Pisa Play Comics 2026: A One-Day Pop Culture Festival Near Pisa

Pisa Play Comics is one of those very Tuscan surprises: you come for Pisa, and you end up spending a full Sunday inside a pop-culture festival packed with comics, cosplay, retro consoles, and live shows. If you’ll be in the area on Sunday, February 15, 2026, this first-ever edition is an easy, indoor plan that works especially well in winter—whether you’re traveling with kids and teens or you simply want a break from churches and museums without giving up on culture.

What Pisa PLAY COMICS is, and who it’s for

Hosted at the Palatodisco in San Giuliano Terme (just outside Pisa), Pisa PLAY COMICS celebrates the world of comics, animation, games, and pop culture in a single day. The organizers describe it as a first edition with the ambition to grow into a national-level annual event—so this is very much the “ground floor” moment, when everything still feels local, enthusiastic, and full of discovery.

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For travelers, the appeal is that it’s not a niche, insider-only gathering. It’s designed for browsing, watching, trying things, and meeting creators—meaning you don’t need deep knowledge of Italian comics to enjoy it. You can show up curious and let the day guide you.

Artists, workshops, and the comic area you can actually engage with

If you like returning home with something more meaningful than a souvenir magnet, the creator side of Pisa PLAY COMICS is where you’ll want to linger. The festival includes opportunities to meet authors and artists through panels, autograph sessions, and workshops—those moments when fans get to ask questions, see work up close, and understand the craft behind the characters.

The comics area spotlights Lucca Manga School, comics artist Bigo (Davide Bigotti), and Marco Russo.

Lucca Manga School is an academy focused on manga, offering a structured path from beginner basics to the professional world, and it will host a free workshop included with the entry ticket.

Bigo, a Lucca-based artist born in 1976, is described as a proud product of the ’80s—with influences like Goldrake—working mostly digitally but also creating pieces in “old-school” style, including drawings made entirely with a ballpoint pen. Some of his black-and-white work appeared in a 2021 artbook titled Venti d’Arte Artbook. He’s also known for “Il Bosone,” a deliberately wild superhero “made in Lucca,” traveling through space and time and famously returning home through a trapdoor after each adventure.

Marco Russo is a student of Simone Bianchi, known worldwide for his Marvel work. Russo has collaborated on coloring projects connected to Marvel’s Fantastic Four (a Doctor Doom story in issue #1) and on “Sharkey: The Bounty Hunter” (Netflix), among other projects.

Shopping, collectibles, and that “I didn’t know I needed this” corner

Even if you’re not an intense collector, the stands are part of the fun. Pisa PLAY COMICS includes commercial booths as well as spaces for associations and private collectors showcasing items tied to pop culture from the 1960s to today.

Expect rare comics, gadgets, action figures, posters, and plenty of the kind of merch that makes you stop and say, “Okay, this is coming home with me.”

Retro gaming and board games: the most travel-friendly part of the festival

When you’re traveling, the best events are the ones that keep different interests happy in the same place. Pisa PLAY COMICS does that well, thanks to its “play” areas.

The retro gaming zone includes ten stations featuring consoles that shaped video game history, from the Magnavox Odyssey (1972) and Atari 2600 (1977) to the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Master System and Mega Drive, and the original Sony PlayStation (1994). It’s the sort of setup where parents get nostalgic, kids get curious, and everyone ends up taking turns.

There’s also a dedicated board-game area for families, managed by OXYZO Orizzonti Ludici, affiliated with La Tana dei Goblin, a nonprofit known in Italy for promoting smart, community-driven gaming. Translation: you won’t just see games—you’ll actually be able to sit down and play.

Cosplay: the festival’s most photogenic moment

Cosplay is presented as a central pillar of the event, and it’s easy to see why: it’s the part that transforms a venue into a living set. Visitors dress up as characters from comics, films, TV series, and games, creating the kind of atmosphere that makes even casual attendees reach for their phones.

A cosplay contest is planned, with winners selected by a qualified jury. The source also lists special guests Desy Perry (original cosplay) and Feelyah84, described as a social-media influencer with many followers. The contest will be hosted by Leonardo Ghelarducci and Serena Martinelli.

Live stage program: cartoon theme songs, K-pop, soundtracks, and a big finale

The stage schedule begins at 11:00 AM and runs through the afternoon into early evening—so even if you arrive late, you can still catch a “main event” feeling.

At 11:00 AM there’s “80 & dintorni SPECIALE SIGLE,” a tribute to iconic cartoon theme songs, TV themes, film soundtracks, and songs from animated movies, connected to a broadcast with Radio Incontro. At 2:00 PM, “K-POP SPACES” brings dance crews and performers with choreography in full K-pop style. At 3:00 PM, “Cinemagic” offers an acoustic journey through beloved film soundtracks, featuring Valerio Simonelli and Valentina Caturelli.

At 4:00 PM the cosplay competition takes the stage. Then, at 5:30 PM, Stereocomics (a cartoon cover band) performs with guest star Guiomar Serina, introduced in the source as the singer of “I Cavalieri del Re,” associated with classic Italian animation themes.

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Date, Location, Address, Tickets

• Date: Sunday, February 15, 2026, from 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM
• Location: Palatodisco, San Giuliano Terme (near Pisa), Tuscany
• Address: Palatodisco di San Giuliano Terme (San Giuliano Terme, Pisa area)
• Tickets: Presale tickets are available on Eventbrite to avoid lines. Full ticket: €8. Reduced “cosplayer” ticket: €5. Free entry for children under 10 and for visitors with disabilities.