A large crowd attended the countdown festivities. [Photo: Taranto 2026 Organising Committee]
Taranto 2026 will mark the 75th anniversary of the Mediterranean Games
by Philip Barker
Taranto’s Castel Saint Angelo has been lit up in the colours of the Italian tricolor and a special clock set in motion to mark exactly one year until the 2026 Mediterranean Games.
“The Games are a historic opportunity, and everyone, citizens and institutions, must work together to fully embrace it,” said Taranto 2026 Organising Committee President Massimo Ferrarese.
A building programme of some €275 million has included 41 projects across 21 municipalities in the region. €180 million has been spent in Taranto itself on swimming pools, a new nautical centre and tennis courts.
“We will welcome girls and boys with curiosity and a desire to challenge themselves in a positive spirit and talk about smiles, medals, rising flags, and national anthems. It’s an extraordinary opportunity to promote this area,” International Mediterranean Games Committee (CIJM) President Davide Tizzano pledged.
“From today, the countdown will accompany us, day after day, towards August 21, 2026, when Taranto will open its doors to the Games. This clock is not just a symbol of the passing of time: it represents the challenge that unites us as a community, the desire to show the world our history, our culture, and our hospitality,” Mayor Piero Bitetti declared.
The Games which are scheduled to open on August 21, 2026, marking 75 years since the first Mediterranean Games were held in Alexandria.
International Olympic Committee member Mohammed Taher Pacha proved a key figure in their establishment after pre-war efforts to establish continent wide African Games had stalled.
They were the third regional Games to be established in 1951. The Asian Games and PanAmerican Games were also inaugurated in the same year.
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