Florence, April 24, 2026. MIDA90, the International Handicrafts Trade Fair, opens tomorrow at 10:00 am at the Fortezza da Basso. It will continue until Sunday, May 3, with 500 exhibitors from all over Italy and around thirty foreign countries, including Afghanistan, China, Egypt, France, Japan, India, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Tunisia, Hungary, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam, across a total exhibition area of over 35,000 square meters.

The opening ceremony, which will take place at the Teatrino Lorenese at 5:00 pm alongside the president of Firenze Fiera, Lorenzo Becattini, will be attended by the mayor of Florence, Sara Funaro, the president of the Tuscany Region, Eugenio Giani, the president of the Florence Chamber of Commerce, Massimo Manetti, Andrea Cavani, representative of the “Case del Made in Italy” of MIMIT in Florence and Tuscany, the president of national CNA, Dario Costantini, the vice president of national Confartigianato, Tommaso Grassi Nesi, and Elisa Guidi, coordinator of Artex and art director of MIDA90.

The inauguration will be enriched by a cultural moment with a short musical performance by Duo Giotom: Giovanni Uscidda (alto saxophone) and Tommaso Bravi (baritone saxophone), two saxophonists from the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole and winners of prestigious national scholarships. They 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 masterfully captured the vivid image of Florentine neighborhoods made of workshops, ancient crafts, and daily labor.

Among the highlighted side events of MIDA90 is “The Exhibition on Display: 90 Years Between History and Future,” set up in the Cavaniglia pavilion and curated by the Historical Archive of the Tuscany Region with the coordination of Artex. It retraces the history of this landmark event through a chronological path that leads the visitor from its origins to the present day. Each section illustrates three decades of the fair, reflecting the evolution of an initiative born in 1931 in Florence that has become an international point of reference for the artisan sector. The spotlight is on an exhibition that, like the archive, is a witness to the past but foreshadows the future; it tells the story and exalts memory while simultaneously glimpsing tomorrow and innovation, keeping its roots firmly planted in tradition.

There are many initiatives on the first day, such as the workshops in the Spadolini pavilion (ground floor) which will reveal various “workshop secrets” to the public. At 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm, it will be possible to witness pottery throwing on the wheel by master ceramicists from the School of Ceramics of Montelupo.

On the food front, there is a collaboration between the Tuscany Region and Unicoop Firenze with the Vetrina Toscana project. Located on the top floor of the Spadolini pavilion, it will offer meetings, cooking shows, appointments with schools, tastings, and guests among local productions and typical dishes. At 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm, tastings of PAT-IGP-DOP products are scheduled, curated by Toscana Promozione Turistica and Unicoop Firenze. At 6:00 pm, it will be the turn of “Assaggi di Mida” (Mida Tastes) with tastings from the Borgo di Vezzano organic farm, an exhibitor at the fair.

Starting from 8:00 pm, the Fortezza will come alive with street food and live music in the Northwest Plaza (Piazzale Nord Ovest). This is an opportunity to extend the fair experience even after the pavilions close (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