One month after the Opening Ceremony of Matera 2026 Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue, the documentary telling the story of a special day for our city is now online. This visual narrative retraces every moment of March 20: from construction sites transformed into a stage at Teatro Duni, to the drone and laser show that redefines the meaning of the Mediterranean as a space for dialogue and a land of peace.

The documentary captures the deepest essence of this year: Matera, a city without a sea, yet profoundly Mediterranean.

Directed by: Francesco Dinolfo
Videomakers: Alessandro De Bellis, Dennis Giacalone
Broadcast direction: Luca Penserino, Giorgio Gulmini

Speakers at the Opening Ceremony: Valentina Bisti, Pietro Laureano, Antonio Tajani, Raffaele Fitto, Alessandro Giuli, Elisabetta Casellati, Dubravka Šuica, Vito Bardi, Antonio Nicoletti, Petra Kezman, Josep Ferré, Rita Orlando

Contributions: Luca Acito, Abdelrahman Ahmed, Amin Ahmed, Nicola Di Meo, Ahmed Elbeshlawy, Fathi Elshazly, Said Elshazly, Francesco Maggiore, Antonio Nicoletti, Rita Orlando, Simona Orsi, Carlo Picerno, Bilel Rekik

Coordination and production of the Opening Ceremony of Matera 2026 Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue by Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019

Risk Management: Rocco Luigi Sassone, INGEST Srl

Cantiere-evento® (Cantiere-Teatro Duni, Cantiere-Prefettura and Strada-evento) is a format by Fondazione Gianfranco Dioguardi / Dioguardi Lab

Artistic direction: Francesco Maggiore
General coordination: Carlo Picerno, Francesca Sisci

Safety engineering: Alessandra Pierucci, Rossella Lovecchio

Collaborators: Gianluigi De Stradis, Giada Vignola

Artists of the Opening Ceremony – Cantiere-evento

Matera Symphony Orchestra – Conductor: Saverio Vizziello
Polyphonic Choir “Pierluigi da Palestrina” of Matera – Conductor: Carmine Antonio Catenazzo
Antonella Albano, Principal Dancer of Teatro alla Scala
Mick Zeni, former Principal Dancer of Teatro alla Scala
Mattia Vlad Morleo, musician
Eva Danino, actress
Eugenio Bennato, singer-songwriter
Grand Orchestra “Città di Grottole” – Conductor: Filippo Carretta
Compagnia del Trifone
Stefano Siggillino

36 dancers from: Oltredanza ASD, Breathing and Danzatori di Ginosa
38 musicians from: Onyx Jazz Club and Conservatorio di Musica E.R. Duni of Matera