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For one night, volleyball will leave the sports hall and take over the heart of Naples.
On September 10, Italy will begin its campaign at the 2026 CEV Men’s European Volleyball Championship against Sweden in a setting unlike any other in the tournament.
The world champions will not walk onto a traditional indoor court, but into a temporary arena being built in Piazza del Plebiscito, one of the most recognisable and historic spaces in Italy.
With the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola on one side and the Royal Palace on the other, the setting promises to be as extraordinary as the occasion.
The square is currently being transformed, with temporary stands rising around the court and a huge structure being installed for lighting and technical equipment.
By match night, a volleyball arena capable of welcoming around 6,500 spectators will stand where concerts, celebrations and some of Naples’ most important public events have taken place for generations.
The configuration has been designed to preserve the character of the location rather than hide it. Two main stands, each holding around 2,500 spectators, will run along the long sides of the court, while a further VIP section will be positioned in front of the Royal Palace. The side facing the basilica will remain open, allowing the monument itself to become part of the spectacular television backdrop.
A giant screen will also form part of the installation and can be opened to make room for a stage. The organisers are preparing a show around the match, although the artists involved have not yet been revealed.
Italy and Sweden will meet at 9:05 PM local time on September 10, in what will be the official opening of the Italian leg of EuroVolley and the first match of Pool A.
The European Championship itself, however, will already have begun the previous day, with matches taking place in Bulgaria and Romania. Bulgaria, one of the tournament hosts, will open its campaign against North Macedonia in Sofia on September 9.
For the Italian organisers, however, Naples will provide the ceremonial beginning of their EuroVolley adventure.
And there will be a very special guest watching from the stands.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella is expected to attend the opening match in Piazza del Plebiscito, adding another layer of significance to an already exceptional evening. Mattarella previously welcomed the Italian national team at the Quirinal Palace following their latest world triumph, and his presence in Naples will bring the country’s volleyball success story directly into one of Italy’s most symbolic public spaces.
The occasion is expected to attract a full house.
Demand for Italy-Sweden has been exceptionally high, with the initial allocation selling out before additional tickets were released.
The Italian Volleyball Federation subsequently made another 700 tickets available, while an earlier initiative had offered 1,000 tickets at a reduced price to registered members of the federation.
The one factor that cannot be controlled is the weather.
Piazza del Plebiscito is, after all, an outdoor venue, and an evening of September volleyball under the Neapolitan sky comes with an obvious risk. The organisers have therefore prepared a contingency plan. Should the weather make the match impossible, the game could be transferred to PalaSele in Eboli, the indoor venue identified as the alternative. The unusual choice is partly explained by the lack of a suitable indoor arena in Naples capable of meeting the requirements for an international match of this level.
For now, however, the vision remains firmly focused on the square.
Piazza del Plebiscito covers roughly 25,000 square metres and stretches between the Royal Palace and the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola, close to the historic centre and the seafront. It is one of the places most closely associated with Naples itself — a vast urban stage that has hosted major concerts, celebrations and public gatherings.
On September 10, it will become a volleyball court.
The symbolism is particularly powerful because of the team that will occupy it. Italy arrive in Naples as back-to-back world champions and silver medallists from the previous European Championship. Ferdinando De Giorgi’s side now have their sights firmly set on adding the European crown to their extraordinary recent collection of titles.
Captain Simone Giannelli will once again lead the Azzurri, with De Giorgi and his captain scheduled to appear together at the official pre-match press conference in Naples on September 9.
Yet the spectacular opening will be only the beginning of Italy’s journey.
Piazza del Plebiscito will host just the match against Sweden. After that historic night, Pool A will move north to Modena and the legendary PalaPanini, where Italy will face Greece, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia in their remaining group-stage matches.
The tournament will then continue in Turin, which will host the round of 16 on September 20 and 21 and the quarter-finals on September 23. If Italy manage to navigate their way through the knockout stages, the journey will ultimately lead to Milan, where the semifinals will be played on September 25 before the bronze-medal match and the grand final on September 26.
It is a journey that begins in one of the most beautiful squares in Europe and, Italy hope, ends with another major trophy.
But before Turin, before Milan and before the European title is decided, there is Naples.
Six days before Italy and Sweden meet, the construction site in Piazza del Plebiscito already offers a glimpse of what is coming: a volleyball court rising beneath the open sky, surrounded by thousands of seats and framed by centuries of Italian history.
For one night, the “living room of Naples” will belong to volleyball.
And the European champions could hardly ask for a more spectacular stage on which to begin their title quest.
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