The 20th Mediterranean Games “Taranto 2026” will conclude on Thursday, September 3, with a grand celebration dedicated to music, culture, and the Mediterranean.
The Closing Ceremony, titled “Mediterraneo in Festa,” will take place at the Stadio Erasmo Iacovone in Taranto, the same venue where the Opening Ceremony was held. The event will mark the official conclusion of a competition in which 26 countries and more than 4,000 athletes participated. The ceremony will be broadcast live on RIK 2 (9:00 p.m.).
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Unlike the Opening Ceremony, which was designed as a theatrical narrative with references to the history, mythology, and identity of the Mediterranean, the Closing Ceremony has been designed as a grand celebration. As the artistic director and director of the ceremonies, Angelo Bonello, the goal is for the closing ceremony to be a shared celebration for Taranto, its residents, the athletes, and the 26 countries that participated in the Games.
A grand musical celebration of the Mediterranean
The highlight of the evening will be the performance by Rockin’1000, who, for the purposes of the event, will transform into a grand “Mediterranean Orchestra.”
According to the official announcement from Rockin’1000, 260 musicians will take part in the performance, presenting an approximately one-hour musical program featuring iconic rock songs. The musicians will perform the songs simultaneously, creating a unique sound that will be one of the highlights of the Closing Ceremony.
The idea, however, goes beyond the scope of a large concert. The project is designed so that musicians from different countries and cultures across the Mediterranean can come together on stage and “play together,” symbolically transforming music into a bridge of communication and coexistence.
The musical program for the evening also features the Magna Grecia Orchestra, as well as artists and musical groups from Apulia. The primary aim of the artistic program is to highlight the region’s cultural identity and Taranto’s role as a city with deep historical and cultural ties to the Mediterranean.
Music, dance, and artistic performances
The evening will combine music, choreography, and theatrical/audiovisual elements, creating a program that will range from a major musical performance to the official moments marking the conclusion of the Games.
Among the artists announced for the Closing Ceremony is Serena Autieri, while the program also features the Magna Grecia Youth Orchestra, the Coro della Magna Grecia, Terraròss, Attitude, Moses Concas, and Rossella Brescia. The organizers have kept certain elements of the performance a surprise for the audience.
Of particular interest is the participation of the Magna Grecia Youth Orchestra, which is closely tied to the artistic and educational life of Apulia and Taranto. Its presence reinforces the local character of the event and the organizers’ effort to showcase local personalities and artistic talents during the ceremony.
The Official Closing of the Games – Kosovo 2030
In addition to the artistic program, the Closing Ceremony will also include the customary institutional elements marking the conclusion of the Mediterranean Games.
As part of this, the official handover ceremony of the Mediterranean Games flag to the next host, Kosovo, will take place; Kosovo will host the next edition of the Games. This moment will also mark the symbolic transition from “Taranto 2026” to the next chapter in the history of the Mediterranean Games.
The ceremony will therefore be both a farewell to Taranto and a celebration of what the Games represent: sports, friendship, dialogue, and the peaceful coexistence of the peoples of the Mediterranean.
The Cypriot Delegation at the Closing Ceremony
The Cyprus Olympic Committee participated in the event with the largest delegation in its history at the Mediterranean Games, consisting of 145 male and female athletes competing in 24 sports.
Cyprus’s participation in the Games concluded on September 2, with the final appearances by Cypriot athletes in Sailing, Track and Field, Gymnastics, and Karate, while athletes from table tennis and 3×3 basketball will also be present at the ceremony, attending the final official event of the 20th Mediterranean Games.
By attending the Closing Ceremony, the Cyprus Olympic Committee delegation will participate in the final highlight of “Taranto 2026,” closing yet another important chapter in Cyprus’s presence in the Mediterranean sports movement.
