Fumetto Comic Festival Lucerne 2027

Fumetto is the international comic festival of Lucerne, Switzerland, and one of the most respected comic festivals in Europe. The 2027 edition runs for nine days, from 6 to 14 March, with exhibitions spread across museums, galleries, shop windows and unusual spaces throughout the city, alongside talks, workshops, a small-press market and its long-running international comic competition.

Fumetto is known for treating comics as an art form. Its exhibitions often bring together independent and experimental comic artists with illustrators and visual artists, and the 2026 edition included shows at the Kunsthalle Luzern and the Kunstmuseum.

About Fumetto

The first Fumetto took place in 1992 at the Wärchhof youth culture centre, aimed at young people and art students from Lucerne. The comic competition was part of the programme from the start. Over three decades the festival grew from a regional event into a major platform for comics: its first international star guest was Lorenzo Mattotti, a children's programme called Fumettino was added in the mid-1990s, and the festival gradually spread across the whole city.

That decentralised concept is still its signature. Exhibitions appear in venues and shop windows around Lucerne, inviting visitors to walk the city from one show to the next.

What to Expect

• Exhibitions across Lucerne, from art museums to galleries and pop-up spaces
• Guest artists from Switzerland and abroad, including an artist in residence
• The international comic competition, with an exhibition of selected entries
• SmallPressHeaven, a market for self-published comics, zines and prints
• Fumettino, the programme for children and families
• Talks, workshops and events throughout the nine days

2027 Programme

The festival runs from Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 March 2027. The SmallPressHeaven market opens on both weekends, 6–7 and 13–14 March, and comic artists, publishers and art school classes can apply for a table until 30 November 2026. The 2027 international comic competition has the theme "Blubb", and the festival has unveiled a new visual identity inspired by print and zine culture. The full exhibition programme is published on the official website before the festival.

Who Is It For?

• Comic artists and illustrators, from students to professionals
• Self-publishers and zine makers
• Art and illustration students
• Families, through the Fumettino programme
• Visitors interested in comics as contemporary art

Tickets

Tickets and festival passes are sold through the official Fumetto website; prices for 2027 are published closer to the festival. Some events and shop-window exhibitions can be seen without a ticket.

Tips for Artists

For comic artists, Fumetto is a rare festival that takes experimental and personal work seriously. Visit the competition exhibition to see the range of approaches that juries reward, and walk SmallPressHeaven to meet self-publishers and small presses from across Europe. If you make zines or self-published comics, consider applying for a table: the deadline for 2027 is 30 November 2026.

If you are thinking of entering the competition in future, the theme and rules are published each year in advance; see our listing of the Fumetto International Comic Competition.

Planning Your Visit

Lucerne is about an hour by train from Zurich and Zurich Airport, and most festival venues are within walking distance of the main station and the old town. Plan at least two days to see the exhibitions properly; the two weekends are the busiest and liveliest.

Things to Know

• Dates: 6–14 March 2027, nine days.
• Walkable: venues are spread across the centre of Lucerne.
• Language: most information is in German, with some English.
• Weather: March in Lucerne is cool; dress for walking between venues.
• Market: SmallPressHeaven applications close on 30 November 2026.

Attend Fumetto 2027

Planning a visit?

Visit Fumetto

The programme, exhibitions and tickets are on the official Fumetto website.

Looking for more to see? Browse all events, festivals and exhibitions on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 26, 2026