Como Christmas Market: Città dei Balocchi

The honest answer is that nothing is announced yet. cittadeibalocchi.it shows no 2026-27 dates. The Comune's own Christmas portal, nataleacomo.it, says only 'see you in December 2026' with no dates attached. The dates and hours on this page belong to the last edition, the 2025-26 one, and are printed here so you know the shape of the event.

So treat everything below as last edition's pattern, not a promise. The market opened on 22 November and the event ran until 6 January. The tree was switched on 29 November at 18:00 in Piazza Duomo and the monument projections started the same day.

What to watch: check the official homepage before you travel, because both the dates and the location can change. The event has been held outside Como before, which is the trap covered in its own section.

• Last edition: market from 22 November, event until 6 January
• Tree lighting 29 November at 18:00, Piazza Duomo
• Projections from 29 November on seven monuments
• Organiser: Consorzio Como Turistica, Piazza Duomo 17, Como, phone +39 031 262226

The christmas market in Como italy sat in Piazza Perretta, run by Consorzio Como Turistica. Wooden chalets sold gifts, crafts, food and wine and street food. Behind them, an architectural projection covered the façade of the former Banca d'Italia.

In Piazza Grimoldi, in the last edition, three chalets there hosted Como cultural, charity and sports associations in rotation.

Piazza Duomo is the stage for the big switch-on. The Christmas tree in the last edition was a Caucasian fir, lit on 29 November at 18:00, framed by the Broletto and the Cathedral.

One common mix-up is worth heading off. The last edition did not use Piazza Cavour, the lakefront square where the ferry piers sit. The market chalets were in Piazza Perretta.

From 29 November in the last edition, architectural light projections lit seven buildings across the centre. Consorzio Como Turistica won the European tender for the projections for the second year running.

The seven buildings were:

• Porta Torre, the medieval gate at the edge of the old town
• Piazza San Fedele, the square of the basilica
• Museo Giovio
• Pinacoteca Civica
• The Broletto, the medieval town hall beside the cathedral
• The Cathedral
• Palazzo Terragni, Terragni's rationalist building

Two practical notes. The organiser prints no nightly start time and no per-monument schedule for the projections, and the hours table covers the market, not the lights. And a projection on a façade is not entry to the building.

The Pinacoteca is a paid museum and Casa del Fascio opens only on scheduled guided tours, so admire those two from the square.

The event has not always been in Como. The 2023-24 edition was held in Cernobbio, with a skating rink on Riva piazza Risorgimento, a single ticket at $11.54 (€10), an igloo at Villa Bernasconi, a street food market and a shuttle from the Villa Erba car park. It ran 7 December 2023 to 7 January 2024 and the site's own 'how to arrive' page sent visitors to Cernobbio and Villa Erba.

The last edition, 2025-26, was staged in Como, with the market in Piazza Perretta. But the lesson stands: the location is a decision made per edition, not a constant. Before you book a hotel in Como or plan a Cernobbio evening, check the official homepage for the current edition and where it is staged.

The good news is that either location works from Como city. Cernobbio is band 1 on the Como ferry tariff, so a base in Como covers both.

For 31 December, the Teatro Sociale sells a package called Capodanno Experience. The last published programme has the Balletto di Siena dancing The Nutcracker, then a gala dinner served on the stage of the theatre itself. It starts at 17:30 on Thursday 31 December and costs $207.70 (€180) per person, with limited availability. Bookings close at 13:00 on the Tuesday before, 29 December, so this is not a walk-up plan.

The theatre is worth knowing about beyond New Year's Eve. Inaugurated in 1813, it has 72 privately owned boxes and is nicknamed the Piccola Scala. Its box office is at Piazza Verdi 1. If you want to see the hall without the dinner price, the theatre runs 45-minute guided visits in Italian and English, no booking needed, turn up at the box office from 10:30.

Note that the market closes at 20:00 on 31 December per last edition's hours, so the theatre is the evening anchor if you are in town for the night.

By train, Como is an easy day trip. From Milano Cadorna, the Trenord line to Como Lago covers 46 km in about 60 minutes with roughly 34 services a day, fare $6.23 (€5.40). From Milano Centrale, regional trains reach Como San Giovanni in about 40 minutes, about 17 a day, same $6.23 (€5.40) fare. Como Lago is the lakefront station, close to the ferry piers, Como San Giovanni sits up the hill. Both work for the market.

Do not drive into the centre. A ZTL, a restricted traffic zone, covers the walled city, which is exactly where the market and the projections are. Park outside and walk, our parking guide covers the lots.

For the best view of the lights, ride the Brunate funicular after dark. It runs daily until midnight. The current fare sheet sets a one-way ticket at $4.27 (€3.70) and a return at $8.54 (€7.40), reduced for children up to 12 at $2.88 (€2.50) one way or $5.77 (€5) return.

From the Como pier on Piazza Cavour a ticket to Cernobbio costs $3.46 (€3) on the ferry tariff. Check the winter timetable before you rely on a boat after dark.