Lucca Comics & Games Unveils Their Entire 2026 Program

Posted in: Conventions , Events , Lucca Comics & Games , Pop Culture | Tagged: italy , Lucca Comics & Games 2026

Lucca Comics & Games dropped a ton of new information today detailing everything coming to the 2026 event with their program rundown.

Organizers of Lucca Comics & Games held a special presentation in Milan today, showcasing everything coming to the 2026 festival . The entire presentation lasted three hours, and there's no way for us to recap all the insanity and excitement they have coming this year in a single paragraph. Especially with all of the 60th Anniversary celebrations, they've added several Diamond Anniversary events to the program. We have the full rundown of everything they revealed today and what you can expect to see in Lucca, Italy, as the event will run from October 28 until November 1.

Celebrations for 60 years of history include the Legacy exhibition at Palazzo Guinigi, the new Luke & Clea video game, and a RAI documentary made for the anniversary. On the second floor of Palazzo Guinigi, "Lucca Legacy: a comics and games story" is a Lucca Crea project in partnership with POLI.design at Politecnico di Milano, with scientific supervision from DISEGS at the "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, the participation of the Fondo Bono, and cultural partner Rai Teche.

Conceived as a living space rather than an archive, the exhibition lets visitors interact and leave their own mark, just as in legacy games. Guided by Luke and Clea, characters created by Sergio Algozzino, visitors move through nine environments, from Cover Stories and the Time Machine of historic posters to the Hall of Games, where they can sit down and play, ending at The Vault, where anyone can deposit a treasured Lucca memento. The floor also previews the future Lucca Comics Museum, planned for the former Manifattura Tabacchi.

Luke & Clea, A Quest for Legacy is a 16-bit pixel game inspired by the 1980s, available free from today on iOS and Android. Siblings Luke and Clea are sucked into a pixel-art Lucca and must cross six levels set in the festival's landmark locations, freeing historic mascots and recovering fragments of the shattered Diamond. Festival guests such as Licia Troisi, Cristina Scabbia and Karl Kopinski appear as NPCs, and the final level unlocks on opening day, 28 October.

Rai Cultura marks the anniversary with 60 Volte Lucca : L'avventura storia di Lucca Comics & Games, written and directed by Enrico Platania. Drawing on the Rai Teche archives, it traces the event's journey from the 1966 "Salone Internazionale dei Comics" to today's festival of comics, animation, illustration, and games. It airs on Rai5 on the eve of the festival and will then be available on RaiPlay.

Many of Lucca's historic buildings host the festival's exhibitions. Alongside the 60th-anniversary show, Palazzo Guinigi celebrates 80 years of Morris's Lucky Luke with original pages from the master's archives, and American cartoonist Tillie Walden in her first Italian exhibition. Other highlights include Crepax's Valentina, the first major exhibition devoted to Go Nagai and Spokon at Japan Town.

Lucca pays tribute to Go Nagai, whose creations revolutionized manga and anime. The exhibition centers on his giants of steel, Mazinger Z, a foundational title of the mecha genre, and Grendizer, a cultural phenomenon in Italy, alongside Jeeg, Great Mazinger, and Getter Robo. It also showcases his masterpiece Devilman, inspired by Gustave Doré's illustrations for Dante, and his comic-book version of the Divine Comedy.

Crepax's Valentina (1966) was born in a golden decade for Italian comics, alongside Linus and Pratt's Corto Maltese. Through her, Crepax engaged with cinema, fashion, art, photography, and music, and today she is a remarkable time capsule. Through original pages, many unseen in recent years, the exhibition recaptures Milan in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. It is produced in collaboration with Archivio Crepax.

In Japan Town, Spokon, Sport, Tears, and Victory! traces the Japanese sports genre from 1970s classics such as Rocky Joe and Attack No. 1, through Captain Tsubasa (Holly and Benji) and Slam Dunk, to Haikyu!! and Blue Lock. Curated by Giorgia Vecchini with Alessandro Apreda (Doc Manhattan), it features original drawings, animation cels, and vintage memorabilia.

