The biggest Italian event of 2019 has taken place with the Opening Ceremony of the 30th Summer Universiade at the San Paolo Stadium in Naples thanks to the team that has produced many unforgettable Olympic Ceremonies.
Conceived and produced by Balich Worldwide Shows, with more than 800 performer and great talents, the Ceremony has celebrated 5000 university athletes from 119 countries around the world.
Marco Balich was the Creative Director and Lida Castelli, former Artistic Director of the Americas Cup World Series Ceremony in 2013 in Naples, is the first woman in the world to have directed a Paralympic Ceremony: Lida in fact has directed the Closing Ceremony of Sochi 2014. Today she is in charge of the Direction and Artistic Direction of the Opening Ceremony of Naples 2019.
A hyper technological postcard projected into the future thanks to led lights and projections. Inspired by the natural shape of the Gulf, we identified the "U" of the Universiade logo as an embrace aimed at welcoming athletes to the center of the stadium. The Gulf and the Vesuvius, water and fire, represented the main elements of the scenic staging.
Representative element of the creative concept recreating the Gulf of Naples in the stadium reproduced the concept of an open city, welcoming those arriving from the sea, with a spirit of exchange and acceptance, to convey a message of peace and dialogue between populations. Therefore, a part dedicated to peace has also been introduced into the Universiade Opening Ceremony, as has always been done in every Olympic Ceremony. For the parade, the athletes entered the Stadium led by the placard bearers with the names of the nations represented. 40 migrants were also protagonists among the people entrusted with the role of placard bearers.
On stage, great talents of Italian sport, culture and music celebrated Naples and Campania in a live show that involved Malika Ayane and Bebe Vio for the tribute segment to Italy and Iaia Forte to celebrate the Neapolitan culture.
Italian singers Livio Cori, Carmen Pierri, Andrea d’Alessio and Anastasio, were the protagonists at the San Paolo with their musical performances until the grand finale of Andrea Bocelli accompanied also by his son Matteo Bocelli.
The cauldron was lit in the final by the amazing shooting of a fiery ball by the football player of Napoli and National team Lorenzo Insigne and the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella has declared the 30th Universiade open. Viva Napoli 2019!
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