Autumn Festival 2026 in Lugano: 2-4 October brings grottini, Ticino wine tastings, market stalls and folk music to the old town. Discover the programme
Family
The city of Lugano dresses up in festive garb with the Lugano Market and the Gastronomic Chalets, with Christmas music resounding in the streets and cheerful voices enlivening the atmosphere.
Christmas is approaching, and this year Lugano is once again transformed into an enchanting Christmas village, ideal for families in search of magic, fun and moments to share together.
Il Maggiolino is back: from 2nd May until 7th May the festival of theater, dance, art and music for children proposes theatrical performances and. We meet Cinzia Morandi, artistic director of Teatro Pan and organiser of Il Maggiolino.
Lovely Christmastime moments await citizens, visitors and tourists every day. From the Christmas Market to Chalet del gusto, but also musical surprises, animations for children, the big New Year's Eve party and the New Year Ceremony – not forgetting the Enchanted Forest in the Parco Ciani and the fun prizes of digital Advent Calendar.
The magic of Christmas will return to Lugano from 1 December to 8 January. There will be plenty of opportunities to spend time in the company of friends around the traditional Christmas tree in the Piazza della Riforma, with the Christmas market bringing the streets of the city centre to life, together with food, live music, entertainment, festive Christmas decorations and the eagerly-awaited New Year’s Eve Party. Let’s discover the events.
From October 15th to November 6th, the International Festival of Marionettes returns with a new edition that marks its 40th anniversary. 15 shows in the afternoons – with the exception of one in the morning – at Teatro Foce for adults and children.
“La regina della neve” (“The snow queen”) is a show for children which talks about digital addiction. “The snow queen” will be staged on 26 August at Teatro Foce, during the Summer Family season. We talk about it with Livia Gionfrida, director and playwright of the show.