There are a number of cultural events organised each year in and around Como. Many of them but not all are musical and the key ones are listed below. For art and photography exhibitions, view our page on Exhibition Venues. We will also shortly start a page for general exhibitions, conferences and symposia.
The list gives a brief description of each event and information on its start and end date, entry fees and locations. Whenever programs get published online, the specific dates are then entered into the Como Companion calendar.
Arte Solidale Festival
Arte Solidale is a festival promoting young musical talent with a winter and summer season of concerts in various beautiful locations around Lake Como. The concerts celebrate a rich variety of classical music. Entrance to most concerts is free but the concerts do aim to gather donations to aid young people in need of assistance.
Type of Events: Classical, orchestral and recitals
Organised by: Various associations.
Location: Various locations around the lake and to Cantu
Start Date: May 2017
End Date: June 2017
Website: https://www.artesolidalefestival.com/
Details of these events for summer 2017 are not yet available on our calendar
Bellagio and Lake Como Festival
Bellagio and Lake Como Festival organises a series of predominantly classical music events that take place in Bellagio, Tremezzo, Erba and other lakeside locations. Most of the events are free but some do either ask for a contribution to charity or a small entrance fee. The events start in June and continue until the second week in September.
Type of Events: Classical, orchestral and recitals and some jazz
Organised by: Rosella Spinosa
Location: Bellagio, Erba and other lakeside locations
Start Date: 29th June
End Date: 30th September
Website: http://www.bellagiofestival.com/?page_id=715
Details of these events for 2017 are NOW available on our calendar
Buscadero Day
Buscadero Day is a celebration of American Country Rock held in the attractive location of Pusiano in the local park that fronts onto the small but beautiful lake of Pusiano. This concert always manages to attract significant artists from the USA. This year stars Suzanne Vega.
Type of Event: American Rock and Country
Organised by: Pusiano Comune thanks to the support of the mayor
Location: Pusiano, Parco Comunale, Via Mazzini
Start Date: 23rd July 2017, 11.00
End Date: 23rd July 2017, 00.00
Entry Fee: Free entry
Website: Follow link
Details of event for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
Chamber Music – Teatro Sociale
From autumn to spring, the Teatro Sociale organises a series of recitals held once a month on a Sunday morning in its glorious Sala Bianca. Entry is free. All concerts start at 11.00am. The Sala Bianca is one of the most beautiful public spaces available in Como and well worth a visit for its own sake. The Teatro Sociale also runs a season of dance, music and opera throughout the winter months detailed under Stagione Notte on their website.
Type of Event: Chamber music and recitals
Organised by: Teatro Sociale
Location: Como
Start Date: October 2016
End Date: April 2017
Entry Fee: Free entry
Website: Follow link
Details of events for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
Chiasso Jazz Festival
The Chiasso Jazz Festival is held over a weekend in early spring. It attracts musicians of great reputation and is definitely an event to put in your calendar if you are a lover of modern jazz. The Cinema Teatro in Chiasso puts on other music and dance events throughout the year so it is worth checking their schedule even outside of the festival dates.
Type of Event: Modern Jazz
Organised by: Cinema Teatro
Location: Cinema Teatro, Via Dante Alighieri, Chiasso
Start Date: 16th March 2017
End Date: 18th March 2017
Entry Fee: to be defined
Website: Follow link
Details of events for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
Circolo Bellini Summer Season
The Circolo Vincenzo Bellini is a cultural organisation founded in 1978 at Moltrasio which organises a series of musical events such as piano, violin or opera recitals from April to October. Access for association members only. Membership details available via contacts below and website. You may also subscribe at any of the concert venues.
Type of Event: Classical music recitals
Organised by: Circolo Vincenzo Bellini
Location: Villa D’Este, Teatro Sociale and other prime locations
Start Date: 12th May
End Date: 8th October
Entry Fee: Full season subscription €80, €150 for couples
Website: Follow link
Details for 2017 are NOW in our calendar.
Contact details: 349 3551101 and 338 5849479
Email: circolobellini@hotmail.it
Como Comin’ Jazz
Como’s Comin’Jazz festival is an initiative in its first year that intends to re-establish an annual jazz festival in Como. It is supported by the comune in association with the Teatro Sociale, Nerolidio Music Factory, Nota su Nota, Music For Green and the Jazz Club di Como. Over a few days it intends to combine events, concerts, workshops, school activities with the idea of showcasing both local and international talent.
Type of Event: Various genres of Jazz
Organised by: Teatro Sociale and others
Location: Teatro Sociale and Chiostrino di Sant’Eufemia
Start Date: 9th March 2017
End Date: 15th March 2017
Entry Fee: varied
Website: Follow link
Details of events for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
Como Classica
Como Classica is now into its 5th year bringing classical music to the attention of a broader public. It consists of a series of chamber music concerts in a variety of locations available free to all who subscribe to the association for a seasonal fee of €20. For info on how to subscribe, contact comoclassica@gmail.com
Type of Events: Classical
Organised by: Associazione Como Classica
Location: Around the city of Como and Istituto Carducci di Como
Start Date: 5th March 2017
End Date: 28th April 2017
Details of events for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
Como Live 100e20
Como Live 100e20 is a series of highly varied musical events that take place across the city of Como throughout the summer from June to September. The events range from local brass band recitals to tango exhibitions. Venues include Piazza Duomo, Cavour and Martinelli – the events out in the open are obviously free.
Type of Events: Varied
Organised by: Comune di Como
Location: Around the city of Como
Start Date: June
End Date: September
Details of events for 2017 are now available in our calendar.
