Packaging machine for forming packets of smoking articles, in particular cigarettes, wherein the packaging machine lies substantially on a substantially vertical lying plane and comprises: - movement means for moving groups of smoking articles, possibly comprising filters, and at least partially wrapped by an inner wrapping sheet, along a movement direction substantially linear and orthogonal to the lying plane of the packaging machine, wherein the groups of smoking articles are directed with respect to the filters so that the filters are positioned upstream of tobacco of the cigarettes with respect to the movement direction; - a wrapping wheel to receive in sequence a plurality of said groups of smoking articles wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet and to move them along a substantially circular wrapping path, said wrapping wheel comprising a plurality of peripheral pockets (14; 114) each suitable to receive in sequence said groups of smoking articles wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet, wherein each of said peripheral pockets (14; 114) comprises an abutting profile (17; 117) and retaining means to retain a relative inner containing element, or collar, (6; 106) of said packet against said abutting profile (17; 117), wherein said retaining means comprise vacuum-gripping means, in particular suction cups, each of said peripheral pockets (14; 114) further comprises anchoring means to retain each one of said groups of smoking articles wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet and at least partially wrapped by a corresponding collar (6; 106), wherein said anchoring means are movable between a release position, in which one of said groups of cigarettes wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet and, at least partially, by a corresponding collar (6; 106), is able to be inserted into or removed from a corresponding peripheral pocket (14; 114), and a retaining position, in which one of said groups of cigarettes wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet and, at least partially, by a corresponding collar (6; 106) is retained in a relative peripheral pocket (14; 114); and - transfer means to transfer said groups of smoking articles wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet from said movement means to said wrapping wheel; wherein said transfer means transfer said groups of smoking articles directed with respect to the filters along a transfer direction radial with respect to said wrapping path and substantially perpendicular to said movement direction. - movement means for moving groups of smoking articles, possibly comprising filters, and at least partially wrapped by an inner wrapping sheet, along a movement direction substantially linear and orthogonal to the lying plane of the packaging machine, wherein the groups of smoking articles are directed with respect to the filters so that the filters are positioned upstream of tobacco of the cigarettes with respect to the movement direction; - a wrapping wheel to receive in sequence a plurality of said groups of smoking articles wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet and to move them along a substantially circular wrapping path, said wrapping wheel comprising a plurality of peripheral pockets (14; 114) each suitable to receive in sequence said groups of smoking articles wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet, wherein each of said peripheral pockets (14; 114) comprises an abutting profile (17; 117) and retaining means to retain a relative inner containing element, or collar, (6; 106) of said packet against said abutting profile (17; 117), wherein said retaining means comprise vacuum-gripping means, in particular suction cups, each of said peripheral pockets (14; 114) further comprises anchoring means to retain each one of said groups of smoking articles wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet and at least partially wrapped by a corresponding collar (6; 106), wherein said anchoring means are movable between a release position, in which one of said groups of cigarettes wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet and, at least partially, by a corresponding collar (6; 106), is able to be inserted into or removed from a corresponding peripheral pocket (14; 114), and a retaining position, in which one of said groups of cigarettes wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet and, at least partially, by a corresponding collar (6; 106) is retained in a relative peripheral pocket (14; 114); and - transfer means to transfer said groups of smoking articles wrapped by said inner wrapping sheet from said movement means to said wrapping wheel;