Io sono Benvenuto

On the occasion of World Refugee Day, Saturday 20 June 2026, the Galata Museo del Mare will once again host “Io sono Benvenuto”, a special evening dedicated to encounter, listening, and participation.

For the second consecutive year, the Galata Museo del Mare renews its partnership with the Museo Egizio for an event celebrating the values of hospitality, intercultural dialogue, and active citizenship through art, culture, and shared experiences.

The 2026 edition is dedicated to the theme of the journey: a universal experience that connects people, stories, and cultures through departures, arrivals, encounters, and transformations. It is a common thread that finds a natural home at the Galata Museo del Mare and the Museo Nazionale dell’Emigrazione Italiana (MEI), places devoted to reflecting on and telling stories of migration and human movement.

Starting at 7:00 PM, the museum will be transformed into a vibrant, multi-venue stage where music, storytelling, theatrical performances, workshops, talks, and moments of dialogue will guide visitors through an engaging journey of discovery, participation, and exchange.

In return for free admission, visitors will be invited to write or draw a message of welcome to add to the Welcome Wall, a large installation at the museum entrance that will gradually become a collective artwork symbolizing openness, hospitality, and community participation.

Among the evening’s highlights will be the Living Library, promoted by the Migrants Network of Celivo – Volunteer Service Centre for the Metropolitan City of Genoa (ODV) and the social promotion association Semi Foresti, funded through the Waldensian Church’s Eight per Thousand programme. Visitors will also be able to explore a photographic exhibition dedicated to Humanitarian Corridors, curated by the Community of Sant’Egidio.

View the full programme here.

The event is organised by the Galata Museo del Mare and the Museo Nazionale dell’Emigrazione Italiana (MEI), with the support of the Fondazione Promotori Musei del Mare and the sponsorship of Basko.

Visitor Information

Free admission from 7:00 PM.

Please note that photographs and video recordings will be taken during the event and may be used by the organisers for communication, promotional, educational, and documentation purposes. By entering the event, visitors consent to the use of their image in connection with the documentation and promotion of the initiative.