14/10/2026
Dear Tangolanders,
After six intense days—filled with powerful emotions, hugs, smiles, discoveries, afternoons of study, and hours upon hours of dancing—the time has come to thank everyone. You know we are somewhat reserved; we don’t care for the limelight or self-congratulation. Yet, now that the adrenaline is fading and the fatigue is setting in, one certainty remains: we are happy! We are happy and grateful to all of you who took part in this edition of TangoLand Fest—who danced ceaselessly, from daylight through the dead of night and right up until the following morning. Thank you for sharing your tango with us, and thank you for applauding the performances given by those who danced for us all, creating unforgettable moments.
A heartfelt thank you, then, to the entire cast of artists who brought this festival to life like never before. Thank you for their presence and performances: Giselle Anne and Demetrio Scafaria, Agustina Piaggio and Carlitos Espinoza, Lorena Tarantino and Gianpiero Galdi, and Ayelen Urrutya and Martin Vicente. Thanks also to the guest couples who energized the pre-parties, afternoon sessions, and after-parties: Ludovica Marigliano and Emile Guion, Cecilia Acosta and Levan Gomelauri, Nana Urigaeva and Maxime Guion, Tamaki Casellato and Francesco Paglionico, Salomé Fromonteil and Duddie David Mancini, Nadide Ece Somer and Marco Nodari, and Jil Winter and eighteen-year-old Mateo Grahl. Another thank you goes to those who manned the DJ booth, treating us to tandas selected with care and expertise from the first milonga to the last: Levan Gomelauri, Gabriella Gaga Gurrera, Carlitos Espinoza, Juliana Thutlwa, Gianluca Zeccardo, Massimo Maugeri, Elisabetta Iorio, Nana Urigaeva, Asya Moiseeva, and Fatih Kacmaz.
A special thank you goes to everyone who accompanied us throughout this journey, to the energy and charm of our Master of Ceremonies Nadide Ece Somer, and to those who brought special moments to life: the Athenian trio Rebelatres (Eva Dimitriou, Vasilis Karnezis, and Petros Danopoulos), who treated us to an hour of rebetiko at our welcome dinner, and the Orchestrina da Barba Siciliana, who delighted us during the flash mob in Largo XVII Agosto. Finally, we are grateful to those who made the incredible “Tanda dal Principe” possible within the magnificent Baroque setting of Palazzo Biscari: thanks to Ruggero Moncada; to Maestro Ninni Spina, who once again played the piano to pay tribute to Vincenzo Bellini; to soprano Anna Ryan for her wonderful high notes—"booked" at the last minute to replace her colleague Marianna Cappellani (thanks to her, too) who was sidelined by the flu; to Lusymay Di Stefano for her dance and intense performance, and her choreographer Sebastiano Sicilia; and to brothers Emile and Maxime Guion for the live *tanda* we danced in that magnificent ballroom.
And finally, a huge thank you to everyone who worked to give TLF26 its shape and substance: to the entire team—from Gabriella Gurrera, whose brilliant creativity guided us throughout the year, to Gianluca Reale, who managed communications; from Donatella De Palma—our copywriter and the creator of the excellent Turkish baklava enjoyed at the after-party—to Manuela Fisichella, whose photos you are getting a sneak peek of here and will be able to admire fully in the coming days; from Ludovica Marigliano, who led the support staff, to artistic consultant Mané Manukyan—the creative mind behind the idea of having Lorena and Gianpiero dance to an opera piece sung by the Catania-born tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano; and finally, to Giulio Cantali for handling the IT side of things. Lastly, a warm embrace and another big thank you to the entire staff: Giulia Impellizzeri, Alberto Rao, Dinesh Umagiliyage, Anna Giordano, Mattia Mancini, Željka Salinger, Bruno Luis Cecatto, Anton Johann Zierer, Angel Gauthier, Alessandra De Caro, Andrea Borghi, Aldo Scoppa, and Alessandro Celona. The desk team—Benedetta Aidala, Federica Privitera, Laura Guarnaccia, and Nicolò Saia—were indispensable, as were the ever-present Fabio Conte, Mirko Di Stefano (video), Daniela Marzullo (relaxation area), and sales team members Marina Chumak and Sumeira Yanikdag. A final thank you goes to the Municipality of Catania and its Tourism Office; to the Sicilian Region, which “lent” us the boat model that serves as the symbol of this edition; and to Tomarchio, our kind sponsor, whose delightful Sicilian artisanal sweets — mini-cakes and small nougat bars — gave everyone a tasty boost of energy on the track.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone! ❤️
Ciccio & Enzo
