Lonato del Garda switches on its Christmas lights on Sunday 29 November 2026 at 6:00 pm in Piazza Martiri della Libertà. The event, called “Lonato si Illumina: la magia del Natale inizia insieme” (“Lonato lights up: the magic of Christmas begins together”), marks the official start of the festive season in the town.
A Christmas installation will reach every hamlet of Lonato del Garda. The theme chosen for Christmas 2026 is the Sphere, which the municipality sees as a symbol of perfection, welcome and warmth. It returns in several installations across the area.
What happens in the square
The main moment takes place in Piazza Martiri della Libertà. The stilt-walker show “Carousel”, by the Associazione Teatro per Caso, comes first and leads up to the switching-on of the lights across the whole town.
Mezzo-soprano Marta Pluda and trumpeter Fulvio Sigurtà, both artists from Lonato del Garda, perform in the square. Father Christmas and the local Alpini group (Gruppo Alpini di Lonato del Garda) also take part in the evening.
Torre Civica and Rocca lit up for the first time
The novelty of this edition is the “Year Zero” (“Anno Zero”) of the Torre Civica (Civic Tower) and the Rocca (fortress). For the first time, these two landmarks of Lonato will be lit with a new lighting design, created in collaboration with the Fondazione Ugo da Como.
Silvia Razzi, councillor for Culture, Tourism, Events and Territorial Marketing, has followed the project since the end of June. According to the councillor, no hamlet will be left out, and each place will have installations designed to bring out its own character.
Mayor Nicola Bianchi describes the initiative, announced by the municipality of Lonato del Garda, as a moment of sharing with the whole community.
