Venice Film Festival 2026: Dates, Lido, Tickets & Getting There
In brief: The 83rd Venice International Film Festival (Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica) runs from 2 to 12 September 2026 on the Lido di Venezia, with a pre-opening on 1 September. It is directed by Alberto Barbera and organised by La Biennale di Venezia. The jury is chaired by Maggie Gyllenhaal; honorary Golden Lions for lifetime achievement go to George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn. Public ticket sales opened on 11 August 2026 and run online only. Important for getting there: AVM/Actv has been adjusting Lido bus and boat services since 17 August. No Venice access fee applies in September.
The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world — first held in 1932 — and, alongside Cannes and Berlin, one of the “big three” of the international festival calendar. For eleven days the Lido di Venezia, the long bathing island in front of the lagoon, becomes the film industry’s red carpet: world premieres, international stars, industry meetings — and finally the awarding of the Golden Lion (Leone d’Oro) for best film. 2026 marks the 83rd edition, and for anyone visiting Venice in early September it is a great reason to combine city, beach and cinema.
A festival with almost a century of history
The Mostra was founded in 1932 as part of the Biennale di Venezia, making it older than any other film festival. Even then the Lido, with its Belle Époque hotels, was the stage — and to this day the festival plays out around the Palazzo del Cinema and the neighbouring venues on the Lungomare Marconi. Over the decades Venice has become a launch pad for films that later won Oscars, and the place where European auteur cinema meets big Hollywood productions. The Golden Lion is considered one of the highest honours a film can receive internationally.
Dates and venue 2026 at a glance
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2 to 12 September 2026 (11 days), pre-opening on 1 September |
| Venue | Lido di Venezia — Palazzo del Cinema and Sala Grande on the Lungomare Marconi |
| Organiser | La Biennale di Venezia |
| Festival director | Alberto Barbera |
| Jury president | Maggie Gyllenhaal |
| Honorary Golden Lions | George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn |
| Opening film (2 Sept) | “Ink” by Danny Boyle |
| Closing film (12 Sept) | “Dio ride” by Giovanni Veronesi |
| Top award | Golden Lion (Leone d’Oro) for best film |
| Public tickets | on sale online since 11 August 2026 via the Biennale |
2026 schedule: day by day
An overview of which highlights land on which day — useful for planning your own festival visit or a red-carpet star-spotting trip. Minor shifts in the detailed programme are possible; the Biennale’s current schedule is always the binding one.
| Date | What’s on |
|---|---|
| Tue, 1 September | Out-of-competition pre-opening: “Col cuore in gola” by Tinto Brass, 9pm in the Sala Darsena. |
| Wed, 2 September | Official opening: George Clooney receives the honorary Golden Lion. The day’s programme includes “La ragazza con la Leica” (Alina Marazzi) plus the opening film “Ink” by Danny Boyle in the evening in the Sala Grande. |
| Thu, 3 September | Competition kicks off with “Bucking Fastard” (Werner Herzog) and “Wild Horse Nine” (Martin McDonagh, with John Malkovich and Steve Buscemi). |
| Fri, 4 September | “Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?” (Shinya Tsukamoto), plus “The Basics of Philosophy” (Paul Schrader) and the Oasis documentary “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. |
| Sat, 5 September | Nanni Moretti returns after 37 years with “Succederà questa notte” (with Louis Garrel); in the evening the Oasis reunion documentary with Liam and Noel Gallagher. |
| Sun, 6 September | “The Echo Chamber” (Andrea Pallaoro), based on a final screenplay by Bernardo Bertolucci, with Luca Marinelli and Alicia Vikander. Note: the Regata Storica takes place in the historic centre on the same day. |
| Mon, 7 September | “L’Estranea” (Paolo Strippoli) and “Look Back” (Hirokazu Kore-eda); Robert Pattinson in “Primetime” (Lance Oppenheim). |
| Tue, 8 September | Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem in “Bunker” (Florian Zeller). Luca Guadagnino receives the 2026 Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award; his lengthy Bertolucci documentary screens. |
| Wed, 9 September | “Un bon petit soldat” (Stéphane Brizé, with Alba Rohrwacher) and “Il fuoco che ti porti dentro” (Edoardo De Angelis). |
| Thu, 10 September | “Scherzetto” (Mario Martone, out of competition, with Toni Servillo) and the series “Peccato” (Valerio Vestoso) in the Sala Casinò. |
| Fri, 11 September | “Ritorno a Buenos Aires” (Marco Bechis), on Argentina’s military dictatorship; Russell Crowe in “What Loves Builds”. |
| Sat, 12 September | Awards ceremony: the Golden Lion and Coppa Volpi are announced. The closing film is “Dio ride” by Giovanni Veronesi, with Pierfrancesco Favino and Silvio Orlando. |
Most competition films screen more than once: alongside the red-carpet world premiere, cheaper and easier-to-get repeat screenings run on the following days — the better option for anyone who missed out on a premiere ticket.