Legacy games, narrative board games that change from one session to the next, were born 15 years ago from an idea by Rob Daviau, a former Lucca guest. The exhibition Lucca is a Legacy Game, curated by Andrea Angiolino, explores the genre, and visitors can try some of its best titles at the Games Café.

The Comics area sits at the heart of the city center, with more than 80 Italian and international publishers and over 400 guests. Alongside the Napoleone Pavilions, Piazza del Giglio hosts collecting, art galleries, and artist stands, while a record ten single-theme pavilions fill the squares and city walls. Guests arrive from across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Middle East, with a record Asian presence: 15 Japanese creators, 5 Taiwanese, 2 Chinese, and 2 Korean.

Headlining from Japan is Sensei Go Nagai, creator of Devilman, Mazinger Z, and UFO Robot Grendizer (28-30/10). Also attending are the duo Gurihiru (Tunué), Yuu Watase (Star Comics), author of Fushigi Yuugi, Saka Mikami (J-POP Manga), and, with Panini Comics, Paru Itagaki (Beastars) and Marvel star Peach Momoko. Other Japanese guests include Marco Kohinata, Miyako Cojima, Furuya Usamaru, Shintaro Kago, Tetsunori Tawaraya, Kōichi Matsuda, Minoru Sugiyama, and Yoshiyasu Tamura. From Korea come JH, winner of the 2025 Yellow Kid Comic of the Year, and Cheong-gwa; from China, webtoon favorite Liang Azha and Li Haoling, creator of Link Click (30-31/10). Taiwan brings five creators: 2026 Eisner nominee Chang Sheng, Nownow, Karmarket, Li Lung-Chieh, and Lang-Chi.

A further 50 leading international guests will attend. From the United States come Frank Miller, Jonathan Hickman, Deniz Camp, Brian Michael Bendis, Samuel Sattin, Jesse Lonergan, David Mack, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Chris Condon, Darick Robertson, and Tillie Walden, among others. Argentina is represented by Eduardo Risso, Fernando Blanco, and Leandro Fernandez, and Canada by Seth and Boum. European guests include Paco Roca, Jordi Lafebre, Tony Valente, Peter Milligan, Danijel Žeželj, Olivier Schrauwen, and Mawil, while Deena Mohamed (Egypt), Majid Bita (Iran), Lina Ghaibeh and Gina Nakhle Koller (Lebanon), and Mohammad Sabaaneh (Palestine) complete the line-up.

In its sixtieth-anniversary edition, the Games program spans board games, role-playing games, LARP, Trading Card Games, and miniatures, with major international names, premieres, and plenty of chances to play. The Carducci Pavilion remains the heart of the offering, joined by the Lucca Games Café and spaces across the city.

Actor Joe Manganiello returns as special curator of the Lucca60 Dungeons & Dragons program, including the D&D Icons line, bringing settings such as Dragonlance and Greyhawk back to life, with authors Tracy and Laura Hickman attending.

Christopher Perkins (Darrington Press) and Elise Rezendes (Critical Role) will discuss Critical Role's growth from actual play into a transmedia universe. With Acheron Games, Lucca also hosts the first Italian edition of Hope & Fear, the latest Daggerheart expansion. It will be translated into Italian for the first time and features four new classes, the Dread Domain, more than 100 new weapons and items, and 130 enemy sheets.

Artist and creative director Marko Djurdjevic (Marvel, Riot Games, Sony), creator of the Degenesis RPG, gives the first public European presentation of ORKEN, his new creator-owned epic-fantasy series.

Alongside the Pokémon area at Palestra Bacchettoni, Bandai Card Games and Gametrade preview the Official NARUTO CARD GAME, due in 2027, with free demos of the One Piece, Dragon Ball Super, Gundam and Digimon card games, while DNA Cards brings NARUTO Mythos TCG. Lucca is the first Italian convention to present the Cyberpunk card game, with a pre-launch tournament, and Bushiroad's Palworld OFFICIAL CARD GAME makes its debut. Horror gets its own pavilion with Spin Master's Hellbreak, and Riftbound brings League of Legends to the tabletop. Mana Trust offers a playmat inspired by the Lucca60 poster, and Yu-Gi-Oh! Magic Store presents I, Magnifici Maestri.

