A weekend in Como: Festival della Luce 2026 and what to do in town

This article covers the October 2026 edition, which has already taken place.

On Friday 2 October 2026 the 13th edition of the Festival della Luce Lake Como closes in Como, dedicated to photonics under the theme «Fotonica: illuminare il futuro» (Photonics: lighting up the future, 24 September – 2 October 2026). The festival is promoted by the Fondazione Alessandro Volta, in collaboration with the Università degli Studi dell’Insubria and the Teatro Sociale As.Li.Co, and is one of the events on the road to Alessandro Volta’s bicentenary in 2027 (the 200VOLTeVOLTA programme). The science hub in town: Piazza Verdi, with the Yurt and the science village (official info: fondazionealessandrovolta.it / alessandrovolta.it).

How to enjoy the Festival’s closing day

The final day centres on two public events (always check times and admission arrangements on the official website or on Eventbrite, as indicated by the organisers):

• Morning — Teatro Sociale di Como
  10:00–12:30, Sala Bianca of the Teatro Sociale: Premio Alessandro Volta (Alessandro Volta Prize), with a lecture by the prizewinner Jean Dalibard (Collège de France, CNRS Gold Medal).
• Afternoon — Università dell’Insubria
  14:30–17:00, Chiostro di Sant’Abbondio: scientific symposium attended by two Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Alain Aspect (2022) and William Phillips (1997), organised by the European Physical Society with the support of Acinque.

Check bookings and updated details on the Festival’s official pages. If you come to town for the closing day, a stay in the centre or near the lake lets you combine science, the Duomo and the lakefront without rushing.

What to do in town (from our local guide)

• Duomo di Como — a cathedral between Gothic and Renaissance, with its large dome, a short walk from Piazza Verdi and the Teatro Sociale.
• Tempio Voltiano — a museum dedicated to Alessandro Volta, on the lakeshore: a natural link with the Festival and the 200VOLTeVOLTA programme.
• Como–Brunate funicular — it climbs to Brunate in about 7 minutes, with views over the lake and the city.
• Basilica di Sant’Abbondio — a masterpiece of Lombard Romanesque near the Insubria cloister, handy if you are in the area for the afternoon symposium.
• At the table: Ristorante Sociale (Lombard cooking and lake fish, behind the Duomo) and Osteria del Gallo (traditional food in the historic centre).

For other October events on Lake Como, see also our article on Orticolario and Villa Carlotta. More weekends in Lombardy on the Easy Housing blog.

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