From September 3rd to 6th, Campione d'Italia will once again hear the roar of engines. The second edition of the re-enactment of the Campione d'Italia Circuit will bring cars, motorcycles, and historic boats back to the exclave's roads, reviving the memory of the races that animated this stretch of road overlooking Lake Lugano in the 1930s and 1940s.
The 2026 edition, organized by Victorious with the patronage of the Municipality of Campione d'Italia and the Automobile Club Lugano Classic, will extend far beyond a simple sporting reenactment. The program includes cultural initiatives, meetings, exhibitions, activities for children and young people, events dedicated to inclusion, and a series of connections with Ticino, starting in Lugano.
The event recalls the history of the races held on the city circuit in 1937 and 1946, on a track just over a kilometer long that saw some of the leading figures in motorsport of the time compete. In 2026, the project aims to revisit that heritage through a four-day event featuring collectors' cars, reenactment competitions, parades, and events open to the public.
The openness and the connection with Ticino
The program will kick off on Thursday, September 3rd, with the official presentation of the crews on Via Roma in Campione d'Italia. The evening will be followed by a dinner for participants in the paddock.
On Friday, September 4th, the event will move partly to Ticino. A tour is planned, with a stop at Bentley Lugano and a subsequent parade through downtown Lugano, before returning to Campione d'Italia for the gala dinner.
Also on Friday, Arturo Merzario will be the featured guest in Lugano at a meeting organized by Ceresio Investors. The former Italian driver, who competed in endurance racing, Formula 1, the Targa Florio, and prototypes, will be involved in Circuit activities again on Saturday, September 5th, when he will meet the public for photographs, autographs, and interviews.
Space for children and new generations
New features for the 2026 edition include the Mini GP for Kids , an initiative aimed at children aged 3 to 7. The event will take place on Friday in Lugano and on Saturday in Campione d'Italia.
Younger children will be able to drive electric cars at a maximum speed of 4 kilometers per hour. If necessary, a remote control controlled by parents will be available. The activity will be non-competitive and will focus on play, social interaction, and basic road safety education. Participation is free, but reservations are required.
The initiative is part of the Circuito Academy project , which also involves students from USI and SUPSI. Some young people will be involved in organizational support, while eight participants under 25 will attend the event as guests.
The stated goal is to foster generational turnover and use the Circuit as a potential case study in international tourism training. The program began in 2025 and will continue in subsequent years. According to the organizers, some students have already gained experience in the organization through internships.
The weekend is getting into full swing
Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September will be dedicated to the most dynamic part of the event. The programme includes sessions on the circuit, including night-time sessions, divided by category, along with the Concorso d'Eleganza Circuito di Campione and exhibitions dedicated to historic Formula cars.
Among the announced events is the Historic Formula 1 Show , organized with MCM Master Class Motors. Initiatives and activities for the public are also planned.
On Saturday, the program will also include a display by the Aero Club Como seaplanes. On Sunday, the WeFly! Team , composed of pilots with disabilities, will fly over Campione d'Italia. Three aircraft will fly over Campione d'Italia as part of an initiative supported by the Campione d'Italia Lions Club.
The prizes and the role of the Casino
Among the final moments of the 2026 edition will be the presentation of awards related to the Concorso d'Eleganza. Among the prizes announced are the Coppa del Museo Tazio Nuvolari, the Coppa del Casino di Campione d'Italia, and a new Casino Trophy for the winner of the Best in Show award.
The awards ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, September 6th in the Salone delle Feste of the Campione Casino. The two main awards will be the Best in Show 2026 , dedicated to the car considered the most significant in terms of beauty, history, and automotive quality, and the Casino di Campione Trophy , designed to evoke the values of sporting spirit, passion, and fair play in racing.
The Best in Show award will be represented by a ceramic work created by Roberto Barbero, while the second recognition will take the form of a commemorative cup.
On Friday, September 4th, the Salone delle Feste will also host the gala dinner connected to the event.
The history of the Circuit told through the exhibitions
The program won't be limited to road activities. The "Campione in Pista" exhibition , held at the "Don Sandro Vitalini" Civic Gallery, will be open from the beginning of August.
The exhibition reconstructs the history of the Circuit through automobiles, photographs, and archive materials. Among the vehicles on display are a Lotus from the Expo Moser collection, an Elva from the MCM Motors collection, and a restored Tony Kart from the Dedo Tanzi collection.
The itinerary also includes original photographs of the 1937 circuit, period posters and flyers, as well as materials dedicated to drivers Silvio Moser and Bruno Pescia.
Another historic Formula car, the 1970 Bellasi Cosworth F1 70-1, has been placed in a display case at the entrance to Campione d'Italia thanks to the collaboration between Expo Silvio Moser and the Municipality.
Inside the Casino there is a Lancia Aurelia B24 Convertible , belonging to Silvia Mari and directly linked to the history of local car racing events: in 1956 it won the Grand Prix of Honour at the Concorso d'Eleganza di Campione.
A work to remember the bond with motorsport
The 2026 Circuit will also include a commemorative postmark created in collaboration with Roberto Puzone of Poste Italiane.
Organizers Ermanno De Angelis and Nunzia Del Gaudio have also chosen to donate a bas-relief by artist Alessandro Rasponi to the Municipality of Campione d'Italia. The work will be unveiled on September 5th and will remain with the city as a testament to Campione's connection to its motorsport history.
Solidarity and accessibility at the heart of the program
Another aspect of the event focuses on social inclusion. Among the organizations involved are Telethon Ticino, Inclusione Andicap Ticino, and Scuderia del Portello.
The latter will bring to Campione the Alfa Romeo 1900 TI used by Clay Regazzoni in the 2002 Carrera Panamericana. The car had been modified with manual controls after the accident that left the Swiss driver paraplegic in 1980.
Regazzoni chose to return to motorsports, demonstrating that disability didn't necessarily mean the end of a relationship with racing. The car, restored while maintaining its adapted driving system, today represents one of the symbols of the "Barrier-free Mobility – Disability and Motorsport for Barrier-Free Mobility" project.
At the Circuit it will be driven by Dodo Regazzoni, Clay's brother and guest of the 2026 edition. Alongside this car, a rare Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Monoposto “Sebring” will also be on display, already presented at international events and recently at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese.
Reaching Campione also by lake
The organizers have prepared several solutions to facilitate travel during the event. In addition to parking areas, a shuttle service will be available from Melano and lake connections will be available from Lugano.
The agreement with the Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano will allow you to obtain a 30% discount on the ticket to reach Campione d'Italia from Lugano.
The catamaran Allegra will also be used on Saturday, September 5th , with scheduled connections between Lugano and Campione d'Italia. The vessel, with a capacity of 40 passengers, will operate according to a pre-established timetable, and tickets can be purchased online.
For those arriving by car, a new parking area will be available in Melano, along the cantonal road, with approximately 250 spaces. From there, a free shuttle will connect the parking lot to Campione d'Italia.
The project also includes a carpooling solution developed by Bepooler and an official app created by Web Valleys, with a map and useful information for following the event.
Information and reservations
The complete program, updated timetables and booking information are available on the official Circuito di Campione website.
With historic cars and motorcycles, vintage Formula 1 races, seaplanes, cultural initiatives, and events directly involving Lugano and Ticino, the 2026 Campione d'Italia Circuit is preparing to revive, for four days, a unique chapter in the cross-border area's motorsport history. Alongside the reenactment of past races, this year's edition aims to build a broader program that emphasizes education, accessibility, and public participation.
