Organisers for Lucca Comics & Games have confirmed the Italian pop culture festival will return from 28 October to 1 November 2027. The announcement follows the close of the 2026 Diamond Edition, marking the event’s 60th anniversary with a reported 345,000 visitors across the walled city.
Rather than winding down after the five-day event, Lucca is establishing permanent cultural fixtures to bridge the gap between annual festivals. This includes a formal agreement to create an International Comics Museum and a year-round digital community driven by a retro video game.
2026 Festival scale
The organisers released the following statistics for the 2026 Diamond Edition. Given the city’s infrastructure and daily attendance caps, the visitor count represents cumulative daily footfall across the five days, not unique individuals.
| Metric | 2026 Figure |
| Visitors | 345,000 |
| Guests | 900+ |
| Exhibitors | 800 |
| Events | 1,500+ |
| Exhibitions | 14 |
During the festival, Go Nagai received the “Yellow Kid – Master of Comics” award. The Japanese author is known for reshaping manga and anime. The festival recognised his work in translating the Divine Comedy into comic format, bridging Eastern and Western storytelling.
Permanent infrastructure in Lucca
Local infrastructure in Lucca is shifting from supporting a temporary surge to maintaining a permanent cultural presence. Italian Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli, Tuscany Region President Eugenio Giani, and Lucca Mayor Mario Pardini signed an agreement to establish a foundation for Lucca’s International Comics Museum. The announcement did not include funding goals or a projected opening date.
Until the permanent museum opens, the city will host the Lucca Legacy: a Comics and Games story exhibition at Palazzo Guinigi. This temporary installation remains open to the public until 24 September 2027.
Digital expansion
Festival directors Manuel Macchia and Emanuele Vietina, typically known for managing large-scale physical logistics, released a 16-bit pixel game titled Luke & Clea – A Quest for Legacy.
The mobile game entered the top 100 downloaded games on iOS and Android shortly after launch, though this ranking likely reflects regional Italian charts rather than global overall metrics. The developers plan to add a new level each year during future festivals to maintain year-round digital engagement.
