L’Aquila opens its year as Italian Capital of Culture 2026 as the start of a great journey: with a determined step, an eye toward the future and the knowledge that it carries with it a history of resilience, identity and rebirth.
On Saturday, Jan. 17, President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella will be in town to officially inaugurate this symbolic and cultural journey, taking part in the morning institutional ceremony at theGuardia di Finanza Auditorium in Coppito.
The artistic direction of Maestro Leonardo De Amicis will punctuate the speeches and musical moments, with the participation of Giorgio Pasotti, Simone Cristicchi, Viola Graziosi, Amara, Simona Molinari and Gianluca Ginoble (Il Volo), who will bring voices, sounds and storytelling within a civil rite of opening that speaks to the country as well as the city. Institutional speeches include those of the Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli, Mayor Pierluigi Biondi and the President of the Abruzzo Region, Marco Marsilio.
From the afternoon, the baton passes to the urban space: from 4 to 10 p.m. the historic center becomes an open-air stage, orchestrated by Marco Boarino‘s direction. The program is divided into four separate acts-each with its own title, time and place-that make up a single tale of light:
“Under One Sky” – Drone show.
5:30 p.m. | Bright Fountain (Alpine Battalion Square)
An aerial show inaugurates the evening sequence, drawing figures and symbols of the territory and its motto, “One Territory, One Thousand Capitals,” in the sky. It is the starting signal that calls citizens and visitors together.
“The Journey of Light” – Parade with DUNDU
Immediately after the drone show | From Luminous Fountain along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II
The large luminous figure DUNDU leads a collective walk, transforming the course into a river of people, sounds and choreography flowing toward Piazza Duomo: a true itinerary of participation in the heart of the city.
“The Celestial City” – Street performance
Approx. 6:15 p.m. | Cathedral Square
Here the story enters its scenic framework: performance, music and images weave together L’Aquila’s history and future, evoking its vocation as a high, spiritual, contemporary city.
“Beacon 99” – Turning on the installation.
To follow | Visible from multiple points in downtown
The lighting of Lighthouse 99 is the signature light of the day: a signal that stays and orients, like a nautical beacon for night travelers. It will close the itinerary with a repeat of the drone show at 8:30 p.m. at the Luminous Fountain.
In this design, the journey is not just a metaphor: it is the very form of the event, a four-step journey that starts in the sky, crosses the streets, focuses in the square, and finally leaves a light on to witness the beginning of the year. A tale that brings together the institutional step of the morning with the popular participation of the afternoon and evening under one sky.
The tribute along the A24: a sign that is already a tale
Every journey has a signpost that points the way to a destination.
This is why Strada dei Parchi wanted to dedicate a large tourist sign to L’Aquila along the A24 between the L ‘ Aquila Ovest and L’Aquila Est exits, visible in both directions: a tribute to the city’s symbols and an invitation to explore an area that in 2026 will be the focus of more than 300 events. Protagonists of the panel are MuNDA’s Mammoth, recently returned to its historic home in the Spanish Fort, and the facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, which has shone like a beacon in the collective memory for more than 700 years.
How to participate in the opening day
Those who would like to take part in the start of this walk can reach the historic center in the afternoon, using the A24 highway exits L’Aquila Ovest (for those coming from Rome/A1) or L’Aquila Est (for those coming from Teramo/A14) and following the signs to the center.
For those who prefer to follow from home, the morning’s institutional ceremony will be broadcast live on Rai3 from 10:45 a.m. and hosted by Francesca Fagnani and Paride Vitale, as well as on the L’Aquila City Council’s social channels.
A year to go through together
L’Aquila 2026 will be a 12-month journey of major exhibitions, symbolic reopenings, and initiatives that will reshape the relationship between city, culture, territory, and community.
A path that Strada dei Parchi proudly accompanies, knowing that every road, every tunnel, every viaduct is the bridge that unites stories worth telling.
And this journey, today, really begins.
