Airbnb Is Giving 32 People the Chance to Visit the Colosseum After Hours to Watch a Gladiator Fight

Built nearly 2,000 years ago, the Colosseum is one of the most iconic ancient structures still standing in Rome. But visiting it today, you can only begin to imagine what it would have been like to attend a gladiator fight during the days of the Roman Empire. Soon, though, in honor of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, which will hit theaters on Nov. 22, a few lucky winners will have the chance to enter the amphitheater after hours to witness a gladiator fight and even don armor and learn some of the moves themselves.

Created in partnership with Paramount Pictures, this ultra-exclusive experience is one of Airbnb’s Icons, a series of epic stays and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that the home-sharing platform is bringing to life — and we got a sneak peek. As a Rome-based journalist, I’ve been to the Colosseum numerous times — on my own, on guided group and private tours, during the day and after hours — but I’ve never seen it quite like this.

Upon entering the rear gate on a recent evening, I found myself ringside, where a seating area covered in red velvet cushions and illuminated by torches and fire pits was set up overlooking the arena floor. I watched rapt as two men in gladiator armor began to fight, their weapons clashing against their shields and helmets, the clanging sounds reverberating in the night. When I asked the expert guide if they were actors, she explained they’re not actors but historical reenactors who’ve devoted themselves to studying gladiators.

Afterward, she led me down into the hypogeum, a warren of underground chambers where animals were kept in cages and corridors and gladiators walked before emerging in the arena. There, in one of the chambers, I got an up-close look at helmets, shields, armor, and weapons made to replicate the ones used by ancient gladiators. Participants will be able to choose an outfit corresponding to one of the types of gladiators (murmillo, thraex, provocator, retiarius, or contrarete) and learn the moves they would have used in a fight before putting their skills to the test.  

“Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination until now,” Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s co-founder and CEO, said at Icons’ Summer Release event in Los Angeles. “What we’re focused on is creating more magic in the real world — and everything we do is in service to this idea because magic is not limited to our imagination.”

Requests to book this unforgettable experience will open on Nov. 27 at 6 a.m. PT at airbnb.com/gladiatormovie. The actual experiences will take place on May 7 and 8, 2025. Each experience has the capacity to host 16 people (eight winners and their plus-ones), meaning just 32 people will have the chance to experience an evening as a gladiator at the Colosseum. The booking period will close on Dec. 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The experience is free, but participants are responsible for getting themselves to Rome and paying any costs associated with their trip.