Lucca Comics: where passions meet, and what to discover in 2026

There is a lovely moment when you discover that a passion you thought belonged only to you speaks to someone else too. It takes a character on a bag, a hummed theme tune, a book tucked under an arm, and conversation begins. Lucca Comics & Games thrives on such encounters: people arrive with different imaginary worlds and, for a few days, inhabit the same city together.

The 2026 edition runs from 28 October to 1 November, celebrating its sixtieth anniversary under the theme Legacy. Here, inheritance can become a wonderfully pop question: which stories do we carry? Those discovered as children, those encountered yesterday, those that introduced us to a friend. And which do we want to pass on?

You do not need to know every character

If it seems an enormous world, you are right: comics, manga, video games, fiction, cinema and cosplay share the festival. But there is no entrance exam. You can come for an author, an exhibition or simple curiosity. You can accompany someone and let them explain why they love a story so much. Asking a sincere question is already a way in.

CHIARA!’s advice is to choose a small personal route: one event you care about, an area to explore and room for the unexpected. Trying to see everything risks turning a celebration into a checklist. Leaving some space may bring the meeting you never planned.

Go Nagai, Frank Miller and stories across generations

The official guest list includes Go Nagai, Frank Miller, Paru Itagaki, Yoko Kanno, Hideki Kamiya, Jonathan Hickman, Alberto Angela and Zerocalcare, among others. Their names span different forms and audiences. To attend a particular event, check its date and access arrangements: appearing on the general programme does not mean a guest is available every day.

A festival like this also offers the chance to widen familiar habits. Love manga? Discover someone who tells stories with a completely different visual style. Enjoy soundtracks? Begin with music and approach a film or series through it. Passions communicate more often than we imagine when we leave a door open.

KPop Demon Hunters: rhythm becomes a shared experience

Among the organisers’ announced features is the KPop Demon Hunters Village at Baluardo San Donato, planned throughout the festival. Film-related activities include choreography lessons, karaoke, a creative space and an area for character-inspired makeup and hairstyles. A parade and sing-along screening at Cinema Astra are announced for 1 November.

It brings together several CHIARA! colours: music, movement, creativity and beauty. This is a work of fiction to approach through its story and the experience on offer. Anyone wanting to attend the screening or a particular activity should check conditions and details on the official page, rather than assume that simply arriving in the city guarantees access to everything.

Lucca60Love: room for readers and romantasy

The website also introduces Lucca60Love, a new romantasy area at Istituto Boccherini. For readers who enjoy stories weaving emotion and imagination together, it is a thread to follow in the programme. A genre can be an entrance: each reader then chooses what speaks to her, what to explore and what to leave on the shelf.

We particularly like reading as a conversation: exchanging a recommendation, explaining why a character struck us, hearing another interpretation. We do not all need the same reaction. A good story can bring us together even in disagreement, when we are curious about someone else’s perspective.

Cosplay: creative work deserves respect

The organisers announce a programme for cosplay communities. Beyond the events, a simple way to enjoy these encounters is to ask before photographing someone, respect their space and accept a refusal. A costume may be striking and elaborate; the person wearing it still has the right to stop, eat or cross a road without being expected to pose.

If attending in costume, think about comfort too: shoes, breaks, bulky elements and carrying accessories. If accompanying someone younger, agree on a meeting point and a way to contact one another. These practical considerations do not diminish the magic. They help everyone enjoy it fully.

A mini guide before leaving

Check tickets and availability through the channels indicated by the festival. Read individual event conditions, especially where booking is required. Use the official map to organise journeys and the municipality’s information for traffic and access. For travel, check updates from your operator rather than relying solely on a schedule saved days ago.

Allow for lunch, water, queues and a shopping budget. Then give yourself a goal lovelier than a perfect haul: returning with something to tell. A discovery, a conversation, a passion better understood. Imaginary worlds sometimes take you far away, then return you to life with another person beside you.