In a highly symbolic gesture, the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (ICMG) officially launched the countdown to the Portimão-Lagoa 2027 Mediterranean Beach Games, one year before the start of the event.

During a special ceremony held at the historic Santa Catarina Fortress in Portimão to mark one year until the Opening Ceremony, ICMG President Francesco Purromuto and ICMG Secretary General Iakovos Filippousis presented the first official invitations for the major sporting event of 2027.

The invitations were received by Fernando Gomes, President of the Portuguese Olympic Committee and President of the Organising Committee of the Games, Pedro Farromba, Executive Director of the Portimão-Lagoa 2027 Organising Committee, the Mayors of Portimão and Lagoa, Álvaro Bila and Luís Encarnação respectively, and Diana Gomes, Secretary General of the Portuguese Olympic Committee, thus officially marking the beginning of the final journey towards the Games.

The presentation of the invitations represented an important milestone for the event, as the Portimão-Lagoa 2027 Mediterranean Beach Games will be the first event of the Mediterranean Games family ever to be hosted in Portugal, the newest member of the ICMG.

Traditionally, the official invitation to the Mediterranean Games is addressed to all National Olympic Committees that are members of the ICMG, the International Olympic Committee and its members in the Mediterranean countries, the International Sports Federations included in the official programme of the Games, as well as prominent personalities from the Olympic and Mediterranean sports family.

With the countdown now underway, Portimão and Lagoa enter the final phase of preparations, looking ahead to 2027 and an event that will unite young people and sporting communities across the Mediterranean through sport.

The 4th Mediterranean Beach Games will take place in Portimão and Lagoa from 18 to 25 September 2027, bringing together 26 National Olympic Committees and 1,000 athletes competing in 13 sports.