The Locarno Film Festival wrapped up its 79th edition with more than 150,000 attendees across screenings and public discussions, while Locarno Pro welcomed a record number of industry professionals.
The Locarno Film Festival has brought its 79th edition to a close after eleven days of screenings, encounters and industry activity, with strong audience figures and a new milestone for its professional programme.
Overall attendance at screenings remained largely stable compared with 2025, rising slightly by 0.4%. However, the numbers inside Locarno’s cinemas told a stronger story.
Cinema Audiences Continue to Grow
Indoor cinema admissions increased by 4% to 91,405, as audiences followed not only the competition titles but also the Festival’s retrospective, special screenings and out-of-competition programme.
Meanwhile, Piazza Grande attracted 50,520 spectators, representing a 5% decline year-on-year. According to the Festival, the drop was partly linked to the unusually high temperatures and a more controlled approach to managing capacity in the square.
Even so, across screenings and public discussions, Locarno79 recorded more than 150,000 attendances during the Festival.
Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro described the edition as one shaped by both cinema and major artistic encounters, highlighting the strong response across venues as well as the atmosphere created by the Festival’s programme of international guests.
Locarno Pro Reaches a New Record
The biggest increase came from the industry side. For the first time, Locarno Pro exceeded 2,000 accredited professionals, reaching 2,140 participants, up 10% compared with 2025.
The figure underlines the growing importance of Locarno’s industry platform and Industry Days as a meeting place for producers, distributors, sales companies and other professionals from across the international film business.
Festival CEO Raphaël Brunschwig said the results confirmed the continued consolidation of the event, while also pointing to the strong response to initiatives taking place beyond the traditional screening programme.
That wider activity included BaseCamp, which moved into the historic Castello Visconteo this year, as well as the Rotonda by la Mobiliare, which welcomed more than 100,000 visitors through its programme of music, art, food and family events.
Taken together, the figures show a Locarno Film Festival continuing to strengthen both sides of its identity: as a major cultural event for audiences and, increasingly, as an important international hub for the film industry.
Read more: New Locarno Region Film Fund Brings Cash Rebates for Productions
