Cannobio Live Contest
Music competition for emerging bands and street food on Lake Maggiore
About Cannobio Live Contest
A day of live music on Lake Maggiore
The Cannobio Live Contest makes its debut on June 19, 2026, in Cannobio, a jewel of Lake Maggiore in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Piedmont). Created to provide a platform for local emerging bands, the contest blends music, gastronomy, and lakeside atmosphere into one long day of celebration in the picturesque Piazza Martiri della Libertà, overlooking the lake in the Lido area.
A competition for local bands
The heart of the event is the competition between six emerging bands from across the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola area and beyond. The groups perform live and are evaluated by a panel of experts and the audience based on five criteria: musical performance, stage presence, live management, stage craft, and musical chemistry. The winning band will receive a tangible prize: a paid live gig during the 2027 season, supported by the Municipality of Cannobio.
Street food and entertainment
Surrounding the stage, the Lido area comes alive from the morning with a space dedicated to street food curated by local Cannobio businesses, offering specialties to enjoy while strolling along the lakeshore. Radio entertainment will accompany the entire day, while the evening gives way to the final concert.
A new event for Cannobio
The initiative is promoted by Pro Cannobio, the town's historic tourism association, with the patronage of the Municipality of Cannobio. The Cannobio Live Contest was born with the goal of relaunching the association's role in promoting events aimed at a young, quality-focused tourism demographic, while simultaneously showcasing the local music scene and one of the most beloved villages on Lake Maggiore.
Cannobio Live Contest — edition 2026
The first edition of the Cannobio Live Contest inaugurates a new musical event on Lake Maggiore. The day of June 19, 2026, alternates between a competition for emerging bands, street food, and an evening concert, transforming the Lido area of Piazza Martiri into an open-air stage overlooking the lake.
Programme Cannobio Live Contest 2026
Friday, June 19, 2026 — Piazza Martiri della Libertà (Lido area), Cannobio
- 11:00 AM — Opening of the street food area with local Cannobio businesses (Er Michetta 26, Bar della Posta, L'isule caffè, Dolce & caffè, Bar Parasio, Plaza caffè, Gelateria di Cannobio, Lab24)
- 4:00 PM — Start of the music contest: the six competing emerging bands perform live
- 9:00 PM — Awards ceremony for the winning band (judged by the audience and a panel of experts)
- In the evening — Final concert by the Milanese cover band Claireway, featuring pop-rock reinterpretations of great Italian and international hits "under the moonlight"
Competing bands: IceWing, S.B. & Run, Losk in the bosk, Hot docs, Under the Stage, Afterbound — from across the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola region and beyond.
Evaluation criteria: musical performance, stage presence, live management, stage craft, and musical chemistry.
Radio entertainment provided by Radio Studio Star, media partner of the event.
Highlights Cannobio Live Contest 2026
Prices Cannobio Live Contest 2026
Practical information — Cannobio Live Contest
When and where
Friday, June 19, 2026, in Piazza Martiri della Libertà (Lido area) in Cannobio (VB). Street food is available from 11:00 AM, the music contest kicks off at 4:00 PM, and the awards ceremony is scheduled for 9:00 PM.
How to get there
Cannobio can be reached by car via the SS34 of Lake Maggiore, along the Piedmontese shore towards the Swiss border. By train, the reference station is Verbania-Pallanza, which is connected to Cannobio by bus lines; alternatively, Lake Maggiore navigation services are available.
Admission
Admission to the event is free. For information and contacts: [email protected].
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Where does it take place — Cannobio Live Contest
Piazza Martiri della Libertà - area Lido
Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 28822 Cannobio