Luci d'Artista from 22 October 2026
From late October to early January, Turin's Luci d'Artista light up the city, and in December the Christmas village, nativity scenes and New Year's Eve join in. Here are the confirmed dates for 2026/27 – and, honestly, what isn't fixed yet.
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The festive season starts earlier in Turin than elsewhere: from 22 October 2026 the Luci d'Artista are switched on – light artworks on the city's squares, bridges and rooftops. December brings the Christmas village on Piazza Solferino, Emanuele Luzzati's illuminated nativity scene and New Year's Eve.
Important for your planning: the city's Christmas programme for 2026 had not yet been published on 1 October 2026. Where there are no dates for 2026 yet, we give the 2025 dates – clearly marked as last year's. The dates will appear on Turismo Torino.
Public holidays in Italy during this period are 8 December (Immaculate Conception), 25 and 26 December, 1 January and 6 January (Epiphany). 24 and 31 December are normal working days, but many museums close earlier.
All dates that were officially confirmed on 1 October 2026 – and what is still open.
| Event | Dates | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luci d'Artista, 29th edition | 22 October 2026 – 10 January 2027 | all over the city | confirmed |
| Una Mole di Panettoni | 27–29 November 2026 | Hotel Principi di Piemonte, Via Piero Gobetti 15 | confirmed |
| Il Magico Paese di Natale | 14 November – 20 December 2026 | Asti, Govone, San Damiano d'Asti | confirmed |
| Villaggio di Natale (Christmas village) | 2026 not yet known; 2025: 5 December 2025 – 6 January 2026 | Piazza Solferino | last year |
| Boschetto di Natale (little forest of lights) | 2026 not yet known; 2025: December to 6 January 2026 | Piazzetta Reale | last year |
| Emanuele Luzzati's nativity scene | 2026 not yet known; 2025: 8 December 2025 – 6 January 2026 | Giardini Sambuy, Piazza Carlo Felice | last year |
| New Year's Eve (Capodanno) | 2026/27 not yet known; 2025: concert at the Inalpi Arena | Corso Sebastopoli 123 | last year |
Sources: turismotorino.org and magicopaesedinatale.com, as of 1 October 2026. We'll add the 2026 dates as soon as they are published.
Since 1998, the Luci d'Artista have turned Turin into an open-air exhibition every winter. Artists create light installations for specific places, and many works return to their spot every year. According to Turismo Torino, the 29th edition runs from 22 October 2026 to 10 January 2027.
New in 2026 is "Decodificare la luce" by Vittoria Caldera: a balcony sends light signals in Morse code, becoming a point of connection between private space and the city.
According to Turismo Torino, the works in the current edition include:
Other works are in Piazza Polonia, Piazzetta Mollino, at the Laghetto Italia '61, on the roof of the Ospedale Sant'Anna and at the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali. You'll find the full list with a map on Turismo Torino.
Tip for an evening walk: from Piazza San Carlo via Piazza Carlo Emanuele II and the Mole to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, then across the Vittorio Emanuele I bridge and up to Monte dei Cappuccini. This way you see several works on foot and get the view over the illuminated city at the top.
Villaggio di Natale, Piazza Solferino: the Christmas village is the city's main Christmas market. In 2025 it ran from 5 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, with a themed market, an ice rink, Father Christmas in his igloo and a programme of music and entertainment. The dates for 2026 had not yet been published on 1 October 2026.
Boschetto di Natale, Piazzetta Reale: in front of the Musei Reali, a small forest of potted trees stood in 2025, lit in white with LED lights – from December 2025 to 6 January 2026. Whether and when it will return in 2026 isn't known yet.
Il Magico Paese di Natale (Asti, Govone, San Damiano d'Asti): if you're looking for a large Christmas market with Father Christmas's house, you'll find it south-east of Turin. From 14 November to 20 December 2026, Asti hosts the Christmas market, Govone a market and programme around the Savoy castle, and San Damiano d'Asti a living nativity scene. Individual opening days and tickets are on magicopaesedinatale.com.
