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.
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 Cantu
Start Date: 9th September 2022
End Date: 17th September 2022
Website: https://www.artesolidalefestival.com/
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: 23rd June 2023
End Date: 11th August 2023
Website: http://www.bellagiofestival.com
Bergamo Jazz Festival
Bergamo Jazz is now into its 42nd year having been set up in 1969: the main setting of the stage of the Teatro Donizetti has witnessed some of the great names of jazz over the years including Keith Jarrett, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Charlie Mingus, John Scofield, Gato Barbieri, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Max Roach and Cecil Taylor.
Type of Event: International Jazz
Organised by: Teatro Donizetti
Location: Various in Bergamo
Start Date: 21st March 2024
End Date: 24th March 2024
Entry Fee: Go to website for ticket info
Website: Follow link
Blevio, Casta Diva Festival
Opera-themed events in celebration of Blevio’s famous Diva, Giuditta Pasta. All events have free entry. Locations are not just in Blevio but also in Canzo, Lomazzo and Saronno
Start Date: 23rd July 2023
End Date: 15th December 2023
Website: https://www.festivalcastadiva.it/edizione-2023
Blues to Bop Festival, Lugano
Now beyond 30 editions, this annual festival of American Blues is held in the open air in Lugano with a series of free concerts featuring some great names in American Blues.
Start Date: 25th August 2023
End Date: 27th August 2023
Website: https://luganoeventi.ch/it/blues-to-bop/
Buscadero Day (Change of location)
Buscadero Day is a celebration of American Country Rock previously held in the attractive location of Pusiano in the local park that fronts onto the small but beautiful lake of Pusiano. The location is now Parco Berrini on the Lago di Comabbio to the south of Varese. This concert always manages to attract significant artists from the USA. This year (2019) the star performer is David Bromberg.
Type of Event: American Rock and Country
Location: Ternate, Parco Berrini on Lago di Comabbio
Start Date: 22nd July 2022
End Date: 23rd July 2022
Entry Fee: Free entry
Website: Follow link
Chiasso Jazz Festival
The Chiasso Jazz Festival is held over a weekend in early spring. 2019 is the 22nd edition of this event – one of the rare events which link Como and Chiasso culturally by the hosting of a pre-festival concert at Como’s Teatro Sociale. 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: 7th March 2024
End Date: 10th March 2024
Entry Fee: to be defined
Website: Follow link
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
Start Date: 26th May 2022
End Date: 25th October 2022
Entry Fee: Full season subscription €90, €170 for couples or call 389 88 55 055 or 338 32 87 517 between 17.00 and 19.00 for info on costs of individual performances
Website: Follow link
Contact details: 349 3551101 and 338 5849479
Email: circolobellini@hotmail.it
Como Classica
Como Classica is now into its 7th 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 €25. 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, Cantù and Istituto Carducci di Como
Start Date: 23rd April 2023
End Date: 14th May 2023
Details of events for 2024 are NOT YET available in our calendar.
Como Contemporary Festival
2019 saw the first edition of this initiative launched by the Associazione Culturale Polifonie. It aims to promote contemporary music and its links to other arts such as poetry, painting and the theatre. Events take place either at the Chiesa Grande di San Giuseppe (a modern church with stunning stained glass), the Museo della Seta and Villa Olmo
Start Date: 5th November 2022
End Date: 13th November 2022
Estival Jazz Festival
This festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid and now seems at risk due to lack of sponsorship. It is back in 2023 with sponsorship from the local council. It is now considered part of the Lugano Long Lake Festival which includes events over the summer. The setting in Lugano’s Piazza della Riforma is glorious.
Type of Event: Jazz and World Music
Organised by: Lugano and Mendrisio Town Councils
Location: Lugano
Start Date: 7th July 2023
End Date: 8th July 2023
Entry Fee: Free
Website: Follow link
E-mail: info@estivaljazz.ch
Festival Como Citta della Musica
The festival is now in 2019 onto its 12th annual event. The highlight this year will be performances of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi held in the Arena of the Teatro Sociale on 27th and 29th June and 2nd 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: Villa Olmo and its park
Start Date: 29th June 2022
End Date: 17th July 2022
Entry Fee: Check Teatro Sociale’s website or the Festival’s website for details. Bookings must be made through the Teatro Sociale’s ticket office or online. Website: Follow link
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: 24th August 2022
End Date:28th August 2022
Entry Fee: Free
Website: New site under construction but Facebook page at @FestivalChitarraMenaggio
Festival Musica sull’Acqua
This annual festival of classical music either with soloists, ensembles or orchestra, is held across a variety of locations at the north end of the lake from Varenna to Colico.
