Italy hosts Goletta Verde 40th anniversary and Bandiera Blu ceremony in summer 2026

The Legambiente‑run Goletta Verde campaign marked its 40th anniversary with a series of events in Puglia from 3 July to 8 July 2026. Activities in Monopoli, Polignano a Mare and Brindisi featured a meeting on illegal construction, seabed clean‑up by divers, tyre recycling, and discussions on renewable energy and hydro‑geological risk. The celebration included a staff‑relay with the historic Oloferne vessel and a press conference presenting monitoring results.

Meanwhile, on 4 July 2026 the municipality of Capo Rizzuto in Calabria inaugurated the Isola Summer 2026 festival with a Bandiera Blu ceremony, celebrating the town’s fifth consecutive Blue Flag award. The event was attended by local officials and featured a concert by clarinet master Paolo Beltramini as part of the Magna Graecia Festival.

Both events highlighted regional environmental initiatives and cultural programming in Italy’s southern coasts during the early summer of 2026.