Lucca Comics and Games 2019. The wait is almost over for the new excting edition of one of the best comics festivals in the world. If you plan to visit Lucca the last days of October be prepared of meeting a crowd dressed like a character of famous cartoons or TVs Series.
Don’t be scared, you will be right in the middle of Lucca Comics and Games.
What Lucca Comics and Games is
Lucca Comics and Games takes place every end of October and is the largest international festival comics, animations, illustrations, and games in Europe and the world second biggest behind the Comiket of Tokyo.
The 2019 edition takes place from Wednesday 30 October to Sunday 3 November in the wonderful historical center surrounded by the walls.
Piazza San Michele with cosplayers – Photo Credits: Mr Tiger
The International Congress of Comics was born in 1965 in Bordighera (Liguria region). In 1966 it moved in the city of Lucca and year-by-year it grew of relevance and attendees, till the 240,000 attendees of 2014. The International Congress changed name on 1996 becoming Lucca Comics and Games.
Lucca Comics and Games 2019
The poster of the 2019 edition of Lucca Comics and Games – Photo Credits: Lucca Comics and Games
This year, the festival is open from Wednesday 30 October until Sunday 3 November.
The claim of the edition is Becoming Humans. The festival will compare man and machine, the virtual and the real, in a fusion told in more than a thousand of stories, through a thousand and more languages.
The concept of humanity will be the focus of the festival. In a world in which mankind is increasingly dependent on machines and digital communication,
undergoing its effects, it becomes essential to bring back in the foreground the social and ritual dimension which made the Lucca Comics & Games the most significant community event in Europe.
The location of the festival is amazing. It will take place Downtown, surrounded by the fortified walls that in the past defended the city from the invaders.
Instead, during these four days, the invaders are a pacific crowd of thousand cosplayers, people wearing costumes and accessories of their favourite character of cartoons, manga, TV, video games and comic books.
Marvel Cosplay in Lucca – Photo Credits: Andrea Antoni
Iron Man Cosplayers in Lucca. Photo Credits: Marco Paganucci
Inside and outside the walls, all around the city, there are many thematic pavilions to visit:
- Game pavilions to play role-playing games
- Temporary shops where buying your favorite comic book or game
- Exhibitions of international artists and illustrators of comic books, fantasy writers
- Children pavilions
- Japan Town for Manga lovers
- Pavilions dedicated to the video games
Lucca Comics is not only a festival for experts. Even if you are not into the comic world, spend a day walking around and staring at the cool cosplayers is really funny and enjoyable. Even seeing one of the exhibitions of sketches can be super interesting. And if you are a beginner of role-playing games, this is the best place where to start and learn.
How to get to Lucca…
By Car from…
- Florence (70 km): highway A11, exit Lucca EST
- Genoa (170 km): highway A12 up to Viareggio, then get the A11 to Lucca OVEST.
- Bologna (160 km): highway A1 up to Florence, then A11 exit Lucca EST
- Milan (280 km): highway A1 up to Parma, then A15 up to La Spezia, A12 up to Viareggio, A11 up to Lucca, exit Lucca EST.
- Rome (350 km): highway A1 up to Florence, then A11 exit Lucca OVEST
The town is super busy during the event and finding a parking space could not be easy. There are dedicated car parking and you can reserve your slot in advance on eventi.parcheggilucca
Taxi Numbers
- Lucca Radio Taxi: +39 02 5353
- Pisa Radio Taxi: +39 050 541600
- Firenze Radio Taxi: +39 055 4242
By Bus
Reach Lucca by bus departing from more than 150 towns in Italy with Eventi in Bus and GoGoBus.
You can buy bus tickets only or the combo with bus ticket + skip the line ticket.
By Plane
The closest airports in Tuscany are Galileo Galilei Pisa International Airport (20 km from Lucca) and Amerigo Vespucci Florence International Airport (70 km). Direct trains from Pisa and Florence SMN bring you to Lucca Central Station.
By Train
Lucca is well connected with direct trains in Tuscany to Florence SMN, Pisa and Viareggio.
During the event, there are special trains in addition to the normal timetable. Visit the Trenitalia website to check the best train for you.
Tickets
You need tickets only to get into the pavilions of the event.
Instead, you can walk around the whole town and walls for free. Exhibits at Palazzo Ducale, Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca and Palazzo Arnolfini have free entry. Free entry is also guaranteed to the Lucca Junior area, the pavilion dedicated to families, and to the Self Area, dedicated to self-publishing.
For more info and tickets, visit the official website (in Italian only).
Comic Books Shop in Lucca Comics
Star Wars Cosplayer – Photo Credits: Acca-67
If you haven’t enough of masks, costumes and zombies and wish to celebrate Halloween in Tuscany, the 31st October you can reach the village of Borgo a Mozzano with its sinister Devil’s Bridge, where a big horror festival takes place and many dark scary figures are waiting for you.
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