Long, Vibrant Nights of Locarno: Rotonda by la Mobiliare Returns for Locarno77 with La Rappresentante di Lista, Ermal Meta, Bastian Baker, DJ Damante, and other special guests

Each evening from 6 p.m., the Rotonda, collaboratively envisioned by the Locarno Film Festival and la Mobiliare and designed by atelier oï, is the place to be in Locarno for music lovers of all ages, a free-to-access arena for chill moments, culinary delights, activities for kids and families, live DJ sets and concerts, and for great conversations shared with friends and loved ones.

A Place for New Memories

In the run up to Locarno77, the Rotonda by la Mobiliare is the premiere destination for families and adults from the region, hosting a slate of artists and vendors whose presence and entertainment offerings will help build expectation for the region’s biggest cultural event of the year. Once the Locarno Film Festival gets underway, the Rotonda is the one-of-a-kind venue for relaxing between films, where anybody can take a break from the intensity and focus of the Festival’s main program, as well as an unmissable nightly event to keep everybody entertained.

From this year, the Rotonda will expand its already significant offering with additional programming for families, new spaces for guests, and tantalizing food offers from all around the world. Furthermore, an art-installation by Yann Gross will complete the experience of the Rotonda this year.

Raphaël Brunschwig, Managing Director of the Locarno Film Festival: “Over the years, the Rotonda has become an integral part of the Locarno Experience: it's a venue that gathers seasoned festival-goers, and audience attending for the first time, showing them a truly good time right at the heart of the main event. With our main partner la Mobiliare, we are proud to offer an experience that everybody can and will enjoy. The Rotonda also stands for the Festival's commitment to sustainability and inclusivity, two of our core values. The Rotonda is the place we can all come together and experience new emotions at the hearth of the Festival’s vibrant cultural offering.”

What’s the Line-Up?

Some highlights of the line-up, conceived by the Locarno Film Festival and la Mobiliare, will include La Rappresentante di Lista, who will take the stage, followed by a DJ set by DJ Drago, in a special event co-presented by Rolling Stone Italia on August 2.

The musical line-up for the weekend of August 9 and 10 will be curated by RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera. It will start on Friday with a concert by Dom Lampa and his overwhelming energy, a journey through distant rhythms, reggae sounds, and Brazilian roots music. This will be followed by a performance by charismatic Swiss singer, songwriter, and composer Bastian Baker, who will bring to the stage – with his guitar – folk songs with an engaging melody. On Saturday, August 10, stage to Italian singer-songwriter Ermal Meta, who will perform hits from his repertoire and songs from his latest album Buona fortuna.

This year will also feature DJ Damante, Gianluca Grignani, Le Vibrazioni, Jay-K, and the Golden Vultures – more names will be announced later in July. An eclectic line-up overall, reflecting the Rotonda's commitment to remaining a space for all tastes and interests.

On August 1, the Rotonda will host a fundraising charity event to benefit the populations affected by the storms that violently hit Vallemaggia in early July.  The event will feature leading musicians from Ticino, who will take turns performing on stage from 4 p.m. to midnight.

In addition to the main acts, the music program – supported also by Stiftung Phonoproduzierende, Swissperform, enjoyArena, riser., and Radio Ticino – will include a wealth of supporting artists who will keep the show going through all hours of the night, while the unplugged concert stage will host rising artists from all over Switzerland, thanks to the support of Mx3.

Also back for the second year in a row is the Club, a space with underground charm that is open every day until late at night, where after hours you can continue to enjoy DJ sets and entertainment.

Locarno Film Festival - A Social Commitment by la Mobiliare

Through its partnership with the Locarno Film Festival, la Mobiliare aims to underscore its commitment to society, Ticino, and culture in general. Since 2017 it has been the main partner of the Festival and, from 2021, also of the young people’s program Locarno Kids la Mobiliare. La Mobiliare is committed to art and culture as an important engine that can positively influence the future of our society.  Marta Kwiatkowski, Head of Social Engagement at la Mobiliare, says: "From the very beginning, we have been developing stimulating formats to promote encounter and dialogue in a creative way in collaboration with the Locarno Film Festival. This is why we designed the Rotonda together with the Festival and atelier oï, also co-creating its music program, which was also made possible thanks to the valuable contribution of RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera."

During the Festival, the Rotonda becomes a place for everyone to take a break and enjoy the evening and is accessible free of charge. With its commitment to Locarno Kids, la Mobiliare instead promotes the creative potential of our future generation.