Matera Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue 2026

A whole year as Capital

In 2026, Matera proudly holds the title of Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue, a recognition that the city of the Sassi shares with Tétouan, Morocco, in a symbolic twinning between the two shores of the Mediterranean. For nearly nine months, from March 20 to November 28, Matera transforms into a vast, widespread stage, with a calendar coordinated by the Fondazione Matera-Basilicata 2019, the Municipality of Matera, and the Basilicata Region.

Symbolic Dates

The two dates that frame the year are not coincidental: the inauguration on March 20 coincides with the International Day of Happiness, while the closing on November 28 falls on Mediterranean Day. The opening ceremony will feature grand spectacles, including drone light shows in Piazza San Pietro Caveoso, overlooking the Gravina canyon.

The "Terre Immerse" Program and the Four Pillars

The program, titled "Terre Immerse" (Immersed Lands), is organized around four thematic pillars, four "immersions":

• Stratifications (time) — the vertical archive of memory, featuring the photographic exhibition by Mimmo Jodice and "Matera in the History of Photography," and the poetic-light event "Matera Starry Sky."
• Isolations (space) — spirituality and resilience, with the "International Neighborhood Festival" and multilingual collective readings of the Canticle of the Creatures.
• Contaminations (society) — cultural métissage, with "Mediterranean Sounds" and a sonic bridge with musicians from Tétouan, the exhibition "Adriano Olivetti: Matera and the Dream of an Enterprise," and thematic festivals.
• Transhumances (movement) — generative cultural migrations, with "Italian Screens," a summit of Euro-Mediterranean cinema, and the digital exhibition "The sea is closer than you think."

A Mosaic of Events

Throughout the months, a series of festivals and events that have become part of Matera's identity will take place: the Storytelling Festival, Materadio by Rai Radio3, the Mediterranean Playground, and numerous festivals dedicated to Mediterranean music, cinema, photography, and design. All in dialogue with major museum institutions and the network of the city's symbolic locations.

A City Speaking to the Mediterranean

More than just a label, the 2026 title is a declaration of vocation: Matera, from a city of shame to a global icon of UNESCO heritage, presents itself as a place for encounter and dialogue between cultures, languages, and peoples bordering the same sea. An unrepeatable opportunity to visit the Sassi at the height of their most intense season.