Florence, April 22, 2026. This morning, at the Teatrino Lorenese of the Fortezza da Basso, MIDA90 was presented: the 90th edition of the International Handicrafts Trade Fair. Organized by Firenze Fiera in collaboration with major institutions and trade associations, it will open its doors on Saturday, April 25, and continue until Sunday, May 3.

The presentation was attended by the president of Firenze Fiera, Lorenzo Becattini, alongside Andrea Cavani, representative of the Case del Made in Italy of Florence for MIMIT with expertise on Tuscany, the Mayor of Florence, Sara Funaro, the President of the Tuscany Region, Eugenio Giani, Massimo Manetti, president of the Florence Chamber of Commerce, Serena Vavolo, president of Confartigianato Imprese Firenze, Francesco Amerighi, president of CNA Firenze Metropolitana, and Elisa Guidi, coordinator of Artex and art director of MIDA90.

The exhibition qualifies as the longest-running in Italy and among the oldest in Europe, gathering every year the best of Italian and international craftsmanship under the banner of tradition, innovation, sustainability, ethics, and inclusion: from clothing and accessories to goldsmithing, jewelry, and costume jewelry, from design to furnishing accessories and giftware, from beauty and wellness to artistic and international craftsmanship.

An event that, since way back in 1931, has represented and carried high the banner of a sector—craftsmanship—which despite a difficult economic climate sees 1.25 million businesses operating in Italy (a figure equal to just under a quarter of the entire Italian production system) for over 2.6 million employees.

MIDA is the first certified International Handicrafts Fair in Italy, an exhibition that is increasingly attractive and has a strong international vocation, drawing thousands of visitors (65,000 in 2025) every year among professionals, enthusiasts, beauty seekers, designers, young makers, journalists, influencers, and bloggers, offering the public the experience of a multisensory journey around the world in direct contact with different and distant cultures, styles, materials, expressive techniques, creative idioms, and flavors.

The inaugural ceremony (by invitation) will take place on Saturday, April 25, at 5:00 PM at the Teatrino Lorenese and will be enriched by a cultural moment with a brief musical performance by the Duo Giotom: Giovanni Uscidda (alto saxophone) and Tommaso Bravi (baritone saxophone), two saxophonists who won prestigious national scholarships from the Fiesole School of Music, who will accompany the narrating voice of Professor Ugo De Vita, a well-known actor and theater director who will recite excerpts from the literature of Vasco Pratolini, a writer who knew how to deliver a vivid image of Florence’s neighborhoods made of workshops, ancient trades, and daily work.

The fair has been officially included this year in the Calendar of events recognized by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy to celebrate the National Made in Italy Day (April 15) and will also host the Case del Made in Italy of MIMIT, recognitions of great institutional value that highlight the central and strategic role of the historic Florentine exhibition in promoting and valuing the production quality and the ‘know-how’ of Made in Italy in the world.

The Case del Made in Italy will be present at the fair with a stand on the ground floor of the Spadolini pavilion, inside which orientation, qualified listening, and institutional coordination activities will be carried out with a focus on policies and tools of the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy for the valorization, innovation, and development of production chains.

Among the institutional representatives, the Ministry of Education and Merit makes its entrance at MIDA90 with an exhibition space on the top floor of the Spadolini pavilion dedicated to the “MADE IN MIM” project for the valorization of food and wine products made by Italian agricultural and hotel management institutes, which will be marked by a special quality brand. The project aims to promote educational excellence, research, and the quality of Made in Italy, as well as supporting the training chain and students’ work.

There will be approximately 500 exhibitors, about thirty foreign countries (including Afghanistan, China, Egypt, France, Japan, India, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Tunisia, Hungary, Uzbekistan, Vietnam), over a total exhibition area of more than 35,000 square meters.

Alongside the strong representation of foreign countries, which this year also showcases new collectives from Egypt, South Africa, and India, MIDA90 also strengthens its international relations thanks to the twinning of the City of Florence with some important foreign cities with which collaboration and cultural exchange projects have been launched in the name of valuing artisanal skills, such as Riga (capital of Latvia), the Chinese city of Ningbo (starting point of the Maritime Silk Road and renowned for its high artistic craftsmanship like Yue Klin porcelain), and Krakow, which will bring to the fair the traditional nativity scenes (szopki) recognized since 2018 as UNESCO Intangible Heritage, characterized by architectural structures that blend historical churches and monuments of the city with towers, spires, and brilliant decorations, handmade with wood, cardboard, and colored foil, in fairy-tale atmospheres.

Among the many initiatives put in place to celebrate the 90th anniversary, some important training events should be scheduled at the Teatrino Lorenese, which will bring together experts, artisans, designers, and institutional representatives on an international scale to reflect on the challenges of contemporary craftsmanship, also in light of generational turnover and the formation of new skills.

