The Artistic Direction of the Opening Ceremony was entrusted to Walter Rolfo and Masters of Magic
Torino, 13 January – The largest sporting event of 2025 took place last night at the Inalpi Arena in Torino: 2,500 athletes, 56 nations, 500 medals, one historic beginning: 13 January 2025 at 19:30 in Torino!
The opening ceremony of the Torino 2025 FISU World University Games Winter was literally mind-blowing: an extraordinary programme blending sport, art and culture, celebrating unity and brotherhood among nations through the universal language of sport and solidarity.
This event, marking the start of a week of competitions, was also an opportunity for reflection, with performances exploring contemporary themes through art and music.
The artistic direction of the Opening and Closing Ceremony of the event was assigned to Walter Rolfo in collaboration with Masters of Magic, a company he founded in 2008. Masters of Magic has produced over 1,800 shows and counts more than 1,350 artists in its international network, representing a worldwide reference point for live and TV events related to illusionism, thanks to an innovative show philosophy that has revolutionised millennia of magical art.
Walter Rolfo, in addition to being Artistic Director, was also Master of Ceremonies for the event, while Alessandro Marrazzo supervised the direction and show design. Luciano Cannito was the Artistic Consultant and Choreography Supervisor.
The show was a metaphor for a highly topical theme: representing sport and sociality as a salvation through detachment from the virtual world, social media and their often superficial and alienating dynamics of competition.
Sport helps us develop an authentic awareness, fostering healthier socialisation based on collaboration, mutual respect and inclusion.
The collective dimension of sport offers a profound form of connection, where relationships are built through shared experiences of effort, commitment and victories or defeats. This kind of bond, formed in the real world, goes beyond the mediation of a screen, creating deeper and more meaningful relationships. The performance, divided into six moments, guided the audience to rediscover a sense of freedom and a vision of themselves and their relationship with others. The audience thus became both spectators and protagonists of the event, responding to the social need to stop passively watching other people’s lives and become active participants in their own.
The ceremony began with an artistic performance that transported the public on a symbolic journey from the World to Torino. An introductory video narrated the geographical and cultural journey that led the Universiade, through Europe and Italian wonders, to our city. A vibrant tribute to sports disciplines.
Special guest was Maestro Giovanni Allevi, a world-renowned musician who enriched the event with a unique kind of magic. Allevi delighted the audience with some of his most famous pieces with his unique ability to unite our souls through the enchantment of music.
The Psychodrummer, one of the most prominent international industrial percussionist crews, performed together with the Ping Pong Pang, a hip hop crew that placed second at the world championship, made famous by Italia’s Got Talent. The performance used sports equipment related to winter sports, creating a show of great emotional impact, where the power of the percussions blended with the elegance of the choreography.
Enhancing the evening’s programme was the talent of the Cirque du Soleil, represented by Tony Frebourg, star of the show OVO, who delivered a captivating performance with the diabolo, enriched by the presence of a group of circus artists engaged in breathtaking numbers. The Sunshine Gospel Choir sang the Italian anthem and other musical surprises, while the Associazione Sbandieratori di Grugliasco choreographed the athletes’ entrance into the Parade of Nations.
Other stars of the evening included Stefano Ceiner, the City Ballet Company, ASD Pattinatori San Mauro, Real Tune, Alessandro Maida, Mister David & The Family Dem, Rivera Brothers and Vertigimn.
The ceremony also saw the participation of 25 professional dancers and more than 200 volunteers, who performed extraordinary choreographies, the event’s main theme.
The evening culminated with the Swearing-in of the Athletes and International Technical Officials (ITO), followed by the highlight: the Lighting of the Torch. Exceptional torchbearers – Carolina Kostner, Stefania Belmondo, Carlotta Gilli and Giorgio Chiellini – carried the Flame through the arena, up to a luminous drone that symbolically carried it in the air to illuminate Piazza Castello and light the Brazier: a gesture symbolising change and hope for the future.
