Moto Guzzi Opens New Factory: What’s Changing in Mandello in 2026

• Moto Guzzi World Days 2026 take place September 3–6 in Mandello del Lario on Lake Como
• Opening of the revamped factory and new museum marking the brand’s 105th anniversary
• Free admission after registration, parade on Saturday morning from Lecco to Mandello

Moto Guzzi has been building motorcycles at the same address in Mandello del Lario since 1921. The factory on the eastern shore of Lake Como is one of the oldest continuously used motorcycle production sites in the world. In recent years, however, the site has mainly been a large construction zone. That renovation is now finished, and the manufacturer has chosen the biggest date on its own calendar for the opening: the Moto Guzzi World Days, known in Italy as the Giornate Mondiali Guzzi and usually abbreviated GMG.

When Do the Moto Guzzi World Days 2026 Take Place?

The Moto Guzzi World Days 2026 run from Thursday, September 3, to Sunday, September 6, in Mandello del Lario. The factory grounds are open to visitors on all four days.

The date has shifted slightly from the original announcement. In September 2025, Moto Guzzi had named September 4, 2026, as the opening day. Under the current announcement, the gathering now starts a day earlier, so the program covers four days instead of three.

How many people will actually attend remains unclear. The manufacturer’s announcement contains two different figures — one mentions tens of thousands, another only thousands. For comparison, at the last gathering at the old site in September 2025, the museum alone counted around 15,000 visits, even though the weather was poor, especially on Saturday.

What’s Different About the New Factory in Mandello?

The new factory stands on the same plot as the old one but uses modern assembly lines for engines and complete motorcycles. What’s new above all is that visitors will now be able to see the production process for themselves.

The plans come from American architect Greg Lynn, who drew on the style of American industrial design. The new buildings stay within the original factory perimeter and incorporate existing structures. According to the manufacturer, the materials were chosen with sustainability and efficient energy management in mind, including photovoltaic systems on the roofs. Parts of the site are protected as historic landmarks and will be preserved, including the historic wind tunnel.

For production itself, Piaggio’s head of communications Davide Zanolini names modern control and traceability systems as the most important innovation in an interview. In manufacturing, traceability means that for every single component it can be tracked when and in what condition it was installed. Zanolini links this to the expectation of higher and more consistent build quality. Part of the new production lines was already running before the official opening.

For visitors, this becomes visible through raised viewing points from which final assembly can be watched behind glass panels. The renovation also expands the factory’s capacity, since demand for the brand’s models has recently increased.

What Happens to the Old Moto Guzzi Museum?

The collection is moving into new rooms on the factory grounds. It comprises more than 150 motorcycles from every era of the brand, ranging from production models to racing machines and prototypes.

The move was overdue. The previous museum was in poor structural condition — plaster was crumbling from the ceiling in some spots, while mold was spreading in others. Valuable exhibits had stood for years in rooms barely suited to a permanent display. The September 2025 gathering was the last chance to see the collection in its old form.

The new exhibition is meant to be staged much more dramatically, telling 105 years of company history as a coherent walkthrough. Moto Guzzi itself says the aim is for it to become one of the most interesting industrial museums in the world. Whether that succeeds can only be judged after the opening.

What Else Is Part of the New Site?

Alongside the factory and museum, a Motoplex store, a café, and spaces for workshops, events, and interactive exhibitions are being built. Motoplex is the Piaggio Group’s dealership concept, in which several of the group’s brands are sold under one roof.

The store is meant to offer everything from keychains to casual and protective clothing to a complete motorcycle. The overall project also includes an event and conference center as well as a hotel. The idea behind it is that Mandello should not only be lively during the September gathering days, but function year-round.

Why Did the Renovation Take Longer Than Planned?

The original schedule called for completion in the first half of 2025. In reality, the renovation was not finished until summer 2026, with the opening following in September.

There are also differing accounts of when construction began. One account names late 2021 as the starting point, another the fall of 2023. That is likely because the project ran in several phases, with the actual construction work on the production halls starting later than the initial preparatory work. The renovation is part of a long-term plan that Moto Guzzi runs under the name “Road to 2121.” Alongside the site, this also includes building up a model range based on liquid-cooled engines.

How Can You Get Onto the Factory Grounds for Free?

Admission is free on all four days; all that’s required is prior registration through the official event website. This applies to the factory, the museum, and the other areas.

Otherwise, the program follows its usual format. Free test rides with the entire current model range are part of it, as is an area with street food. On all four days, a music program runs on a stage curated by radio station Virgin Radio.

The Saturday Parade

The best-known part of the program is the ride on Saturday morning. Thousands of machines from every model year ride together from Lecco to Mandello del Lario, finally rolling up to the factory gates.

For many Guzzisti, as the brand’s riders call themselves, this is the real highlight of the weekend. The route runs along the lakeshore and is easy for spectators to view. In past years, the gathering was at times combined with the Motoraduno Internazionale Città della Moto Guzzi, a motorcycle meeting that involves the entire town.

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