“Christmas in Lugano” is back with a packed programme of tradition and novelties designed to warm up the Christmas atmosphere thanks to numerous musical and artistic animations in the streets and squares of the city centre – surprises to come across while strolling through the centre. Accompanying the “Christmas in Lugano” days is a graphic created using the papercut technique which represents a bowl hanging at a Christmas tree depicting the winter atmosphere of the city.
The Christmas atmosphere will fill the city centre from 1st December to 8th January, thanks to the traditional Christmas market (01.12-24.12), with 62 wooden huts colouring the streets and squares of the centre with local handicrafts, Christmas decorations and delicious seasonal food. Also returning the Chalet del gusto (01.12 – 01.01), full of winter specialties to savour, accompanied by festive background music. Throughout the period, the Parco Ciani will be the setting for a beautiful Enchanted Forest (01.12 – 08.12) will take adults and children on a walk to discover many magical illuminations. A digital Advent calendar awaits everyone from 1st until 24th December with rich prizes: to participate, you can visit the website calendario-avvento.luganoeventi.ch, open the little box of the day and answer a question.
The first event on 1st December with the lighting of the tree, presented by Julie Arlin and enlivened by the music of Luis Landrini, followed by the Freddie & The Cannonballs’s concert. Before lighting the tree, there is warming up with games and entertainment with Michelangelo Cavadini and Filippo Morandi – special host, HCL.
Piazza della Riforma will host live music with the Gospel Light Vocal Ensemble (03.12), hot jazz by the Chicago Stompers (04.12), nine Christmas DJ sets with Sax & DJ duo (02.12), Maxi B (09 and 12.12), DJ Gerry (15.12), DJ Roxy (16.12), DJ Matt Petrone (17.12), Aldo Paolini (23.12), DJ Val S (24.12), and three “Music on the road” dates: Matteo Magni (08.12), Cinnamon Duo (17.12), Santo Sgrò (18.12). The city centre will be enlivened by touring music with 25 instrumentalists of Ticino-X-Project (04.12). Christmas classics in instrumental version by The White Carols (08.12), and the traditional music of the Zampognari del Piano (08.12, 16.12, 22.12, 23.12).
Touring animations will make experience a Christmas dream: Christmas Dream (08 e 18.12) with an acrobat, Bianche Presenze (16.12) with stilt-walkers and luminous butterflies, a trio of circus artists with Christmas Circus (17.12). The usual appointments, such as the solidarity weekend and Telethon marathon with the Santa Klaus parade (02 and 03.12), Piazza la Fondue in Piazza Rezzonico (11.12), the colourful Chocoparade (11.12), the suggestive Presepe sommerso (from 17.12 to 06.01), and the Lanterne in Piazza (10.12), are back.
Also not to be forgotten are the Christmas events at the LAC with the “Lago dei cigni” ballet (09 and 10.12), the OSI musical walks with “Lo Schiaccianoci” (18.12), and the Concerto di San Silvestro with Charles Dutoit and Martha Argerich (31.12), and the Symphonic Rock Hits musical offering at the Palazzo dei Congressi (19.12). Four festive days will also see the extraordinary openings of the centre shops for Christmas shopping: on 4th Sunday, 8th Thursday, 11th Sunday, 18th Sunday December, from 10:00 to 18:00. The programme is completed by numerous quarter events: markets, cribs, “panettonate” and aperitifs that will bring the festive atmosphere to all Lugano quarters.
“Christmas in Lugano” welcomes children with a programme designed just for them: from 3th to 24th December, a Baita in Piazza Manzoni awaits them on Wednesday afternoons from 15:00 to 18:00, on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 to 18:00, with activities, a play area with Ludobus, workshops, storytelling and shows. Not to be missed are the Truccabimbi (01.12), the activities with the firemen (03.12) and the Police of Lugano (18.12), the Fiabe dorate (07.12), the LEGO bricks competition (08.12), the creative workshop with figures of Natale in legno (11.12), the show Chapeau Rouge e Chapeau Noir (10.12), the meeting with Michael Casanova (11.12), the creative workshops of Pop Corn English (03, 04 and 17.12). Special mention for three meetings with Santa Klaus: Babbo Natale incontra i bambini (10.12), Coca Cola Christmas Truck (11.12), Scatta la tua foto con Babbo Natale (18.12). All activities are free of charge and with free entry.
Christmas in Lugano is in the city centre from 01.12 until 08.01.
More information: nataleinpiazza.ch