Estival Jazz Festival
This music festival attracts some excellent musicians representing modern jazz, blues and world music predominantly. It is entirely free and the setting in Lugano is glorious.
Type of Event: Jazz and World Music
Organised by: Lugano and Mendrisio Town Councils
Location: Lugano and Mendrisio
Start Date:30th June 2017 at Mendrisio End Date: 8th July 2017 at Lugano
Entry Fee: Free
Website: Follow link
Details of event for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
E-mail: info@estivaljazz.ch
Festival Como Citta della Musica
The highlight will be performances of Donizetti’s ‘L’Elisir d’Amore’ held in the Arena of the Teatro Sociale on 29th June and 1st, 2nd and 5th July. These performances incorporate a whole mass of contributors in addition to the professional artistes making opera truly accessible to all and highly participatory.
Type of Event: Opera and varied musical genres
Organised by: Como Festival
Location: Arena and other locations across Como
Start Date: 29th June 2017
End Date: 16th July 2017
Entry Fee: Free
Website: Follow link
Details of the events for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
Festival Internazionale di Chitarra
This annual festival dedicated to guitar music, takes place in August in the town of Menaggio. It was originally set up in 2007 by the current director Sergio Fabian Lavia based on the model of the Bormio Festival with the objective of combining great music in a small community within a beautiful setting. Locations for the musical events are mainly bars and restaurants around the town.
Type of Event: Varying types of guitar music and workshops
Organised by: Sergio Fabian Lavia
Location: Bars and restaurants in Menaggio
Start Date: 25th August 2017
End Date: 27th August 2017
Entry Fee: Free
Website: Follow link
Details of all the events for 2017 are NOW available in our calendar.
Kammermusik Como
A brief series of chamber music events intended to recreate the intimate link between artistes and audiences offered by this genre of classical music. The season always starts off with a concert in memory of the Jewish musicians massacred in the concentration camp of Terezin on October 17th – the exact date set for the concert of commemoration.
Type of Event: Chamber music
Organised by: Casa della Musica, Piazza Martinelli and Università Popolare di Musica, Viale Cavallotti, 7
Location: Casa della Musica in Piazza Martinelli or Associazione Cavallotti in Viale Cavallotti 7
Start Date: 17th October (2016)
End Date:4th December (2016)
Entry Fee: Free
Website: Follow link
Details of all the events for 2017 are not yet available in our calendar.
Lake Como Festival
A series of recitals held over the summer in a variety of villas on Lakes Como or Lugano. There is also an autumn season.
Type of Event: Classical music recitals
Organised by: Amadeus Arte & FAI
Location: Various lakeside villa locations
Start Date: April 2017
End Date: September 2017
Entry Fee: €10, €7 for over 60s, free for under 14s, the disabled and members of Amadeus Arte. Season tickets cost €20. Some concerts are however free.
Website: Follow link
Details of event are NOW available in our calendar.
Lecco Jazz Festival
This is just the second year of this event and unfortunately I got to hear of it too late to include details from the start of the festival. However this marker will ensure that won’t happen next year. This is a festival dedicated to Giorgio Caslini with the intention of not just bringing great music to the city but also workshops, debates and of course, attractions for visitors. All events are free. The event is organised by the comune with an off-festival (September) organised by CRAMS and CEPI.
Type of Event: Jazz performances, workshops and master classes
Organised by: Comune di Lecco with support from the Lombardy Region
Location: Various city locations in Lecco
Start Date: July 11th 2017
End Date: July 30th 2017 but with an off-festival during September.
Entry Fee: Free
Website: Follow link
Details of event are NOW available in our calendar.
Swing Crash Festival
A festival of Swing big band jazz music from the 1920s and 30s and the accompanying dance styles.
Type of event: Dance and music workshops, music and dance events
Organised by: Associazione Swing Crash by international dancers Vincenzo Fesi and Isabella Gregorio.
Location: Grand Opening in Bellagio, public concerts in Piazza Volta and Piazza Cavour in Como. Other events in clubs and bars.
Start date: 21st June 2017
End date: 25th June 2017
Entry fee: Depends on event – info from the website.
Website: Follow this link
Details of the events for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
Tra Lago e Monti Festival
Classical music festival held in a variety of locations on the Lecco side of the lake as well as primarily in the Villa Monastero at Varenna. T.his is now into its 30th year
Type of Event: Classical music
Location: Villa Monastero at Varenna and in chirches or other locations of architectural interest along the Lecco side of the lake.
Organised by: Roberto Porroni
Free entry
Start date: 21st July 2017
End date: 9th September 2017
Web site: Roberto Porroni
Details of this event for 2017 are now available on our calendar.
Tremezzina Music Festival
World music, classics and jazz in the beautiful setting of Tremezzo and Ossuccio usually held from mid-August.
Type of Event: Jazz, World Music
Location: Parco Comunale Teresio Olivelli, Tremezzo
Free entry
Start date: 11th and then 16th August 2017
End date: 19th August 2017
Web site: http://tremezzinamusicfestival.it/
Details of this event for 2017 are now available on our calendar.
WOW Music Festival
Innovative series of musical and mixed media events taking place in the gardens alongside the Tempio Voltiano on Como’s lakeside. A mix of indie-rock, and electro with artists of international fame alongside food, workshops, meetings with artists – with the objective of making this the heart of a cultural renaissance across the Como area.
Type of event: Indie-rock, tecno, workshops
Organised by: Marker, Autorock and Como Concerti
Location: Gardens of the Tempio Voltiano
Start date: 29th June 2017
End date: 2nd July 2017
Entry fee: Free entry
Website: Follow this link
Details of the events for 2018 are not yet available in our calendar.
