The grand finale of FIT Festival 2026 is in full swing: the 35th edition of the International Festival of Theatre and the contemporary performing arts runs at LAC Lugano from October 2 to 11, with a preview on September 29 and 30. Ten days, thirty performances, one feature film, six conversations with the artists, the launch of Laterale, the new publishing project created with LAC, the Keep FIT with radio on-the-road station, the youth team's live broadcasts, the social Biglietto sospeso initiative, the intergenerational Restez FIT! tandem, the second edition of the three-year youth project Sentieri selvaggi and the new Watch&Talk programme for emerging artists.

An event dedicated to the contemporary that brings to Lugano the creations of some of the most interesting artists on the Swiss and international theatre and performance scene, with guests from thirteen nations: Argentina, Ivory Coast, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Mexico, Palestine, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland and Tunisia. The preview was entrusted to Raissa Avilés with Maybe a concert, on September 29 and 30 at the Teatrostudio.

After the festival, the In/Civiltà season

Once the festival closes, LAC's performing arts season continues with a packed calendar. Between October and March, the Sala Teatro hosts Francesco Frongia and Ferdinando Bruni directing Oscar Wilde's Un marito ideale (October 19-21), Tindaro Granata with the monologue Antropolaroid (October 27), Stivalaccio Teatro's tribute to commedia dell'arte with Arlecchino muto per spavento (November 10-11), the Blade Runner screening with live music by the Avex Ensemble (November 14-15), Antonio Latella with Sonia Bergamasco in Oscar (November 24-25), Carmelo Rifici tackling Pirandello's Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore (December 3-4), Ugo Fiore with L'uomo che brucia (December 9-10), Fabio Condemi with Lo strano caso del dottor Jekyll e del signor Hyde (December 22-23), Le avventure di Ulisse (January 28-31) and Gabriele Lavia with Ingmar Bergman's Dopo la prova (March 9-10).

LAC's production commitment strongly marks the season, with nineteen titles between executive productions and co-productions. Stefano Accorsi, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, stars in Nessuno, and the Early Night Modern series returns to the Teatrostudio. An autumn and winter in which Lugano confirms its role as a stage for the European contemporary scene.

This article was translated from the Italian edition of Lugano Tribune.