Monday, April 27 (from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM), the meeting “Education and training, skills for the artistic craft sector. A challenge for the future of Made in Italy” kicks off, in the presence of the Undersecretary to the Ministry of Education and Merit, Paola Frassinetti, testifying to the Government’s attention towards young talents, the transmission of artisanal knowledge, and how to bridge the gap between training and businesses. The event is organized by Firenze Fiera in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Merit and the Tuscany Regional School Office, with the support of Artex – Center for Artistic and Traditional Handicrafts of Tuscany.

(By invitation, after registration at the link: https://www.eventbrite.it/e/biglietti-istruzione-formazione-competenze-per-settore-artigianato-artistico-1986906921087?aff=oddtdtcreator )

In the afternoon at 4:00 PM, the Teatrino Lorenese will host the event “Afghanistan 2003-2026”, organized by the Social Geography Laboratory of the University of Florence and Studio Azzurro, in collaboration with Firenze Fiera. A unique opportunity for a visual and sound encounter with the fascinating but extremely complex Afghan reality through materials collected in the field by the Social Geography Laboratory of the Florentine University with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, a multi-voiced meeting that stimulates new reflections on the future of the country.

Wednesday, April 29 (from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM) will be the turn of the event “EU CIGI CAPITALS TOUR – The national and European system for the protection of Geographical Indications for artisanal and industrial products”, organized by the Tuscany Region in collaboration with MIMIT, DG GRow, and EUIPO, and curated by Artex. The initiative is part of the CIGI Capitals Tour promoted by the European Union and aims to present and explore the new European protection system for Geographical Indications for artisanal and industrial products, which entered into force in December 2025. The meeting will be dedicated in particular to the functioning of the new intellectual property protection regime, the role of the Regions, and the opportunities for businesses and trade associations. In Tuscany, 58 potential products have already been identified as candidates for Geographical Indication, demonstrating the relevance of the topic for the artisan sector and the territories.

(By invitation, after registration: https://www.eventbrite.it/e/biglietti-convegno-eu-cigi-capitals-tour-1986908152771?aff=oddtdtcreator )

The Teatrino Lorenese will also welcome on Thursday, April 30 (from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM) the European Crafts Alliance Annual Conference 2026, organized by the European Crafts Alliance in collaboration with Firenze Fiera and Artex, which will also be broadcast via online streaming. The international meeting, titled “Crafting Wellbeing: Practices, Communities and the Power of Making”, will bring together professionals, institutions, and organizations in the sector to reflect on the role of craftsmanship in individual and collective well-being. At the center of the debate is the contribution of artisanal practices in strengthening social connections, resilience, and quality of life, starting from the results of a new European research project dedicated to the relationship between craftsmanship and health.

(By invitation after registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfLyomxPxst206ESMjfLu7peD8CDzANqrcXGvIjhIappSVHTQ/viewform )

Among the side events, highlighted is “The Exhibition on Display: 90 years between history and future”, set up in the Cavaniglia pavilion, curated by the Historical Archive of the Tuscany Region with the coordination of Artex, which traces the history of the event through a chronological path that accompanies the visitor from its origins to today. Each section illustrates three decades of the Exhibition, restoring the evolution of an initiative born in 1931 in Florence that has become an international point of reference for the artisan sector over time.

The exhibition stages allow for a dynamic reading of the fair’s history, highlighting the changes that spanned the twentieth century and the first decades of the 2000s. Vintage photographs, films, posters, and original documents, dating back to the 1930s, restore the atmosphere of the first editions, accompanying the visitor in the evolution of craftsmanship, from local productions to international openings, up to the most recent forms of innovation.

The spotlight is on an Exhibition that, like the archive, is a witness to the past but prefigures the future, tells the story and exalts memory but, at the same time, glimpses tomorrow and innovation while keeping roots firmly planted in tradition and origins.

In the exhibition path of the Cavaniglia pavilion, one can also admire ceramic masterpieces made by the Montelupo School of Ceramics, in a space curated by the Montelupo Ceramics Foundation.

Also at the Cavaniglia Pavilion, the Toscana Artigiana project will be present, curated by Toscana Promozione Turistica: a space in which to discover the artistic and traditional craftsmanship itineraries across the regional territory for a new way of seeing and visiting the region. To complete the pavilion’s offering, there will be the Craft Talks, in-depth meetings on themes, projects, and initiatives in the world of craftsmanship.

As in previous editions, Cna Firenze Metropolitana fields over 100 businesses with live demonstrations exhibiting at the Ghiaie pavilion in the Artefacendo collective, while on the ground floor of the Spadolini pavilion, artisans from the fashion, artistic craftsmanship, and furnishing accessories sectors will be present, and on the top floor, those from the taste sector. Also bearing the signature of Cna Firenze Metropolitana, Fragmenta, Materia e identità is the exhibition of contemporary goldsmith art set up in the Monumentale, in the Arco corridor.

