Lucca Comics & Games Unveils Their Entire 2026 Program

The Lucca Comics & Games festival has announced its ambitious program for its 60th anniversary edition, set to take place in Lucca, Italy, from October 28 to November 1, 2026. Organizers revealed a comprehensive lineup during a three-hour presentation in Milan, highlighting a mixture of commemorative events, premieres, and a diverse array of international guests.

Central to the anniversary celebrations is the Legacy exhibition at Palazzo Guinigi, designed as an interactive journey through the festival’s rich history rather than a static archive. Visitors will navigate immersive environments guided by Luke and Clea, characters created by Sergio Algozzino, engaging with historic comics and gaming artifacts. This exhibition also previews the future Lucca Comics Museum, slated to open in the former Manifattura Tabacchi building.

Complementing the exhibition is the release of "Luke & Clea – A Quest for Legacy," a free 16-bit pixel-art video game available on iOS and Android. The game invites players into a retro-styled digital Lucca, where they traverse six levels based on festival landmarks, encountering festival guests such as Licia Troisi and Cristina Scabbia as non-playable characters. The final game level will unlock on the first day of the festival.

Broadcast media will also participate in marking the milestone, with Rai Cultura producing a documentary titled "60 Volte Lucca: L'avventura storia di Lucca Comics & Games." This film chronicles the festival’s evolution from its origins in 1966 to its current status as a cornerstone event for comics, animation, illustration, and gaming, drawing from extensive Rai Teche archives.

The festival’s exhibition program spans various venues across Lucca, featuring significant tributes and retrospectives. Palazzo Guinigi will showcase an 80-year celebration of Morris’s Lucky Luke with original artwork from archival collections. It will also host the first Italian exhibition of American cartoonist Tillie Walden. Meanwhile, Japan Town will pay homage to Go Nagai, whose influential works like Mazinger Z and Devilman helped shape manga and anime genres, alongside an exploration of the sports-themed "Spokon" manga genre through classics to contemporary series.

In the comics arena, the event will welcome over 400 guests and more than 80 publishers from around the world. The festival emphasizes a strong Asian presence, with 15 Japanese creators including Go Nagai, alongside Taiwanese, Chinese, and Korean artists. Noteworthy names from North and South America, as well as Europe and the Middle East, will participate, including Frank Miller, Jonathan Hickman, Eduardo Risso, and Paco Roca.

The games segment remains a vital component of the festival, embracing board games, role-playing games (RPGs), live-action role-playing (LARP), trading card games, and miniatures. The Carducci Pavilion will serve as the central hub, supplemented by the Lucca Games Café and additional venues throughout the city. Actor Joe Manganiello returns as curator for the Dungeons & Dragons program, featuring settings like Dragonlance and Greyhawk and appearances by authors Tracy and Laura Hickman.

Several premieres and exclusive launches are planned, including the Italian debut of the Cyberpunk card game and the first European presentation of Marko Djurdjevic’s epic-fantasy series ORKEN. Other highlights include previews of the Official Naruto Card Game and expanded content for Daggerheart, alongside special editions celebrating longstanding titles like Labyrinth and Lupi Mannari di Roccascura.

For collectors and enthusiasts, the festival will showcase a revitalized Community Village market, reflecting the growing trading card game sector. Pokémon’s 30th anniversary will be marked with dedicated installations, play labs, and exclusive merchandise. LEGO will transform a city square with large-scale displays and unveil a new legacy-themed work to mark both the anniversary and the 10th year of Italy’s first LEGO Certified Store.

Complementing these are numerous brand pavilions, including POP MART’s Italian debut, Funko’s exclusive figures, Sanrio’s birthday celebrations, and a new philately and numismatics area highlighting special anniversary issues from Poste Italiane and the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.

The Lucca Comics & Games 2026 edition promises a comprehensive cultural and entertainment experience, merging decades of tradition with contemporary innovations across comics, games, and collectibles. This milestone event underscores the festival’s enduring appeal and its role as a global nexus for pop culture enthusiasts.