Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2027
Born on the shores of the Lario in 1929, the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este remains the most refined gathering in the world of collector cars. A jury of experts judges cars chosen for their authenticity, historical significance and beauty, in the gardens of the palace hotel and then in the neighbouring park of Villa Erba. Collectors, coachbuilders and dealers from around the world meet there for a weekend. Villa d'Este announces the opening of the 2027 edition on Friday 21 May; the detailed programme and ticketing are published closer to the date.
Line-up : Historic concours d'elegance held at Villa d'Este, judged by an international jury of experts, before collectors and coachbuilders from around the world.
How to get in
Villa d'Este, host and organiser of the Concorso in Cernobbio; ticketing and hotel packages managed with the palace hotel.
Nothing is on sale yet for 2027. The only documented route is to register your interest in advance with Villa d'Este (+39 031 34 81, info@villadeste.it) and to watch for the ticket office opening on concorsodeleganzavilladeste.com, packages giving access to the palace hotel's gardens being the first to go.
The turnkey stay
In late May 2027, the gardens of Villa d'Este reopen for the most prestigious of automotive concours d'elegance: beneath century-old magnolias and wisteria, exceptional coachwork parades before the jury, with the waters of the Lario as the only backdrop. Organised by Villa d'Este and the BMW Group, the event continues all weekend in the park of Villa Erba, also in Cernobbio, where collectors and clubs display their machines under the foliage. Here the art of arriving matters as much as the arrival: a mahogany launch from the pontile, dinner facing the lake, and that late-May light that Lake Como gives only once a year. (The exact dates of the 2027 edition have not yet been published by the organiser: to be confirmed before booking.)
Where to stay
- Villa d'Este — The very stage of the Concorso: the cars parade in the hotel's park, in Cernobbio (Via Regina 40). A 16th-century residence that became a hotel more than 150 years ago, with 151 rooms and suites spread between the Cardinal's Building, the Queen's Pavilion and four private villas; five places to drink and dine, including the Veranda, the Grill and Il Platano. The Sporting Club, opened in the 1960s, is home to Lake Como's first floating swimming pool — a teak platform set on the water and linked to the shore by a wooden walkway — alongside a beauty centre, a 24-hour gym and eight tennis courts, six of them clay.
- Passalacqua — An 18th-century villa in Moltrasio, a few kilometres from Cernobbio on the same western shore: just 24 rooms and suites, divided between the main villa, the Palazz (the former stables, eight rooms) and Casa al Lago, whose four suites border the water. Terraced gardens descending to the lake, a pool terrace above the water, a spa carved into an underground passage with sauna and hammam. Fourth in The World's 50 Best Hotels 2025 and Best Boutique Hotel Award 2024 and 2025; Vincenzo Bellini is among its guests of the past, and the suite bearing his name houses a grand piano.
Where to dine
- Materia — One Michelin star since 2018, in the centre of Cernobbio, Via Trieste 1/b — the very village of Villa d'Este and Villa Erba. Opened in 2016 by chef Davide Caranchini with Ambra, Marco and Luca: contemporary, research-driven cooking, strongly vegetable-led and nourished by the lake's produce. Caranchini was named chef of the year in 2023. Lunch and dinner service, Wednesday to Sunday.
- Il Sereno Al Lago — One Michelin star since 2017, on the water's edge in Torno (Via Torrazza 10), on the shore opposite Cernobbio — the crossing by boat is part of the pleasure. Chef Raffaele Lenzi runs the signature restaurant of the Il Sereno hotel, designed by Patricia Urquiola: Venetian terrazzo, travertine, and a large terrace partly built directly above the lake. Seasonal establishment: check opening dates before booking.
What to experience
- Vol panoramique en hydravion, Como Seaplanes — Take-off from the Como seaplane base (Viale Massenzio Masia 44), a few minutes from Cernobbio, with an operator working closely with the Aero Club Como, the oldest seaplane school still active in the world. Three routes on a Cessna 206 (5 passengers and 320 kg maximum): 30 minutes Como–Bellagio–Varenna–Menaggio–Argegno, 60 minutes as far as Colico and Piona, or 90 minutes on a grand tour of the lakes (Como, Annone, Pusiano, Alserio, Montorfano). Official rates from 480 €, 960 € and 1 440 € for two passengers.
- Croisière privée en runabout d'acajou, Como Classic Boats — The nautical echo of the concours d'elegance: private skippered outings from Laglio (Via Vecchia Regina 48), aboard a fleet of mahogany Riva boats — Aquarama, Ariston, Aquariva, Tritone — completed by a Vaporina, an electric Vaporina and a Venetian limousine. Packages from one to six hours depending on the route, captain included: the way to reach Cernobbio by water on Concorso days.
Official event website →