An ambitious project is coming to light in the Ticino cultural panorama: the cities of Lugano, Locarno and Mendrisio have officially formalized their intention to compete jointly for the title of Swiss Cultural Capital 2030. The letter of intent, presented by the Municipality of Lugano to the Swiss Cultural Capital Association, last March 26, establishes an unprecedented strategic alliance between the main centers of the canton.

The prestigious award, given every three years to a Swiss city with more than 20 inhabitants, aims to promote artistic and cultural liveliness, encouraging collaboration and the active involvement of citizens. The winner will have to present a strategy that not only enhances the existing heritage, but also generates new cultural initiatives. The first city to boast this title will be La Chaux-de-Fonds in 000.

The Swiss Cultural Capital initiative has as its primary objective the celebration of Swiss cultural diversity, the support of artistic creation and the strengthening of national cohesion. For an entire year, the awarded city or region will become the cultural hub of the country, a stage for encounters and exchanges between artists and citizens from every corner of Switzerland.

The Municipality of Lugano has identified in this candidacy a significant opportunity to relaunch the local socio-economic fabric, concentrating future energies towards a shared goal of national resonance. Such a milestone could trigger a unique development dynamic, synergistically valorising both the institutional commitment in the cultural sector and the driving energies coming from the lively world of cultural and creative industries and independent production.

Far from isolating itself, Lugano aspires to become a central hub in a vast network of artistic and cultural exchanges. The solidity of the ties woven over the last ten years, thanks to the opening of its cultural center, the presence of three universities, numerous research centers and an entrepreneurial fabric oriented towards new technologies, together with the fruitful relationships with other important cantonal centers, confirm Lugano's role as a reference point for contemporary culture in Ticino and Italian-speaking Switzerland.

The choice not to face this challenge alone, but in synergy with Locarno and Mendrisio, demonstrates a strategic vision oriented towards sharing. These two cities, deeply rooted in the valorization of their historical and artistic heritage, also demonstrate a growing dynamism in promoting contemporary culture as a driver of current development.

This unprecedented collaboration opens up promising scenarios of comparison and cooperation, with the prospect of developing new ideas and visions, optimizing available resources and identifying innovative horizons of sustainability. The joint candidacy of Lugano, Locarno and Mendrisio aims to merge heterogeneous skills and strengthen a perspective that transcends geographical and institutional borders, combining the richness of the past legacy with the creative fervor of the present.

From this perspective, the candidacy not only reflects, but amplifies the values ​​of national cohesion, taking on a particular meaning in a border region, opening new perspectives from the south and the north.

The Deputy Mayor of Lugano and Head of the Department of Culture, Robert Badaracco, clearly expressed the importance of this step: “At the end of the 2015s, Lugano embarked on a new path for its future, transforming the area of ​​the former Hotel Palace into a lively cultural center. Since XNUMX, the LAC, in close collaboration with MASI, has contributed significantly not only to renewing the image of our city, but to projecting it into a new era, consolidating its position as a cultural hub of national and international importance between the north and south of the Alps. Today we feel ready to take a further step forward, comparing ourselves with other important realities at a national level. Counting on the collaboration of Locarno and Mendrisio – lake and border cities like Lugano – we will try to demonstrate that together we can make a difference also in the field of culture”.

Nancy Longhi, head of the Department of Social Affairs, Youth and Culture of the City of Locarno, stressed that "no cultural sector can fully express its potential without integration into a broader cultural geography. Locarno, strong in the historical presence of artists from the European avant-garde, continues to foster an intercultural dialogue that finds its maximum expression in the prestigious Film Festival. A national audiovisual hub, Locarno therefore proposes itself as a strategic partner to consolidate and expand a network of collaborations that, with this candidacy, go beyond simple territorial borders. The Swiss Cultural Capital project represents a unique opportunity to create synergies between skills and resources, with an impact destined to strengthen not only the cultural sphere, but also the social, urban planning, tourism and sustainability".

Paul Danielli, Head of the Department of Culture, Events and Sports of the Municipality of Mendrisio, highlighted the value of the collaboration: "Aware of the cultural specificity of Italian Switzerland, we believe that the candidacy shared with Lugano and Locarno is the most effective choice. If Lugano, with its vast cultural offering, the presence of institutions of Swiss and international importance in numerous artistic fields and its demographic size, represents a strategic point of reference, Mendrisio - a university seat since 1996, with two prestigious UNESCO recognitions, a lively cultural scene with a high density of art museums and substantial offerings also possible thanks to the role of voluntary associations - brings a complementary vision, placing itself between a prestigious past, a present of international recognitions and a future open to innovative and cutting-edge visions".

The application process includes these steps:

  • by December 2025, cities aiming for the title must submit all the required documentation;
  • the hearings of the candidate cities will be held between March and April 2026;
  • In June 2026, the jury will select the Swiss Cultural Capital 2030.

In addition to the joint candidacy of Lugano, Locarno and Mendrisio, Bellinzona is also in the running for Italian-speaking Switzerland. For German-speaking Switzerland, the candidate cities are Aarau, Schaffhausen, Thun and Zug.