Europe's biggest pop-culture festival is also one of its biggest gaming gatherings, and in 2026 it hits a milestone. Lucca Comics & Games turns 60, and the Italian event has just pulled the wraps off its anniversary edition. If a gaming pilgrimage to Tuscany has ever crossed your mind, this is the year to pencil it in.
Got a regular group? Create a private community, poll for the best date, vote on games, and let your friends RSVP in one place.
Set up your group for freeLucca returns from 28 October 2026 under the theme "Legacy", marking six decades since the festival first ran in the 1960s. It is not a small affair. The 2025 edition sold more than 280,000 tickets, comfortably outdrawing the reported attendance of San Diego Comic-Con, and packed the medieval walled city with hundreds of exhibitors. To mark the anniversary, comic artist Claudio Castellini has drawn what organisers call the first meta-poster in the festival's history, weaving together characters from past Lucca artwork.
For tabletop folk, the games hall is the draw. The 2026 programme leans hard into trading card games, with a Bandai pavilion hosting One Piece, Gundam, Dragon Ball Super and Digimon, plus the Italian premiere of the new Naruto Card Game. Pokemon brings a 30th-anniversary showcase, and Magic: The Gathering lines up illustration talks from artists Rebecca Guay and Scott M. Fischer. Lucca has long treated games as equals to comics and film. Fighting Fantasy co-founder Sir Ian Livingstone once praised it for celebrating "the art and the medium and the creators".
Run game nights? Backseat Gamer handles RSVPs, waitlists, date polling, and game voting so you can focus on playing.
Start organising for freeOctober is a way off, but it is never too early to wrangle a group. If you are tempted by the trip, start a community and plan the logistics on Backseat Gamer, or see what else is on.
Sources: Bleeding Cool | Tabletop Gaming
