Locarno Film Festival

The Locarno Film Festival is the most important film festival in Switzerland. It was founded in 1946 after the Second World War and is one of the most renowned and oldest festivals in Europe, along with the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals. The focus is on films of the retrospective and the competition for the Golden Leopard. During these eleven days, over 300 films will be shown in 13 theaters and stars such as Meg Ryan, Harrison Ford, Francesca Bertini, Adrien Brody, Juliette Binoche or Sir Anthony Hopkins walk the red carpet. It is a place of discovery, exchange, discussion, creativity and above all, for the future of cinema. There are many other fantastic cultural activities to discover around the festival. Make the Locarno Film Festival your personal #LocarnoExperience!

Locarno Film Festival
  • Wagen Sie die #LocarnoExperience

  • The Locarno Film Festival is much more than the evening screenings on the Piazza Grande. An extensive programme of screenings, public talks, the "la Rotonda by la Mobiliare", workshops and many other creative activities. It all adds up to the #LocarnoExperience - a unique experience!

The morning

A wonderful day and it couldn't start any better: cappuccino and croissant on a sunny terrace, completely relaxed under the rays of the morning sun. Then study the programme of the Locarno Film Festival and chose the highlights of the day. The day can start!
Soon we are off to the first film. On the one hand, it's a shame to sit in the dark theater in this beautiful weather, but on the other hand, it's pleasantly cool there.

After the first screening, there are some interesting talks on current topics. One of those activities that make a real #LocarnoExperience. The morning flies by in a flash and a little hunger is starting to make itself felt. A good opportunity to take a stroll through the city in search of a suitable restaurant and to admire the shop windows decorated in the "Pardo look".

The afternoon

After a short lunch break, it's straight on to the next film. The nice thing about the Locarno Film Festival is that you can see films here that you won't see in every cinema later. Before the next film it would be nice to go on a little walk along the lake to soak up some sun and stretch the legs. On a sitting bench with a view of the lake and the mountain ranges in the distance and a delicious gelato in your hand, it's nice to rest for a while. If you feel like it, you can even jump into the lake and take a refreshing dip.

During the festival, there are also exhibitions and workshops. It's worth taking a look at the programme before heading back to the hotel to freshen up for the evening.

Il percorso museale
  • The Piazza Grande

  • The heart of Locarno is the Piazza Grande. The city square is also the pulsating centre during the Locarno Film Festival. Every evening, 8,000 film lovers gather here to watch the awards ceremony and international film premieres under a starry sky.

The evening

Freshly showered, a short walk through the city, which is starting to fill up, takes you to  "La Rotonda by la Mobiliare". The many food trucks and bars don't make it easy to decide on something for dinner. The beautiful ambience makes you want to stay here, but it's time for the evening film on the Piazza Grande! It is an impressive image, the 8,000 chairs perfectly lined up in front of the 26x14 metre screen, surrounded by the city's houses. After a few speeches, awards, appearances by world-famous stars, it slowly starts to get dark. The darkness brings a magical atmosphere when all eyes are turned towards the screen, the stars twinkle in the sky and the whole piazza reacts at the same moment to a scene in the film. The warm temperatures tempt you to savour this unique atmosphere a little longer and let the beautiful summer evening come to an end at "La Rotonda by la Mobiliare".

Rotonda by la Mobiliare

The "Rotonda", as the gigantic roundabout at the entrance to the city of Locarno is called, is transformed into an open-air cultural space during the Locarno Film Festival. Artists show their creativity here by painting in front of the public, great music groups and DJs lead the way through the evening with lots of energy and a wide-ranging music programme, children have fun in an area specially designed for them, and food trucks with regional and exotic culinary delicacies and bars keep bellies full. Just a stone's throw from the Piazza Grande, it's the ideal meeting place for an aperitif before the evening film or for dancing under the stars afterwards.

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