The Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation designated Matera and Tétouan as the 2026 Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue in November 2024, selecting the Italian city seven years after it held the European Capital of Culture title. Matera’s Terre Immerse programme frames the Mediterranean as a mosaic of inland and coastal territories linked by shared stratifications of history and culture rather than solely a maritime space. The initiative includes artistic residencies involving creators from all 43 Union for the Mediterranean member states to produce collaborative works that engage communities and address regional challenges.
Matera inaugurated the year on March 20 with a ceremony at the Duni Theater that converted a construction site into a stage for music, dance and institutional addresses underscoring culture’s potential to build peace amid tensions. UfM Deputy Secretary General for Human Development Petra Kežman told the gathering that culture serves as a driver of stability and development while highlighting the paired roles of Matera and Tétouan. European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Suica and other officials joined in stressing cross-border partnerships.
The Fondazione Matera Basilicata 2019 has structured the calendar around four thematic immersions covering time, space, society and connections between territories. Artistic residencies form the transversal element, enabling directors, musicians and artisans from across the Euro-Mediterranean to live and work in the city, creating pieces that enter the local heritage collection. Joint projects with Tétouan encompass exhibitions, museum collaborations and the Suoni Mediterranei musical dialogue that pairs ensembles from both cities.
Matera previously leveraged its 2019 European Capital of Culture status to advance urban regeneration, including restoration of the Sassi cave dwellings recognised by UNESCO in 1993, according to the foundation’s records. The current programme extends that approach through workshops on sustainable techniques such as dry-stone walling and rainwater harvesting that reflect traditional Mediterranean practices. Organisers aim to translate cultural activity into long-term social cohesion and economic benefits for inland areas often isolated from coastal dynamics.
As the year progressed into October, Matera hosted a weekend of exhibitions, theatre and concerts that previewed larger events, the local cultural authority noted. Rai Radio3’s Materadio festival is set to run from October 30 to November 1, transforming piazzas and historic venues into venues for debates on geopolitics, women’s rights and Mediterranean futures alongside performances by Carmen Consoli and Les Amazones d’Afrique. The programming aligns with the title’s emphasis on dialogue by addressing violence against women and regional instability through artistic expression.
The Anna Lindh Foundation has described the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue as platforms that promote mutual respect among the region’s peoples at a time of heightened divisions. With activities continuing through November 28, the combined Matera-Tétouan effort seeks to establish precedents for future holders by embedding cooperation into cultural planning. Union for the Mediterranean officials have pointed to the title as evidence that culture can function as a parallel geopolitics of connection rather than confrontation.
