Golden Gala Pietro Mennea
The Rome leg of the Wanda Diamond League at the Stadio Olimpico
About Golden Gala
A historic fixture of world athletics
The Golden Gala Pietro Mennea is the premier international track and field meeting held at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, within the Foro Italico complex in the heart of the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio. Established in 1980 by Primo Nebiolo, then-president of FIDAL, as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup that Rome would host the following year, the meeting was an immediate success: nearly seventy thousand spectators filled the Olimpico for that inaugural edition. Since then, the event has never looked back, becoming one of the most prestigious stops on the international calendar.
Since 2013, the meeting has been dedicated to the memory of Pietro Mennea, the «Arrow of the South», the 1980 Moscow Olympic 200m champion and world record holder for nearly seventeen years—a tribute that forever links the name of the Apulian athlete to the Roman track.
The Wanda Diamond League in Rome
The Golden Gala is a key stage of the Wanda Diamond League, the global circuit that awards points to top athletes across various meetings leading up to the season-end finals. Each Roman edition features fourteen Diamond disciplines, split between men's and women's events: pure speed, hurdles, middle-distance, vertical and horizontal jumps, and throws. The program varies slightly from year to year as disciplines rotate through the circuit's venues.
- Sprints: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m
- Hurdles: 110m hurdles, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles
- Jumps: high jump, long jump, triple jump, pole vault
- Throws: shot put, discus, javelin
The Olimpico track, renovated in 2023, is considered one of the fastest in Europe and has already hosted major international events, starting with the 2024 European Athletics Championships.
Atmosphere and crowd
The format follows the classic evening meeting style: field events begin around 7:00 PM while the sunset still illuminates the stands, with the main block of the evening concentrated between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM, broadcast live. The finale is almost always reserved for the 100m, the most anticipated race, with the stadium on its feet and a roar accompanying the final meters.
The Golden Gala is also a showcase for Italian talent: in recent years, the Roman crowd has cheered for Leonardo Fabbri in the shot put, Andy Diaz in the triple jump, Mattia Furlani in the long jump, Nadia Battocletti in the middle-distance, Lorenzo Simonelli in the hurdles, and, of course, Marcell Jacobs in the 100m. Seeing the Italian stars challenge Olympic champions on home soil is one of the reasons the evening has become a popular festival, with many families and youth sports clubs in the stands.
The Foro Italico, home of Roman sport
The Stadio Olimpico is the centerpiece of the Foro Italico complex, on the right bank of the Tiber at the foot of Monte Mario: a monumental 1930s area that also houses the Stadio dei Marmi, the tennis center, and the swimming pools. Attending the Golden Gala means walking through one of the most iconic sites of the capital's sporting architecture, just minutes from the historic center.
Why it's worth attending
Few opportunities allow you to see dozens of Olympic and World medalists live, in a single evening, in one stadium. The Golden Gala combines the technical quality of a top-tier meeting with the excitement of a popular show: music, athlete introductions, ticking stopwatches, and records being chased. For athletics fans, it is the Italian event of the year; for those new to the sport, it is the best way to understand its allure.
Golden Gala — edition 2026
Golden Gala 2026: three Italian victories at the Olimpico
The 46th edition of the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea took place on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, as part of the Wanda Diamond League. On the eve of the event, organizers announced an unprecedented cast, featuring 43 athletes who had won at least one Olympic or World gold medal in their careers and over 80 global medalists in total.
The evening delivered three Italian successes. Leonardo Fabbri dominated the shot put with 22.14 meters, ahead of Americans Joe Kovacs (21.87) and Ryan Crouser (21.50), New Zealander Tom Walsh (21.49), and Jamaican Rajindra Campbell (21.39)—one of the most medal-dense throwing competitions in the meeting's history. Andy Diaz won the triple jump with 17.59 meters, the third Roman triumph of his career. Matteo Sioli became the first Italian to win the high jump at the Golden Gala, clearing 2.28 meters on his second attempt.
Late in the evening, the 100m saw the victory of Noah Lyles in 9.88, with Marcell Jacobs finishing fifth in 9.99: a return under the ten-second barrier for the Italian, greeted by a standing ovation. In the women's 200m, Julien Alfred won in 21.93, while the long jump went to Bulgarian Bozhidar Saraboyukov with 8.26 meters, and the 110m hurdles to American Trey Cunningham in 12.98. It was a tough night for Nadia Battocletti, who finished thirteenth in the 5000m after a period of illness, and Mattia Furlani was absent due to injury. Francesco Pernici put in a strong performance, finishing third in the 800m.
Programme Golden Gala 2026
Evening program (Thursday, June 4, 2026)
The meeting was divided into three time blocks, with live television coverage on Rai 2 from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM.
- 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM — Opening with field events: men's javelin (returning to Rome after nine years), women's pole vault, men's triple jump.
- 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM — Women's 400m hurdles, men's high jump, men's 800m, men's shot put, women's 100m hurdles, men's long jump, women's 5000m.
- 10:00 PM - 11:00 PM — Men's 110m hurdles, women's 400m, women's 200m, women's 1500m, and, as the grand finale, the men's 100m.
Fourteen Diamond disciplines were on the program: 100m, 110m hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put, and javelin for men; 200m, 400m, 1500m, 5000m, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and pole vault for women.
Highlights Golden Gala 2026
- 46th edition of the meeting, a stage of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League
- Leonardo Fabbri wins the shot put with 22.14m ahead of Kovacs, Crouser, and Walsh
- Andy Diaz secures his third Roman success in the triple jump (17.59m)
- Matteo Sioli is the first Italian ever to win the high jump at the Golden Gala (2.28m)
- Marcell Jacobs back under 10 seconds in the 100m (9.99)
- Noah Lyles wins the 100m in 9.88
- Men's javelin returns to the program after nine years
Prices Golden Gala 2026
Practical information — Golden Gala
Getting there
The Stadio Olimpico is located at Viale dei Gladiatori 2, at the Foro Italico (North Rome). By Metro: Line A to Ottaviano or Lepanto, then bus 32 or 271 towards Piazzale Clodio and Foro Italico. By Tram: Line 2 from Piazzale Flaminio to Piazza Mancini, then walk across Ponte Duca d'Aosta. By car: Exit from Lungotevere Maresciallo Diaz; parking is limited on event nights, so public transport is highly recommended.
Tickets
Tickets are sold via TicketOne (online and authorized retailers) and through the meeting's official channels. Reduced rates are generally available for under-18s, FIDAL members, and sports clubs; the curves offer the most affordable prices, while the side stands offer the best view of the finish line and jumping pits.
Tips
Arrive at least an hour early: field events start before the evening TV broadcast block. Bring a light sweater, as the temperature at the Olimpico drops significantly after sunset. The event is broadcast live on TV, but the stadium atmosphere is an entirely different experience.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Golden Gala
Stadio Olimpico
Viale dei Gladiatori 2, Foro Italico, 00135 Roma