Type of Event: Varying types of classical music
Location: Open air venues in Varenna, Colico, Menaggio and others
Start Date: 4th July 2022
End Date: 17th July 2022
Entry Fee: Ranging from some free concerts to others costing from €10 to €20 with tickets available online (see below)
Website: www.festivalmusicasullacqua.org
LacMus Festival
2020 is the fourth edition of this brief classical festival that combines quality performances in beautiful settings. The programme for 2020 is reduced because of the pandemic.
Type of Event: Classical music from baroque to modern.
Organised by: Paolo Bressan, the conductor and Louis Lortie, the pianist
Location: Various locations in Tremezzina, Ossuccio and Lenno
Start Date: 9th July 2024
End Date: 21st July 2024
Entry Fee: Tickets available online
Website: https://lacmusfestival.com/en/
Ladri di Note a Cernobbio
A series of concerts held in Villa Bernasconi in Cernobbio organised by the Societa dei Concerti di Milano. This festival did not happen last year but is now back in 2019 – it features classical musicians of renown from the Rai Orchestra and/or the Orchestra of the Scala Theatre in Milan. Most of the events in this festival are held in Milan. For more information, try their website or call +39 02 669 841 34.
Type of Event: Classical music either by Quartets or soloists
Organised by: La Societa dei Concerti di Milano
Location: Churches in Cernobbio
Start Date: June 2022
End Date: 19th September 2022
Entry Fee: Contact by phone +39 02 669 841 34 for information.
Website: https://www.soconcerti.it/
Gravedona Chamber Music Festival
Now into its second year, it describes itself thus:
The Gravedona Chamber Music Festival, organised by ClassicAreale association, was generated from the wish of Dr. Clara Curtoni and Maestro Jacopo Di Tonno, Francesca Dego e Andrea Agostinelli to share the beauty and magic of chamber music with the belief that music is the best medicine for the soul. It is an important event in the European classical music festival scene and every year artists and chamber groups of international renown participate. With great enthusiasm the cellist Enrico Dindo accepted the Festival’s honorary presidency and his music-making and concept will always be our model, guideline and source of inspiration. This year he will star in one of the Festival concerts.
New features of this fifth edition are the return to the splendid Santa Maria delle Grazie, which has been resto
Type of Event: Chamber music of international renown
Organised by: Associazione ClassicaReale
Location: Gravedona in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie and the Terrace of Palazo Galllio
Start Date: 2nd August 2022
End Date: 26th August 2022
Entry Fee: Around €15 for individual performances €110 for a season ticket. Tickets available on line on the organiser’s web site or contact by phone M +39 348 284 5077 or
gravedonachambermusicfestival@gmail.com
Website: https://www.gcmf.it/2019-program
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: 29th July 2022
End Date: 18th September 2022
Entry Fee: €10 for events in FAI buildings, €18 for concert and entry to Villa Carlotta, €7 for over 60s, free for under 14s, the disabled and members of Amadeus Arte. Season tickets cost €30. Some concerts are however free.
Website: Follow link
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: 21st July 2022
End Date: 24th July 2022
Entry Fee: Free
Website: https://www.comune.lecco.it/index.php/archivio-news/news-dal-turismo/11551-lecco-jazz-festival-2
Tremezzina Music Festival
A short festival of Jazz held in the Parco Teresio Olivelli.
Type of Event: Jazz
Location: Parco Comunale Teresio Olivelli, Tremezzo
Free entry but booking advised via http://www.suonimobili.it
Start date: 8th August 2022
End date: 11th August 2022
Web site:tremezzinamusicfestival.it
Swing Crash Festival
There will be no festival this year. With luck it will return in 2020. It is 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:
End date:
Entry fee: Depends on event – info from the website.
Website: Follow this link
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 31st year
Type of Event: Classical music
Location: Villa Monastero at Varenna and in churches or other locations of architectural interest along the Lecco side of the lake.
Organised by: Roberto Porroni
Free entry
Start date: 24th July 2022
End date: 16th September 2022
Web site: Roberto Porroni
WOW Music Festival
This event has now returned to Como in 2021 and been integrated within the Villa Olmo Festival.
Innovative series of musical and mixed media events taking place in the gardens of Villa Olmo. 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: Villa Bernasconi, Cernobbio
Start date: 30th June 2022
End date: 3rd July 2022
Entry fee: Tickets can be purchased via ticketone.it/artist/wow-music-festival
Website: Follow this link
The Como Companion 