Locarno Film Festival 2026
The great international film festival, famed for its Piazza Grande screenings before 8,000 spectators under the stars.
Location : Locarno (Ticino) · Usual period : August
The festival
The Locarno Film Festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland, is a major event dedicated to the celebration of cinema. The festival's program is structured around several distinct sections, including the Concorso Internazionale, the Concorso Cineasti del Presente, the Pardi di Domani, and the Fuori Concorso. A central feature is the Piazza Grande, an outdoor venue with thousands of seats and one of the largest screens in the world, where some of the year's most anticipated films are shown under the stars. Throughout the festival, special guests are honored on stage, and on certain nights, a second screening takes place just before midnight, offering classic masterpieces or genre-bending oddities.
The 79th edition, referred to as Locarno79, concluded with the Pardo d'Oro being awarded to the film 'You Don't Belong Here' (Nu e locul tau aici) by Florin Șerban. The 2026 Prix du Public UBS was given to 'Frank & Louis,' directed by Petra Volpe, a Swiss filmmaker known for socially engaged films, who returned to Locarno for the sixth time with her first English-language feature. The film explores the bond between two convicts, one suffering from Alzheimer's and the other assigned to care for him. Other highlights included the Excellence Award for Isabella Rossellini, the Pardo alla Carriera for James Gray, and the Leopard Club Award for Virginie Efira. The festival also featured a retrospective titled 'Red & Black – Hollywood Left and the Blacklist' and the Open Doors programme, which showcased the plurality of African cinema across 42 countries. The event spanned eleven days of cinema, encounters, and discoveries, with various industry awards presented by Locarno Pro.
Getting there, on site
The festival takes place in Locarno, in the canton of Ticino, Switzerland. The main venue is the Piazza Grande, an outdoor location with thousands of seats. The festival also includes a digital showcase called SHORTS, which presents new short films every two weeks and is available to stream for free. Press materials for the festival are accessible through a dedicated press area. A membership programme offers various ways to participate and support the festival's values and mission. The official selection and the full program can be discovered through the festival's official channels, including the Palmarès and press releases.