Magic: The Gathering celebrates the Frattura della Realtà expansion with tournaments, demos, and previews of Magic: The Gathering | Star Trek. Wizards of the Coast and Boose bring artists including Rebecca Guay, Scott M. Fischer, and, for the first time, Evyn Fong and Alexis Ziritt, while Galactus Roma SRL hosts Lucas Graciano, Ryan Pancoast, and Steve Prescott.

MinaLima founders Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, the designers behind the visual world of the Harry Potter films, mark 20 years by presenting Defenders of Hogwarts, the new Harry Potter board game, in Lucca ahead of its spring 2027 release.

The Carducci Pavilion and the entire Lucca60 Games area will offer a huge range of new releases from major board-game brands. Ravensburger previews Horrified Ravenloft and celebrates 40 years of Labyrinth with a collaboration with Carcassonne. Disney Lorcana TCG also brings new features with the Collection Quest products, the Woody, Che Aiuta un Amico promo card and the new multiplayer Format Coconut. Mattel returns to the Carducci Pavilion with major new releases, including Wiped Out, Odd Logic, Liar's UNO, UNO Show'em No Mercy, UNO One Piece, and UNO KPop Demon Hunters, with weekend activities coordinated by Luca and Alessandra from Affari da Nerd. Need Games! offers a world premiere of new Fabula Ultima releases, including Fabula Ultima, Bestiary Vol. I and Yoshitaka Amano's variant, accompanied by an exhibition and four international illustrators. Asmodee celebrates 25 years of Lupi Mannari di Roccascura with a limited edition and brings Toy Battle by Paolo Mori and Alessandro Zucchini. Giochi Uniti presents The Social Contract, the geopolitics game created with Factanza, while Spin Master turns Tetris into a board game.

Clementoni brings Star Wars, The Metamorphic Art Collection. MS Edizioni and Hidden Games present the investigative case Murder Over a Legacy, set in Lucca, and a preview of Fourth Wing, L'ascesa del Capo d'Ala, with signing sessions by Barbascura X, Enrico Macchiavello, Simone Guida of Nova Lectio, and Alan D'Amico. Studio Supernova celebrates Lucca60 with collector's editions of Onitama, The King is Dead, and Yro, limited to just 150 copies of each title. Lucca60 will also be the stage for the debut of Indiecore Distribution, a new Italian company dedicated to independent role-playing game distribution. The line-up is completed, among others, by Hollow Press, DV Games, Red Glove, Yas! Games, Wolfy & Jordy, Officina Meningi, Lisciani, RoundTwo, Aristea, Wyrd Edizioni, Nigredo Press, and Raven Distribution.

Casa Abis (Gabriele Abis and Stella Falchi, with more than 2.5 million followers), Silvia Escilgioco and Marco Marzocca take turns on the Lucca60 Games Stage.

Game of the Year finalists are Art Society, Bomb Busters, Echoes of Time, Rebirth, and Thunder Road Vendetta; Role-Playing Game of the Year finalists include Daggerheart, Dreaming Kadath, Legend in the Mist, and The House Doesn't Always Win. Paolo Mori is the 2026 Board Game Designer of the Year.

The Games Café returns with evening programming, the Indie Games Café, and events such as the Daggerheart Multi-Table (Friday 30 October) and D&D Epic (Saturday 31 October). The Ruolimpiadi and the 38th Mastering Tournament return (registration until 30 September), and RPG Old School celebrates its 20th tournament. Miniature Island hosts dioramas, the Grog Trophy, and Vallejo Colors, while The Citadel and Chamber LARP bring LARP sessions, including From Beyond and Chaos League. The IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca returns as scientific partner across Game Science, Comics Studies and Cultural Sciences.

Piazza Santa Maria, Giardino degli Osservanti and Via Bacchettoni combine into a renewed Community Village, the heart of collecting at the festival, a market that grew 7% in value in the first half of 2026, according to Assogiocattoli, driven largely by trading card games.

For Pokémon's 30th anniversary, Pikachu and friends take over the newly restored Palestra Bacchettoni, with a Play Lab to learn the Pokémon TCG (and an exclusive mini deck to take home), Pokémon Champions and TCG Pocket stations, LEGO Pokémon installations, the Pokémon Store and PokéStops and Gyms across the city.

