The globally renowned Lucca Comics & Games festival has officially unveiled its initial programming for its monumental 60th-anniversary edition. Running from October 28 to November 1, 2026, in the historic Tuscan city of Lucca, Italy, the "diamond" anniversary operates under the prestigious patronage of the European Commission, celebrating six decades of community, inclusivity, and pop culture excellence.
The central theme for this year's landmark event is "Legacy," symbolized by a unique official meta-poster designed by Italian comic book master Claudio Castellini. In a symbolic passing of the baton during the festival's launch event at the Uffizi Galleries, Castellini physically handed a pencil to ten-year-old French artist Louise Stéphant, the multi-award-winning heir to Lucca's artistic lineage. Stéphant has been commissioned to illustrate a highly anticipated variant cover for the 2026 festival poster.
To anchor the celebration, the festival has secured a staggering roster of international guests spanning three continents.
Legendary comic book creators Frank Miller and Avengers architect Jonathan Hickman will attend alongside manga pioneers Go Nagai and Great Teacher Onizuka creator Toru Fujisawa. The video game industry will be heavily represented by Final Fantasy VII director Yoshinori Kitase and Bayonetta designer Hideki Kamiya. Furthermore, iconic Cowboy Bebop anime composer Yoko Kanno will make her highly anticipated, historic debut appearance in Italy.
In addition to star panels, the 2026 itinerary boasts specialized anniversary projects, including Luke & Clea: A Quest for Legacy—a custom 8-bit arcade video game paying homage to 1980s retro gaming. The historical Palazzo Guinigi will devote an entire floor to a permanent, interactive multimedia museum exhibition detailing the event's evolution since its 1966 inception, allowing fans to contribute their own memories to the display.
The massive showgrounds will also feature an expansive Pokémon Play Lab inside the newly restored Palestra Bacchettoni to celebrate 30 years of the franchise, alongside the absolute Italian premiere of the Bandai Naruto Card Game. Early Bird tickets and multi-day passes for the event are officially on sale now via the festival's digital channels.