Pezzi unici (Unique Pieces) is the title of the collective by Confartigianato Firenze, which at the Palazzina Lorenese tells the excellence of contemporary craftsmanship. From glass art to bags, from artistically forged fireplaces to fabric creations, all the way to artisanal furniture and furnishings. Every sector becomes a language, every object becomes a story. The collective brings together artisan-artists united by the ability to transform matter into emotion.

Many and precious are the proposals of LAO – Le Arti Orafe—the most important school in Italy dedicated to the training of new generations of goldsmiths and spokesperson for the culture of contemporary jewelry—which will be a protagonist at the Sala della Volta with an area entirely dedicated to contemporary goldsmith creation featuring an exhibition of works created by students. The calendar includes live demonstrations with the participation of teachers and artisans. Space is also given to young talents with the presentation of the artists selected for the Preziosa Young 2026 competition, a point of reference for the new generation of the jewelry sector.

A prestigious presence at MIDA90 is the entire Arsenale pavilion dedicated to the Restoration sector, a point of excellence in Florentine craftsmanship, where we will host the 10th edition of the Art and Restoration Salon from Monday, April 27 to Thursday, April 30, which will see the participation of the MIC (Ministry of Italian Culture) and all those national and international entities related to the world of cultural heritage, with events and workshops, thanks to the “Florence, city of Restoration” project promoted by the Florence Chamber of Commerce and operatively developed by PromoFirenze, with the contribution of the working group composed of CNA Firenze, Confartigianato Firenze, Confindustria Toscana Centro e Costa, LegaCoop Toscana, and ANCE Firenze.

Florence: Experience beauty, share respect is the title of the project involving the City of Florence, Fondazione MUS.E, and Fondazione Destination Florence, which will be presented at the Sala dell’Arco, where tourists will find all the useful information for visiting the fair, the underground areas of the Fortezza, and the services provided by the City of Florence for a sustainable visit to the city with #EnjoyRespectFirenze and for discovering the Civic Museums with the Card del Fiorentino.

To mark the close link between the exhibition and the city, the I-DOME will find space in the central square of the Fortezza. The Dome becomes an experience—a faithful reproduction of Brunelleschi’s Dome, a universal symbol of Florence and its Renaissance genius, designed by Alessandro Moradei with Elena Mari, from an idea by Alessandro Grassi, for Expo2015.

Inside the installation, it will be possible to undertake an emotional journey into the world of Tuscan craftsmanship. The installation, granted by the Florence Chamber of Commerce and PromoFirenze with the contribution of Firenze Fiera, will present videos produced by Fondazione Sistema Toscana for the Regional Council of Tuscany. The setup is by Machina.

Among the many attractions of this 90th edition, the rich program of Experiential Workshops organized by Artex, Cna Firenze, City of Florence and Fondazione MUS.E, Confartigianato Firenze, Fondazione Destination Florence, LAO, Tuscany Region, Toscana Promozione Turistica, UNICOOP Firenze in collaboration with Firenze Fiera is not to be missed. It will be possible to participate in the events for free upon reservation (info and program: https://www.mostrartigianato.it/officine-esperienziali).

After the success of previous editions, the Workshops with master artisans return to the ground floor of the Spadolini pavilion: a rich and articulated program of activities to experience the ‘art of know-how’ and immerse oneself in the beauty of craftsmanship, rediscovering the charm of manual skill and creativity: from embroidery to papier-mâché, from wood carving to leather processing, from ceramics to pastry-making.

For art lovers, the guided tours to the underground areas and the most suggestive and secret spaces of the Medicean fortress represent a unique and unrepeatable experience, also for a full immersion in the Renaissance environments that belonged to the first duke and lord of Florence, Alessandro de’ Medici.

On the food front, the spotlight is on the top floor of the Spadolini pavilion for “Insieme c’è più gusto: la Toscana dei prodotti agroalimentari” (Together there is more taste: the Tuscany of agri-food products), the initiative led by Tuscany Region, Toscana Promozione Turistica, and Unicoop Firenze, to promote regional agri-food products: from PAT to DOP and IGP. An authentic Vetrina Toscana for an experiential journey among widespread excellences, with the involvement of chefs, producers, operators, and experts. There are many initiatives aimed at both schools and the general public, with exhibitions, show cooking, tastings, and in-depth moments.

To enrich the gastronomic offer, MIDA90 stages the “Corte dei sapori” (Court of Flavors) at the Piazzale Nord Ovest, a lively and stimulating area entirely dedicated to ‘street food’ curated by Cna, Confartigianato, Confcommercio, and Confesercenti, which from April 25 to May 2 (from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM) will transform into an open-air stage dedicated to music and evening entertainment. Every evening, a different artistic proposal will animate the Fortezza with performances that blend live instruments and DJ sets, ranging between genres and atmospheres: from electronic music to pop, from soul to international sounds. An opportunity to extend the fair experience even after closing time, between live music and street food. (info: www.mostrartigianato.it/programma/categorie/spettacoli-e-dj-set ).

INFO: Opening hours: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Street food and live music: free entry 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM*

*May 3rd closing at 8:00 PM