Pop culture at the witching hour: Lucca Comics & Games 2025 attracts visitors with Netflix finale and manga legends

When the historic city centre of Lucca once again becomes the European capital of pop culture at the end of October, it is no coincidence, but pure staging: From 29 October to 2 November 2025, the city behind its centuries-old walls will be transformed into a thriving labyrinth of comics, games, cosplay and colourful attractions. Between Renaissance palaces and medieval alleys, hearts will beat faster – thanks to Netflix, Pokémon, Gumball, manga masters and lots of gaming culture.

From Netflix to Pokémon

The movie programme alone promises an open-air cinema campfire atmosphere: Netflix returns on 31 October to rekindle the longing for ‘Stranger Things’ – with a slightly dark preview of the final fifth season. If you look closely, you can already see the countdown to the grand finale in Lucca. Part 1 will be released at the end of November, followed by Part 2 in December.

But that's not all: the familiar residents of Cartoon Network are recreating a ‘Wonderfully Weird World of Gumball’ this year, where chaos becomes an experience. Crunchyroll is also returning – with its own pavilion, premieres, panels and merch highlights.

Pokémon fans are in for a treat: the pocket monsters are taking over Piazza Colonna Mozza with their own, significantly expanded pavilion – bigger, more colourful and more interactive than ever before. The scent of nostalgic memories mingles with the euphoria of new generations.

Heroes of the drawn universe

At the same time, the world of manga and comics opens up, and with it the gateway to the Legends Gallery. Tetsuo Hara, creator of ‘Fist of the North Star,’ is making an appearance in Italy: more than a hundred original drawings await visitors in the venerable Chiesa dei Servi, where his mythology can be seen for the first time as a world monograph. Kei Urana and Hideyoshi Andou present their graffiti manga ‘Gachiakuta’, fresh from winning the Kodansha Award, flanked by Panini and Crunchyroll.

But local comic worlds also shine. Zerocalcare, Milo Manara, Leo Ortolani and Fumettibrutti are staging new works, while Zuzu is presenting new material with Coconino Press. International greats such as Guy Delisle, Ariel Olivetti, Mike Richardson and David Scroggy complete the who's who of the graphic novel elite.

Gaming culture from the Lego Arena to Kojima's beach

Those who want to continue fighting for their printed heroes will find a luxurious gaming salon in the Games Area. Asmodee presents ‘Dixit’ with a new Lucca card by Marie Cardouat, while Aleksi Briclot and Magali Villeneuve – illustrators of ‘Magic: The Gathering’ – are at work live. This is followed by Europe's first stop on the ‘Gundam Card Game’ tour – tactical battles in miniature format, accompanied by workshops and figure building.

But the digital gaming world is gearing up for its finale with Kojima Productions: ‘Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’ makes the fair the final stage of its world tour – who wouldn't want to invite gaming equipment to Lucca? In addition, horror icon Keiichirō Toyama (‘Silent Hill’) has been announced as a panel guest. The indie spectrum is rounded off by Luca Galante, the mind behind the surprise hit ‘Vampire Survivors’.

French flair and meta flavour

The 2025 festival year is all about the ‘French Kiss’. Visitors will encounter French elegance, humour and creativity in concentrated form: a ‘Palais de France’ will open with twelve renowned comic artists such as Moebius, Tardi and Claire Bretécher, curated by the Institut Français. The official festival title (‘French Kiss’) also refers to this kiss as a narrative metaphor – a narrative and emotional seduction typical of romantic comics. Bestselling authors will also be involved: Rick Riordan (‘Percy Jackson’), Cassandra Clare, Holly Black and Glenn Cooper will present a fantasy elite show away from the drawn cosmos.