Lake Como Festival of Light runs to 2 October
Published on 09/27/2026 at 17:27 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Lake Como (Lago di Como) is hosting the Lake Como Festival of Light in Como from 24 September to 2 October 2026. The 13th edition centres on photonics and offers talks, workshops and installations during a programme organised by Fondazione Alessandro Volta.
Lake Como Festival of Light runs until 2 October
The festival began on 24 September 2026 and continues through 2 October 2026 in Como. Its programme brings science and culture together through events focused on photonics, the study and use of light, according to the festival programme.
Talks, workshops and installations are listed as part of the nine-day event. The programme is connected with European Researchers’ Night and forms part of celebrations for the bicentenary of Alessandro Volta’s death, which falls in 2027. Fondazione Alessandro Volta is organising the festival with the University of Insubria and Teatro Sociale As.Li.Co.
Photonics connects Como with its scientific heritage
The choice of photonics gives the programme a direct link to Como’s scientific identity. Alessandro Volta was born in Como, and the festival is included in the wider #200VOLTeVOLTA programme marking the anniversary of his death.
The festival takes place in an area whose cultural economy combines tourism, research, manufacturing and textiles. A Chamber of Commerce overview describes the greater Lake Como area as covering the provinces of Como and Lecco in the foothills of Lombardy. It also records the area’s links with silk production, higher education and research centres.
That setting gives the festival a specific local context: its subject is light and technology, while its venues sit in a territory shaped by scientific institutions, industrial skills and the lake landscape. The event therefore adds a science programme to the cultural offer of Como rather than presenting the lake only as a scenic destination.
Como’s lake district provides the wider setting
The greater area is larger than the city of Como alone. It includes municipalities in both the Como and Lecco provinces, with the lake acting as a shared geographical and economic reference point. Como has also been associated with tourism since the seventeenth century and remains a centre for silk and textile production.
For visitors, the festival’s city base matters because the confirmed location is Como, not a single lakeside villa or a boat route. The programme is consequently compatible with a stay focused on the city, while the wider lake district supplies the cultural and industrial background described by the regional chamber.
Visiting Lake Como: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Lake Como Festival of Light runs from 24 September to 2 October 2026, with Como named as the festival location.
- The programme includes talks, workshops and installations on photonics. The official page identifies Fondazione Alessandro Volta as organiser and does not state a general admission price.
- Como is in Lombardy, northern Italy. The Chamber of Commerce identifies Malpensa, Linate and Orio al Serio as nearby airports and the A9 as the road connecting Milan, Como and Switzerland.
- The wider lake area spans the provinces of Como and Lecco and reaches from the foothills of the Alps towards the Po Valley, so festival venues and other attractions are spread across varied terrain.
- Italian is the official language and the currency is the euro.
Searching for Lake Como on social platforms
These links open searches for Lake Como on each platform.
Frequently asked questions about Lake Como
When does the Lake Como Festival of Light take place?
The festival runs in Como from 24 September to 2 October 2026. Its programme focuses on photonics, with talks, workshops and installations.
Where is Lake Como and how do you get there?
Lake Como is in Lombardy, northern Italy, across the provinces of Como and Lecco. The A9 links Milan, Como and Switzerland, while Malpensa, Linate and Orio al Serio are identified as nearby airports.
What is Lake Como?
Lake Como is the shared geographical and economic reference point for an area in the foothills of Lombardy. The region includes tourism, silk and textile production, research, manufacturing and cultural activities.
