Every summer Luino plays host to the Festival of Theatre and Comedy, sponsored by Lombardy Region and Varese Province, with performances by the best Italian comedians.

Entrance to the festival events is free. The venues are the theatres and open spaces on the lake fronts, not only in Lombardy but also in Piedmont and Switzerland.

Famous Italian artists who have participated in past years are the dialect theatre company I Legnanesi, the comedian Francesco Salvi, the satirical singer-songwriter Enzo Jannacci, and the historic duo of Cochi and Renato.

The event continues into the autumn season with the debut of up-and-coming artists who have trained at the Luino School of Comedy Theatre – Lake Maggiore, started by the Theatre and Comedy Festival Culture Association of Luino. Teachers of comedy at the school have included Enzo Jacchetti, Davide Rota, Max Cavallari and Cochi Ponzoni.