LEGO Italia transforms Piazza San Romano into a 300-square-metre LEGO Square. For the festival's 60th and the 10th anniversary of Italy's first LEGO Certified Store, it will unveil a new Legacy-themed work by LEGO Certified Professional Riccardo Zangelmi, alongside previews of new sets, special guests and exclusive activities.

POP MART makes its Lucca debut, with a signing by DIMOO creator Ayan Deng on 30 October (17:00-19:00), and Toys Center launches Play4Ever, its concept for kidult collectors. Sylvanian Families brings around 50 Lucca exclusives, Funko a renewed pavilion with exclusive Pop! figures and a One Piece collaboration with Ferrero, and Topps a focus on Marvel and NBA cards. Sanrio celebrates Kuromi's and Hello Kitty's birthdays and Pompompurin's 30th anniversary. Also present are ZURU, Iron Studios with MiniCo creator Márcio Hum, Mighty Jaxx with Italian premieres for Sanrio and One Piece, Blokees, YuMe and Kryptonia Collectibles in the Church of Santa Caterina. Finally, a new Philately and Numismatics area at the Polo Fiere Pavilion sees Poste Italiane and the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato mark the anniversary with special issues and the Lucca 60 Passabollo.

The Music Area spreads across Giardino degli Osservanti, Piazzale Verdi, Foro Boario, and the Teatro del Giglio Giacomo Puccini, with concerts, club nights, the Ledwall at the Community Village, and, new this year, a pavilion of guitars from Fender and Ibanez.

For the third year, the major record labels return with some of the hottest names in Italian music. Warner Music expands its Franceschetto space with an area for collectors, a special focus on 883, and signings with artists including Ariete and Giuse The Lizia, with more names to be announced. Sony Music returns with its store at Via Vittorio Veneto 7. Highlights include Giorgio Vanni presenting Generazione Vanni with a signing alongside Max Longhi on Saturday 31 October, Daniel Tek's "Alla DiscoTEKa" DJ set at Foro Boario on Friday 30 October at 22:30, and rock band Karma with the limited-edition project "Karma 1994-2023", including the comic Ophelia (Edizioni BD).

On Saturday, power metal takes over Piazzale Verdi with Elettra Storm, Alterium and Germany's Grailknights, followed by the Celtic-Irish Emerald Sounds evening with Gens d'Ys, I Santi Bevitori and Uncle Bard & The Dirty Bastards.

The festival's most fandom-driven stage hosts the Anime Vocal Contest on Saturday 31 October, with five finalists, and closes the festival with the 1990s-themed Giga Party on Sunday 1 November.

A new 60-square-metre pavilion brings together Fender and Ibanez. Fender will show rare Limited Edition Fender and Jackson guitars, including collaborations with Diablo, Monster Hunter and Hello Kitty, while Ibanez will unveil a special collaboration at the fair. Algam EKO will donate an EKO guitar for the charity auction that closes the festival on Sunday 1 November.

Alongside the return of I Cavalieri del Re and a concert by Yoko Kanno dedicated to her soundtracks, the theatre hosts Voci di Mezzo on Sunday 1 November at 19:00. Created by Cristina Poccardi, the format celebrates the great Italian voices of dubbing, with guests including Marco Vivio, Flavio Aquilone and Barbara De Bortoli.

Foro Boario hosts the festival's club nights, from Daniel Tek's Alla discoTEKa to Serata Blaster on Saturday 31 October, the alternative party mixing clubbing, live shows, and nerd culture.

Lucca Comics & Games celebrates with an edition that confirms the deep bond between the festival and the world of video games, bringing together major international publishers, legendary creators and Italian independent studios. The video-game experience spreads to every corner of the city, with dedicated spaces, pavilions and locations bringing the entire historic centre to life.

Square Enix celebrates the Final Fantasy VII Remake series at LUCCA Comics with legendary producer Yoshinori Kitase, who will be a guest at a Community Q&A dedicated to the legacy of the original game and the Remake series, as well as a Career Masterclass exploring his extraordinary journey within the franchise, at the end of which he will receive a place on the festival's Walk of Fame.