Europe’s largest pop-culture gathering wrapped its 60th-anniversary milestone late Saturday evening after drawing roughly 80,000 ticket-paying fans per day to the medieval Tuscan city of Lucca. The five-day convention, running from October 28 to November 1, brought together comic creators, game developers, anime animators, and international film stars across historic Italian plazas and packed indoor pavilions.
Lucca’s Diamond Jubilee Highlights
- HBO’s heavily anticipated Harry Potter pavilion drew massive morning queues for prop displays and temporary House tattoos, though no physical cast members or video footage were on-site ahead of the Christmas Day premiere.
- The live-action adaptation of the Blue Lock anime and manga franchise celebrated its European premiere, blending survival-game mechanics with traditional soccer drama.
- Cosplayers transformed the medieval Italian city into a rolling spectacle featuring characters from Middle Earth, Hogwarts, and Jurassic Park, alongside Italian television personality Alberto Angela leading the annual Star Wars parade in full Mandalorian armor.
Queues and Cautious Fandom at the HBO Harry Potter Pavillion
Early-morning lines wound tightly around the convention grounds for a first look at HBO’s upcoming television adaptation. Visitors examined physical props from the production and received temporary tattoos corresponding to Hogwarts Houses. Organizers also screened a special video message featuring John Lithgow and Nick Frost, who portray Albus Dumbledore and Rubeus Hagrid respectively.
Despite the high turnout, no talent appeared in person and producers withheld preview footage. Stefano, a convention-goer dressed as a Jedi, told Variety it would be fun to see the books addressed in a way that is deeper, while Alessia from Lake Como voiced concern that creators might have made too many changes.
Percy Jackson Draws Thousands to Piazza della Magione
While some major franchises kept footage under wraps, the fandom for Disney’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians arrived in force. Key cast members Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, and Aryan Simhadri made a public appearance alongside showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz.
Following an afternoon panel, the group stepped onto a historic terrace overlooking Piazza della Magione. More than 8000 fans gathered below, sporting the characteristic colors of Camp Half-Blood to greet the creators and young stars.
Comic Book Royalty and Mecha History
Veteran creators maintained a strong presence at the Tuscan festival. Frank Miller returned to the convention circuit to discuss an ongoing collaboration with Peach Momoko focused on Japanese horror stories.
At the same time, manga pioneer Go Nagai received a dedicated retrospective titled “Sun, Heart, and Steel.” The exhibition spotlighted his seminal work Mazinger Z, which launched the mecha genre, alongside Devilman.
| Event Highlight | Key Talent / Property | Notable Attraction |
|---|---|---|
| Television Preview | Harry Potter / John Lithgow, Nick Frost | Prop display and House tattoos |
| Cast Appearance | Percy Jackson / Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries | Piazza della Magione fan gathering |
| European Premiere | Blue Lock | Survival-game soccer anime adaptation |
| Artistic Exhibition | Go Nagai | Mazinger Z “Sun, Heart, and Steel” retrospective |
A Tuscan City Transformed Into Cosplay Utopia
Beyond scheduled panels and corporate pavilions, the festival’s defining characteristic remained its pedestrian crowds. Participants converted the ancient streets into an open-air theater of pop culture icons.
Costumed groups ranged from classic Nintendo icons to characters from Squid Game and Leon: The Professional. The annual procession drew thousands of costumed marchers through the fortress walls, concluding a six-decade milestone for Europe’s largest gathering of its kind.
