The 18th Mediterranean Games kicked off at the Nou Estadi  in Tarragona on the eve of the Olympic day, 22 June. The Opening Ceremony has gathered more than 9.000 people, including 800 volunteers, 2,500 athletes and more than 200 journalists.

His Majesty Felipe VI together with President of the Spanish Government Pedro Sánchez, President of Generalitat de Catalunya Quim Torra, President of the International Committee of the Mediterranea Games Amar Addadi, Mayor of Tarragona Josep Fèlix Ballesteros, as well as President of the Spanish Olympic Committee Alejandro Blanco also took part to the ceremony.

EOC delegation led by President Janez Kocijančič, Vice President Niels Nygaard, Treasurer Kikis Lazarides and Secretary General Raffaele Pagnozzi also attended.

The show had as a main thread the mixture of cultures embodied by the Mediterranean sea and the cultural, historical past of Tarragona which, by means of stones and water, has recalled the Roman Tarraco.

The 26 delegations from 3 continents – Europe, Africa, and Asia – have paraded along the Nou Estadi together with dancers holding a water basin, which later on has been poured onto a big fountain with the shape of hands, a symbol of the union among the people living along the Mediterranean, a sea between different lands.

So far, Europe is going very well, having Italy on the top of the medal ranking (69 medals in total), followed by Spain (54 medals), France (40 medals) and Turkey (38 medals).

The 10 days of competitions will culminate on 1 July, when the Closing ceremony will take place at the Nou Estadi.