The 79th Locarno Film Festival runs from 5 to 15 August 2026. For anyone watching from outside, it all starts on 5 August, but for anyone handling the print side, work begins now, at the end of June, six weeks before Piazza Grande opens.

The print calendar for Locarno starts in June, not July, because we need time to approve, produce, deliver and install everything in town. Every week lost in June means more rush in July, a month that is already very intense.

At colorlito.ch we have worked with Festival sponsors, hotels and restaurants for years. Here is how printing gets organised in the six weeks before Piazza Grande, and why it pays to close quotes by the end of June.

What sponsors order by the end of June

The six weeks from late June to early August split into three phases: artwork approval, production, delivery and installation. Three print orders are typically placed.

Backdrops and photo walls.
Backdrops with sponsor logos for accreditation, red carpet and press room. PVC-free dye-sub fabric on a modular structure. Standard sizes 3×2.5 m, up to 6×3 on request. Production 8 to 10 days, approval 5 to 7 days, total 15 to 17 days. Feasible in June, not by late July.

Info totems.
Vertical panels 80×200 cm in forex or eco-aluminium, placed in hotels and welcome areas. They carry programme, map and sponsors. They are quoted and produced only after the programme is confirmed in mid-July, but drafts are prepared now.

Window graphics and shop signage.
For sponsors with retail points in Ticino, we print repositionable electrostatic film without adhesive, compliant with Swiss regulations. Production 5 to 7 days, everything must be ready by the first week of August.

What hotel and restaurant partners order

Hotels and restaurants hosting delegations have similar needs and tight deadlines.

Guest print materials.
Welcome cards, special menus, lanyards with QR codes for personalised programmes, paper maps. Paper is preferred for international delegations. Production 7 to 10 days with finalised artwork.

Wayfinding signage.
For internal events, clear and coordinated signage in 5 mm forex, produced in 5 to 6 days. Each hotel orders 20 to 40 pieces to cover all evenings.

One-way window film.
60/40 micro-perforated film to keep internal visibility while communicating outside. Cold application, production 4 to 6 days.

Soft signage and sustainability

The Festival is replacing PVC with dye-sub fabrics and recycled materials, which are reusable, compact and washable. This cuts disposal costs by 45% and CO2 footprint by 30% compared to single-use banners.

For the 79th edition we have already delivered the first recycled-fabric backdrops.

Quoting at six weeks vs four

Calling us at six weeks gives room to:
– propose alternatives in materials and finishes,
– adjust the design,
– optimise production,
– plan installation calmly.

At four weeks instead:
– the revision window is closed,
– rush surcharges apply (10 to 25%),
– installation falls in difficult hours,
– the margin for error is zero.

Both options are possible, but the first is cheaper and calmer.

The bottom line

Locarno is a huge machine that starts every year on 5 August. To deliver a service worthy of it, the internal machine has to start six weeks earlier. For sponsors, hotels and restaurants, the difference between working calmly or in a rush is decided in the next two weeks.

For the 79th edition, late June is the right moment.