Following the successful launch of the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue initiative in Alexandria and Tirana in 2025, Matera (Italy) and Tétouan (Morocco) have been designated as the Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue for 2026.

The first official meeting between the Moroccan city and Matera, designated Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue 2026 as part of the initiative promoted by the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation, took place on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 December in Tétouan.

Matera (Italy) and Tetouan (Morocco) have been named the 2026 Mediterranean Capitals of Culture and Dialogue, a yearlong distinction that celebrates the cities’ rich cultural heritage and shared Mediterranean vision, by the Union for the Mediterranean and the Anna Lindh Foundation.