Colors of Lugano - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

The quiet city of Lugano attracts international travelers due to its superb events and festivals. Numerous interesting and unforgettable events which literally transform the city beyond recognition take place in Lugano annually. For more than 20 years Lugaon hosts the brightest event of Blues to Bop Festival which attracts as the fans of blues so occasional tourists. During the festival the streets of the city are rather crowded. Some of them are hurrying to the next concert meanwhile others are rushing to the local shops to hunt some original souvenirs as the rest are just walking through the festive city embracing the atmosphere of the festival.

Apart from the concerts the festival program also includes exciting lectures and competitions as well as exhibitions dedicated to music. The city is transformed to the huge stage for several days. The festival engages popular musicians and amateur bands. As it was mentioned above the festival is of great popularity not only among music fans but among usual tourists as well.

The history of the festival is rather engaging. Few decades ago a company of local music fans arranged a small scale event. Annually the event engaged more and more of participants. Today it has developed in an upscale world class festival. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In October Lugano is visited by numerous gourmands. The reason is that in October the haute cuisine festival takes place. Local restaurants and cafés make the comprehensive preparation for the event. Guests are offered special menu in every house. Each place is ready to treat the visitors with incredible delicacies and chef d’oeuvre. Anybody can take part in the culinary master classes, attend the lectures of renowned chefs and find out the secrets of cooking of exquisite dishes.

After the foods fest another significant event named the Festa d’Autunno begins. It is still one of the most favorite and wanted fests among local people. Exciting fairs and sales, the variety of souvenirs and festive treats, daily concerts and theatre troupe performances, sport competitions and entertaining kids’ events – this is only a small part of the entertainment available for tourists during the Festa d’Autunno!

The beginning of July in Lugano is marked by another festival that would interest music fans. This is Lugano Estival Jazz taking place in the main city square - Piazza della Riforma. The main venue is next to the City Hall (Municipio di Lugano). It is worth noting that this is the main musical event not only in Lugano but in the entire canton of Ticino, and evidence of this is famous jazz and blues musicians who join the festival as headliners to amuse the audience with improvised performances. At the festival, you can hear not only jazz and blues but also related genres such as soul, funk, rock.

No less remarkable is the Lugano Buskers Festival, during which more than fifty thousand interesting theatrical performances take place in just five days. The open-air event is held on the central streets of the city in the middle of hot July when the weather is wonderful. Besides theatrical shows, the audience can enjoy performances, dances, and music concerts. The Buskers Festival is followed by another, no less interesting event - the ROAM Festival. This one is dedicated to alternative rock and electronic music in all its manifestations. Visitors can listen to their favorite music in the picturesque Parco Ciani.

The festival with the self-explanatory name, Family Festival, is another great event on the holiday calendar of Lugano. The venue is the above-mentioned Parco Ciani, as well as a concert venue located here - Palazzo dei Congressi. Interesting shows, conferences, seminars, workshops are organized for young visitors within the framework of the event. A warm family atmosphere of the festival ideal for getting closer is what many people come to the unique event for. You can visit the family holiday throughout the summer. All you need is to follow the schedule of events.

In the same period, that is, throughout the summer season, Parco Ciani, and in particular, the historic Villa Ciani welcomes visitors who wish to listen to classical music. The reason is the Classica Festival taking place at this time. Bands and performers well-known in the world of classical music, as well as musicians who can be considered newcomers in this field, are invited to participate in the event. Within the framework of another interesting event - the Ritmo Costante Festival - they hold dance performances accompanied by music concerts, a gastronomic program, workshops, fairs with unique hand-made products, as well as film screenings. Such a broad program makes the event one of the most sought after in Lugano. Everyone can join it at the Teatro e Studio Foce on weekends, from January to June.