gaius Quinctius Valgus and Marcus Porcius. The Pompeii Amphitheatre predates the Colosseum by approximately 140 years and is the only Roman amphitheatre to have survived from the Republican era almost completely intact. Standing on the arena floor, looking up at the stone seating banks that once held 20,000 spectators — almost the entire population of the city — is one of the most immediately affecting experiences in Pompeii.
Top Tickets
# Entry Ticket with Audio Guide
# Guided Tour with an Archaeologist
# 2-Hour Small Group Tour
Table of Contents
History of the Amphitheatre
Construction and Design
The amphitheatre was built using an earthwork embankment system rather than the free-standing vaulted structure later used at the Colosseum. The builders took advantage of the natural terrain at the city’s south-eastern corner, banking earth up against the outer walls to form the seating structure. This made construction significantly cheaper and faster than a free-standing arena. The result — a grass-covered embankment visible from outside the city walls — gives the Pompeii Amphitheatre a distinctive appearance unlike any later Roman arena.
Gladiatorial Games and Civil Unrest
In 59 AD, a notorious riot broke out in the amphitheatre during a gladiatorial contest between Pompeii and the neighbouring town of Nuceria. According to Tacitus, spectators from both towns exchanged insults, then stones, then weapons — resulting in multiple deaths. The Roman Senate responded by banning gladiatorial games at Pompeii for ten years. The ban was eventually lifted following the earthquake of 62 AD. The incident is depicted in a vivid fresco now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples — the only surviving ancient illustration of crowd violence at an amphitheatre.
The Pink Floyd Concert — 1971
In October 1971, the British rock band Pink Floyd filmed an iconic live performance in the empty amphitheatre — no audience, just the band playing in the arena with Pompeii’s ruins as backdrop. The resulting film, ‘Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii’, became one of rock music’s most celebrated concert films. The amphitheatre’s fame in popular culture owes as much to this event as to its Roman history. Pink Floyd returned in 2016 for a full concert with an audience — the first ticketed event in the amphitheatre since antiquity.
What to See at the Amphitheatre
The Arena Floor
You can walk onto the arena floor itself — which very few ancient amphitheatres allow. The sand surface underfoot and the oval enclosure of stone seating around you is immediately visceral. Imagine the noise of 20,000 spectators.
The Seating
The seating was divided into three sections: the ima cavea (lowest tier, for city magistrates and important citizens), the media cavea (middle tier, for ordinary male citizens), and the summa cavea (upper tier, for women and the poor). This rigid social hierarchy was enforced by the physical structure of the building — a perfect expression of Roman social organisation.
The Exterior Arches
The outer wall of the amphitheatre is pierced by double arches that allowed rapid entry and exit of large crowds. The staircases rising from these arches to the upper seating are still intact and climbable.
The Palestra Grande
Immediately adjacent to the amphitheatre is the Palestra Grande — a vast gymnasium complex used by Pompeii’s youth associations for athletic training. Its large swimming pool (one of the biggest in the Roman world) and surrounding colonnades are well preserved. The two together — arena and gymnasium — formed Pompeii’s entertainment and athletic district, at the eastern end of the city away from the civic and religious centre.
Practical Visitor Information
How Long to Allow
Allow 20–30 minutes for the amphitheatre and Palestra Grande together. The amphitheatre is the final stop on the half-day itinerary — most visitors reach it after 2–3 hours in the site and find it a satisfying finale.
Which Entrance
The Piazza Anfiteatro entrance deposits you directly at the amphitheatre — ideal if you want to start here and work westward. Most itineraries save the amphitheatre for last when approaching from Porta Marina.
Is It Always Open?
The amphitheatre is generally always accessible but the arena floor entry may occasionally be restricted for conservation. Check on arrival. Pre-book your entry ticket to skip the gate queue.
