Midsummer Gala at Villa d'Este
The Ferragosto at Villa d'Este is the most sought-after rendezvous of the Lombard summer. The evening opens with a strolling aperitif through the gardens that sweep down to the water, then unfolds into a gala dinner around the legendary floating pool, with refined cuisine, wine pairings and staged interludes. It closes with a fireworks display whose reflections shimmer across the Lario. Elegant dress required: jacket, long trousers and closed shoes for gentlemen.
Line-up : An evening produced by Villa d'Este: the palace's own kitchen brigade and stage performers for the interludes.
How to get in
Villa d'Este restaurant and events service.
Seat at the gala dinner at 650 € per person, wine pairings and entertainment included. Booking with the palace, on +39 031 348 400 or at restaurant.reservation@villadeste.it. Free cancellation up to fifteen days before.
The turnkey stay
On 15 August 2026, Villa d'Este opens its ten hectares of centuries-old gardens for the Midsummer Gala, its Ferragosto evening: a wandering aperitif through the lakeside gardens, then a gala dinner set around the floating pool — the first on Lake Como, inaugurated with the Sporting Club in 1965. At the evening's peak, the fireworks reflect across the waters of the lake. Count on 650 € per person, wine pairings and show included, in required elegant dress: jacket, long trousers and closed shoes for gentlemen. One single address, Via Regina 40 in Cernobbio, and the whole western shore of Lake Como to carry the night on.
Where to stay
- Villa d'Este — Sleep where the gala takes place, Via Regina 40 in Cernobbio. 151 rooms split between the Cardinal's Building (124 rooms, designed in 1568) and the Queen's Pavilion (27 rooms and suites, 1856), set in a ten-hectare park. The Sporting Club and its floating pool — the first on Lake Como, inaugurated in 1965 —, a Beauty Center with physiotherapists and beauticians, a 24-hour gym, tennis and water sports. Private heliport and private landing stage on the lake; the public Cernobbio pier is a five-minute walk away.
- Passalacqua — An 18th-century villa in Moltrasio, a few kilometres north of Cernobbio on the same western shore. Only 24 rooms and suites spread between the Villa, the Palazz (former stables, 8 rooms) and the lakeside Casa al Lago (4 suites), amid seven acres of terraced gardens leading down to the pool terrace. The wellness area occupies the vaulted ground floor of the Palazz, with sauna and steam bath. Ranked No. 4 in the World's 50 Best Hotels 2025 and honoured that same year with the Best Boutique Hotel and Best Hotel in Europe awards. The composer Vincenzo Bellini counts among its historic guests.
Where to dine
- Ristorante Materia — Starred in the Guide MICHELIN since 2018, under chef Davide Caranchini, named Chef of the Year 2023. In Cernobbio itself, Via Trieste 1/b, minutes from Villa d'Este. Opened in 2016, the house practises a contemporary, research-driven cuisine, nourished by Como-area produce and international experience. Lunch from Wednesday to Sunday.
- Kitchen — One MICHELIN star, chef Andrea Casali. Via per Cernobbio 41A in Como, on the very road leading to Cernobbio, in the private park of the Sheraton Lake Como. A biodynamic kitchen garden grown on site — aromatic herbs, flowers, seasonal vegetables — accompanies and extends the dishes on the menu through the seasons; in the evening, the illuminated garden can be visited just outside the entrance. Closed Monday, dinner only on Tuesday.
What to experience
- Arrivée en hélicoptère privé, Elicompany — Villa d'Este has its own heliport: you land in the park rather than at the gate. Elicompany serves Lake Como from its base in Santo Stefano Ticino, at the gates of Malpensa, and names Villa d'Este among the lake hotels where the aircraft lands directly or right beside. Twenty minutes' flight from Malpensa, twenty-five from Linate; the same fleet then links Saint-Moritz in thirty-five minutes or Portofino in fifty.
- Privatisation d'un Riva d'époque, Como Classic Boats — The fleet of mahogany runabouts is based at Via Vecchia Regina 48 in Laglio, on the same western shore as Cernobbio. Choose from the 1962 Riva Ariston (4 passengers), the 1958 Riva Tritone and the Riva Aquariva (6 passengers), or the Aquarama, the brand's absolute icon, also for six. Private outing with skipper, bookable online, to reach the gala by water or salute the lake at first light.
Official event website →