Marios Georgiou and Marina Hadjicosta carried the Cypriot flag at the closing ceremony of the 20th Mediterranean Games "Taranto 2026", held on Thursday evening at Stadio Erasmo Iacovone.
The two athletes participated in the traditional flag-bearers' ceremony on the field of play, where Greece entered first in a symbolic tribute, represented by Evangelia Anastasiadou and Petros Gkaidatzis, before the flag-bearers of the remaining nations followed.
Cyprus' best-ever Mediterranean games performance
The Cypriot delegation completed its most successful Mediterranean Games campaign to date.
Competing with 145 athletes across 24 sports, Cyprus won a total of 18 medals, comprising:
- 7 gold
- 6 silver
- 5 bronze
The tally represents the country's highest-ever medal haul at the Games and secured 11th place in the medal standings among the 26 participating nations.
From Taranto 2026 to Pristina 2030
A key ceremonial moment of the evening was the handover of the Mediterranean Games flag to the next host city.
Among those attending the official proceedings were senior representatives of the Mediterranean sporting movement, including ICMG Treasurer and Cyprus Olympic Committee Secretary-General Yiotis Ioannides.
Following the conclusion of the Games in Taranto, the flag was handed to the President of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) and subsequently to the Mayor of Pristina, with Kosovo set to host the next edition of the Games in 2030.
The ceremony formally marked the transition from "Taranto 26" to "Pristina 30".
"Mediterraneo in Festa"
The closing ceremony, titled "Mediterraneo in Festa", was conceived as a celebration of sport, music and culture, strongly influenced by the heritage of Taranto and the wider Apulia region.
Athletes from all 26 participating countries watched the ceremony from the stands of the Iacovone Stadium alongside spectators, while only the national flag-bearers entered the field as part of the official protocol.
The cultural programme showcased the local artistic identity of the region through performances by artists and groups from Apulia, including:
- Terraròss
- Rossella Brescia
- Karima
- Attitude
- Moses Concas
A prominent role was also played by the Orchestra della Magna Grecia, whose identity references the ancient Greek colonies of southern Italy. Taranto, as one of the most important cities of Magna Graecia, maintains a strong connection to this historic Greek cultural legacy.
Rockin'1000 take centre stage
The musical highlight of the evening came from Rockin'1000, whose large-scale production transformed the entire stadium into a giant live music venue.
Musicians were spread across the field, with drums, electric guitars, bass guitars and keyboards occupying different sections of the pitch, creating the impression that the whole stadium had become a single musical stage.
Rockin'1000 performed alongside the Orchestra della Magna Grecia during parts of the programme.
Among the standout performances was "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes, a song that has become synonymous with sporting events around the world through its instantly recognisable rhythm.
The programme also featured:
- "Hey Jude" by The Beatles
- "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis
The image of hundreds of musicians performing simultaneously across different parts of the stadium served as the central message of the production: different voices and instruments working together to create a common sound.
A celebration of italian music
The ceremony also featured Serena Autieri, accompanied by the Orchestra della Magna Grecia, performing "Meraviglioso" by Domenico Modugno, paying tribute to Italian musical tradition and the cultural identity of Apulia.
She was followed by Mille, who performed "Up Patriots to Arms" by Franco Battiato, before Rockin'1000 returned for the evening's grand finale.
The closing ceremony marked the final gathering of the 26 national delegations in Taranto, before they meet again in Pristina, Kosovo, in 2030.
