For the first time in Italy, the ‘Monumental Tour’ brought the facade of the Palazzo Ducale to life with an exceptional show of electronic music and digital art. On board Costa Toscana a cocktail party with a menu by Bruno Barbieri and a special performance by Malika Ayane.

Genoa, 21 October 2023 – Big celebrations for Costa Cruises’ 75th anniversary in Genoa, the city where the company’s history began in 1948, with the first voyage of ‘Anna C’, the fleet’s first passenger ship.

“We are delighted to have celebrated such an important milestone in our history together with the city of Genoa. In these 75 years, day after day, Costa has taken millions of guests around the world, sharing the happy moments of their holidays. On our anniversary, we experienced equally unique emotions, both on board our flagship Costa Toscana, and ashore, with an exceptional show featuring one of Genoa’s most beautiful monuments. A perfect union of sea and land capable of arousing unforgettable emotions, which is the hallmark of Costa cruises,” – said Costa Cruises President Mario Zanetti.

The most awaited event of the festivities was the Monumental Tour, which Costa brought to Italy for the first time, under the patronage of the City of Genoa and the Liguria Region.

An amazing show, created by French DJ and producer Michael Canitrot, which combined electronic music, cultural heritage and digital art, making the Palazzo Ducale be discovered from a new point of view. The main façade of the palace, on Piazza Matteotti, was spectacularly animated with huge stage sets, created by an incredible combination of light-show and video- mapping. The sets were inspired by Genoa, with its sea and its history, inextricably linked to that of Costa. During the show, thousands of guests in attendance danced to the exciting rhythm of electronic music played by the DJs.

Palazzo Ducale thus became the first artistic monument in Italy to be the protagonist of this show, after the Palais-Royal in Paris, Lisbon City Hall, Laon Cathedral, Chantilly Castle and Mont Saint- Michel.

The Monumental Tour was preceded by a cocktail party on board Costa Toscana, Costa Cruises’ flagship that calls in the port of Genoa every Friday, in collaboration with Vanity Fair Italia. The menu was designed by Bruno Barbieri, while the toast was accompanied by sparkling wines from Ferrari Trento, which created a personalised label for the 75th anniversary of Costa Cruises. To celebrate the event appropriately, guests on board became the protagonists of an exclusive red carpet. One of the most exciting moments of the party on board was Malika Ayane’s special performance for the occasion.

The 75th anniversary celebrations programme will continue next week with two initiatives in favour of the Gaslini Hospital. On Monday 23 October, Angelo Pintus will perform his show at the Politeama Genovese, starting at 9 p.m. The entire proceeds of the evening will be donated to Genoa’s Gaslini Hospital, with Costa doubling the total amount. On Friday 27 October, a group of young patients from the hospital and their families will embark Costa Toscana, for a day of discovery of the Italian company’s flagship, together with Mattia Villardita “SpiderMan”, the man who, disguised as the famous superhero, brings a smile to children in hospital wards throughout Italy.

Finally, Costa will be a brand sponsor of the 40th annual assembly of Anci, (Association of Italian Municipalities), which will be held at the Blue Pavilion of Fiera di Genova from 24 to 26 October. As part of this event, on 25 October Costa will propose a workshop dedicated to “Guardiani della Costa”, the national environmental education and ‘citizen science’ project promoted by the Costa Foundation, aimed in particular at young people.