Turismo Torino also mentions the traditional markets in Susa, Pinerolo and Ivrea in the province. For more day-trip ideas, see our day trips in Piedmont.
The city's best-known nativity scene stands in the Giardini Sambuy on Piazza Carlo Felice, right opposite Porta Nuova station. The artist Emanuele Luzzati designed it in 1997. The figures are painted wooden silhouettes: alongside the classic figures of the Christmas story there are characters from fairy tales. In the evening they are lit up. Turismo Torino calls it a symbol of Christmas in Turin.
In 2025 the nativity scene was on display from 8 December 2025 to 6 January 2026. The same gardens are also home to Luigi Ontani's Luci d'Artista work "Scia'Mano" – so the two combine nicely on an evening walk.
Turismo Torino collects other nativity scenes in Turin and the province every year on the page Nativity scenes in and around Torino.
The programme for New Year's Eve 2026/27 was not yet known on 1 October 2026. For orientation, here's how last year went: for the turn of the year 2025/26, Turismo Torino hosted the "Capodanno Torino Time" concert at the Inalpi Arena (Corso Sebastopoli 123), starting at 21:00. Admission was free; online reservations required a €5 deposit, which was refunded if you turned up.
Getting home: GTT's Night Buster night buses run on Fridays, Saturdays and the nights before public holidays – so on New Year's Eve too. Normal tickets are valid. More on our page about public transport in Turin.
On 31 December many museums close in the afternoon, and on 1 January some only open at midday. The times are in the table below.
These museums have already published their holiday hours for 2026/27. On all other days, the normal opening hours apply.
| Museum | 24 Dec | 25 Dec | 26 Dec | 31 Dec | 1 Jan | 6 Jan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Cinema Museum / Mole Antonelliana | 9:00–18:00 | 14:00–19:00 | 9:00–19:00 | 9:00–18:00 | 14:00–19:00 | 9:00–19:00 |
| Palazzo Madama | until 14:00 | closed | open | until 14:00 | n/a | n/a |
| GAM – Gallery of Modern Art | until 14:00 | closed | open | until 14:00 | n/a | n/a |
| Juventus Museum | until 14:30 | closed | from 14:00 | until 14:30 | from 14:00 | regular hours |
As of 1 October 2026 according to museocinema.it, palazzomadamatorino.it, gamtorino.it and juventus.com. n/a = not yet announced by the museum. The National Cinema Museum also opens on 8 and 29 December (otherwise closed on Tuesdays), and Palazzo Madama on Tuesday 8 December. For the Egyptian Museum, the Musei Reali, MAUTO and La Venaria Reale, holiday hours for 2026/27 had not yet been published – check them on the museums' websites shortly before your trip.
Between the holidays, normal hours apply. Watch out for the closing days, as they differ from museum to museum:
For an overview of all museums, see our page on museums in Turin.
Cold or rainy days between Christmas and New Year are ideal for museums. With the Torino + Piemonte Card you get free admission to the Egyptian Museum, the Musei Reali, the National Cinema Museum, Palazzo Madama, MAUTO and La Venaria Reale, among others. The card is valid for 24, 48, 72 or 120 hours, and the 24-hour card for a maximum of three museums.
Important on public holidays: with the Torino Card, booking is mandatory for the Egyptian Museum at weekends and on public holidays. 26 December 2026 is a Saturday, and 6 January 2027 is a public holiday. So book early via Turismo Torino's booking page. Whether the card is worth it for you and how it differs from the Royal Pass is explained in our Torino Card vs. Royal Pass comparison.
In winter it gets dark early – a good time for tours that take place in the evening or underground. Check the languages: not every tour runs in English.
