Il Christmas in Lugano It's not just an event: it's a collective experience, a moment in which the streets, parks and squares become part of a great scenography that combines tradition, joy and wonder. From 27 November 2025 to 6 January 2026, Lugano it transforms into a place where winter smells of cinnamon and celebration, where the lights are reflected in the lake and footsteps resonate to the tunes of a city dressed in magic.
Il first big appointment is set for Thursday 27 November at 18 pm, when the imposing Christmas tree in Piazza della Riforma will officially light up. It will be the beginning of a month and a half of events, music, and smiles. From 17:20, well-known faces of the RSI, city authorities and the public will gather under the tree to count together the seconds that will kick off the brightest party of the year.
A market filled with lights, scents, and music
Between Reform Square e Piazza Manzonibeyond 60 stalls They will offer an itinerary filled with little treasures: handcrafted decorations, spiced sweets, hot chocolate, local wines, and gift ideas that smell like home.
The market is one of the most evocative of the Switzerland, but what makes it special is the atmosphere: the lights dancing on the facades, the music accompanying the steps, the gastronomic chalets which come alive with laughter and toasts.
La RSI will be present with his Chalet, from which every day – from 1st to 24th December – live broadcasts will be aired. Among the most anticipated moments, the episode of “We're out” December 1st and that of “Popular Sunday” to Lara Montagna on December 21, broadcast byAIL Ice Village.
Ice, lights, and new emotions at Ciani Park
The green heart of the city is transformed, once again, into an enchanted village. Ciani Park, surrounded by soft lights, welcomes the natural ice skating rink, loved by adults and children, and the new attraction of the year: the minigolf on ice.
Between skating and laughing, you can warm up in the pop-up structure in Alpine chic style, where you can enjoy a snack or an aperitif with a lake view.
And then, when evening falls, just look out onto the lakefront to admire the Submerged nativity scene of Friends of the Submerged Nativity Scene: statues lying on the bottom of Lake Ceresio that slowly light up, like a secret revealed in the water.
Where children are the protagonists
A few steps from the Park, theCiani Asylum becomes a little fairy-tale world: the Family Village, with free admission, welcomes the little ones with creative workshops, games and activities curated by The USI ideatorium and from Museum in the making.
A warm refuge where imagination becomes the most precious gift.
Il Foce Theater, instead, will bring the magic of fairy tales to life with free shows such as “Penny and the first snowflake” (December 8) and “Christmas with hip hop” (December 21), while the 14th December, the review Without borders of the Pan Theater in collaboration with LAC ed will propose “The Snow Queen”, a fairy tale that has enchanted for generations.
New Year's Eve under the stars in Piazza della Riforma
As the year draws to a close, Reform Square returns to being the beating heart of the city. The 31th December, with music, toasts and hugs, Lugano will welcome the new year under the illuminated tree.
And the 1 January, as per tradition, the city authorities will meet the population at Congress Palace, in a moment of good wishes and sharing that symbolically opens 2026.
A Ticino that celebrates together
Il Christmas in Lugano He does not live alone. Together with Bellinzona e Locarno, the city participates in the project Ticino365, a network that unites the three destinations under the banner of light and discovery.
From the markets of Christmas in Piazza Lugano al Winterland Locarno, Up to Christmas in the City of Bellinzona, the entire Canton is described as a single, great Christmas experience.
"Holidays represent a time of meeting and openness - he recalled Robert Badaracco, Deputy Mayor and Head of the Department of Culture, Sport and Events – where the city renews its commitment to creating authentic experiences, capable of uniting visitors and residents".
An invitation to be surprised
Each year, the Christmas in Lugano It knows how to renew itself without losing its soul: the light of the lake, the scent of the markets, the laughter of a child on the ice.
A simple yet powerful blend of emotions that warms even the coldest days.
