From September 25 to 28, 2025, MedFest returns to Sardinia, in the city of Olbia, for its second edition. The festival, dedicated to the uniqueness of countries bordering the Mediterranean, offers four days of free events including exhibitions, concerts, and attractions. Among the highlights will be the Einstein Telescope (ET) project with the scientific exhibition “Einstein Telescope: a look into the deep universe” in the square at Molo Brin. The exhibition path is structured into several thematic areas, ranging from Albert Einstein’s general relativity to gravitational waves and the major scientific opportunities opened by their discovery. The central section focuses on the ET project, with an in-depth look at the Italian candidacy to host the infrastructure and the scientific activities already underway at the proposed site: the area around the formerm Sos Enattos mine, in the municipality of Lula.
After the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony, starting at 8:30 PM on Wednesday, September 25, and running until midnight, the exhibition – the first in Italy dedicated to the research project – will be open with free admission. It will remain accessible to the public on the following days and times: Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27, from 6:00 PM to midnight; Sunday, September 29, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
In addition, on Saturday, September 27, at 5:00 PM, at the Archaeological Museum, a meeting titled “The Italian candidacy for the Einstein Telescope: science, innovation and development in Sardinia” will be held. Here, key figures of the project will illustrate its scientific, technological, and social significance, highlighting the strategic role Sardinia could play in ensuring its success. The event will open with institutional greetings from Alessandra Todde, President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, representatives of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN), the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the Universities of Cagliari and Sassari, and Annamaria Bernini, Minister of Universities and Research (remotely). Speakers will include Eugenio Coccia, Director of the Institut de Física d’Altes Energies; Michele Punturo, international coordinator of the Einstein Telescope scientific collaboration; Massimo Carpinelli, Director of CRS4 and the European Gravitational Observatory; Federica Govoni, Director of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory (INAF); and, remotely, Ettore Sequi, member of the technical-scientific committee for the Italian candidacy. The meeting will be moderated by Mariangela Pira, Sky Tg24 journalist.
The full MedFest program with talks can be found at this link.