Starts at sunset, about 2 to 2.5 hours through the "magical" Turin of legends, from Piazza Statuto to the cathedral. Languages: Italian, English, Japanese; German, French and Spanish only as a private group.
from €55.00
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18th-century passages and Second World War air-raid shelters, meeting point at the Museo Pietro Micca. About 2.5 to 3 hours, whatever the weather. Languages: Italian, English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese. Not suitable for people with reduced mobility.
from €55.00
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Evening tour with more than four stops: Nebbiolo, salami, beer, stuffed potatoes, a cocktail or vermouth. About 3 hours, meeting point Piazza San Carlo. Languages: English, Italian.
from €93.00
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Chocolate, pastries, Bicerin, cremini or Gianduiotti and gelato at more than four stops, about 2.5 hours. Meeting point Piazza San Carlo in front of the church of Santa Cristina. Languages: English, Italian.
from €69.00
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About 2.5 hours through dark Turin – plague, crime, witchcraft – with a visit to the church of the Misericordia and a bell tower. Meeting point in front of the cathedral. Italian only.
from €32.00
Details & bookingAccording to GetYourGuide, all five tours can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance. You'll find more guided tours under walking tours and food tours.
Turin calls itself the capital of Italian chocolate – and in winter you notice it even more.
For more about the historic cafés and where to drink Bicerin, see our page Chocolate, Bicerin and historic cafés.
Turin lies at the foot of the Alps, and December and January are cold. On clear days you can see the snow-covered mountains behind the city; on other days fog hangs over the Po. For evenings with the Luci d'Artista and the Christmas market you'll need a warm jacket, a hat, gloves and comfortable waterproof shoes – the light art is best seen on foot.
One advantage of the city: under the arcades of Via Po, Via Roma and around Piazza Castello you can walk from café to café without getting wet, even in rain or snow. For indoor time, plan the big museums – ideas for the order are in our itineraries for 2 days and 3 days in Turin.
According to Turismo Torino, the 29th edition of the Luci d'Artista runs from 22 October 2026 to 10 January 2027. New works include "Decodificare la luce" by Vittoria Caldera.
Spread across the whole city, including on the Mole Antonelliana, Piazza Carlo Emanuele II, Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Piazza San Carlo, Ponte Vittorio Emanuele I, Monte dei Cappuccini, in the Galleria Umberto I and in the Giardini Sambuy. The full list is on Turismo Torino.
The dates for 2026 had not yet been published on 1 October 2026. In 2025, the Christmas village on Piazza Solferino ran from 5 December 2025 to 6 January 2026, with a market, an ice rink and Father Christmas.
Yes. "Il Magico Paese di Natale" takes place from 14 November to 20 December 2026 in Asti, Govone and San Damiano d'Asti, with a Christmas market, Father Christmas's house and a living nativity scene. Turismo Torino also mentions the markets in Susa, Pinerolo and Ivrea.
The National Cinema Museum in the Mole Antonelliana opens on 25 December 2026 and 1 January 2027 from 14:00 to 19:00. Palazzo Madama and GAM are closed on 25 December and open until 14:00 on 24 and 31 December. For the Egyptian Museum and the Musei Reali, holiday hours had not yet been published on 1 October 2026.
The programme for 2026/27 hasn't been set yet. For the turn of the year 2025/26 there was a free concert at the Inalpi Arena, organised by Turismo Torino. The Night Buster night buses run before public holidays, so on New Year's Eve too.
In the Giardini Sambuy on Piazza Carlo Felice, opposite Porta Nuova station. The nativity scene of painted wooden silhouettes dates from 1997. In 2025 it was on display from 8 December to 6 January.
Yes, if you want to visit several museums – the card is valid all year round. Note the changed opening hours on public holidays and book the Egyptian Museum, because with the Torino Card booking is mandatory there at weekends and on public holidays. More on our page about the Torino + Piemonte Card.
A traditional hot drink from Turin made of coffee, chocolate and cream, served in layers in a glass. It takes its name from Caffè Al Bicerin on Piazza della Consolata, which has been around since 1763.
We don't currently offer a bookable tour specifically of the Luci d'Artista. You can easily walk to most of the works on your own. In the evening, the Torino Magica magic tour, the Aperitivo tour or the "Turin Noir" walk are good options.