The 2026 programme: scope and focus
The full programme has been published since late July. The 83rd edition comprises 88 new feature films, 18 short films, one series, 19 restored classics in the Venezia Classici strand and 68 immersive works in Venice Immersive. The festival opens on 2 September with Ink by Danny Boyle and closes on 12 September with Dio ride by Giovanni Veronesi. On the evening of 1 September the out-of-competition pre-opening screens Col cuore in gola by Tinto Brass.
The international main-competition jury is chaired in 2026 by American actress and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal. Its members are Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, British composer Daniel Blumberg, Italian-American film theorist Francesco Casetti, French director Xavier Giannoli, Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat and Hong Kong director Johnnie To. The honorary Golden Lions for lifetime achievement go to George Clooney and to Ellen Burstyn, whose filmography spans The Exorcist, Requiem for a Dream and Interstellar. A further honour, the 2026 Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award, goes on 8 September to Italian director Luca Guadagnino.
The festival sections
The programme is divided into several strands — from the main competition to experimental formats. The main competition Venezia 83 vies for the Golden Lion. Alongside it:
- Out of Competition (Fuori Concorso) — premieres of major productions and star vehicles without competitive pressure.
- Orizzonti — new aesthetic and narrative currents in world cinema, often bolder and younger.
- Venezia Spotlight — outstanding crowd-pleasers with broad appeal.
- Venezia Classici — restored classics and documentaries about cinema itself.
- Venice Immersive — virtual-reality and immersive works on their own island, Lazzaretto Vecchio.
- Biennale College Cinema — support for emerging talent with micro-budget productions.
Running in parallel and organised independently are two further respected strands: the International Film Critics’ Week (Settimana della Critica) for debut films and the Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days), inspired by the Quinzaine in Cannes.
The 21 competition films for 2026 at a glance
These 21 films compete for the Golden Lion in the 2026 Venezia 83 main competition:
- “Ink” — Danny Boyle (opening film)
- “Naza” — Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
- “Company” — Casey Affleck
- “Kami nour” (A Bit of Light) — Ali Asgari
- “Ritorno a Buenos Aires” — Marco Bechis
- “Un bon petit soldat” — Stéphane Brizé
- “Il fuoco che ti porti dentro” — Edoardo De Angelis
- “Kvinde Ukendt” (Woman Unknown) — May el-Toukhy
- “Bucking Fastard” — Werner Herzog
- “15/18” (A Place To Heal) — Cédric Kahn
- “Dau” — Ilya Khrzhanovsky
- “Look Back” — Hirokazu Kore-eda
- “Ga-neung-han sa-rang” (Possible Love) — Lee Chang-dong
- “Wild Horse Nine” — Martin McDonagh
- “Succederà questa notte” — Nanni Moretti
- “Primetime” — Lance Oppenheim
- “The Echo Chamber” — Andrea Pallaoro
- “Un peu avant minuit” — Nicolas Pariser
- “L’estranea” — Paolo Strippoli
- “Nelson san, anata wa hito wo koroshimashitaka?” (Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?) — Shinya Tsukamoto
- “Bunker” — Florian Zeller
What visitors can expect on the Lido
Contrary to common belief, the Mostra is not a trade-only event. Around the Palazzo del Cinema there is festival atmosphere for these eleven days: photographers at the red carpet, public-viewing areas, billboards, pop-up cafés and a steady stream of film fans. Stars usually walk to the Sala Grande in the late afternoon and early evening — if you want autographs or photos, position yourself early along the barriers on the Lungomare. During the day the mood is more relaxed and film-focused: repeat screenings and side sections run, and tickets are much easier to get.
Public tickets — sales are open
A large share of the screenings is open to the public — no industry accreditation required. Online sales for the 83rd Mostra opened on Tuesday, 11 August 2026 at 3pm and continue until allocations run out.
- Sales are online only via the Biennale’s ticketing platform (biennalecinema.vivaticket.it) — no longer at same-day box offices as in previous years.
- Discounts are available for visitors under 26 and over 65, as well as 2026 Biennale Card holders.
- For purchase questions, the Biennale’s ticket office can help at biglietteria.cinema@labiennale.org.
Realistic expectations: Sala Grande premieres have historically sold out within minutes. If you’re planning at this point, aim for the daytime repeat screenings and the side sections instead — seats are still available there at short notice, and they cost less. For a spontaneous festival feel without a ticket, the Lungomare Marconi around the Palazzo del Cinema is worthwhile on its own.
Important for 2026: Actv changes Lido connections from 17 August
One change matters most for getting there, and it catches many visitors off guard: transport operator AVM/Actv has been adjusting local transport on the Lido since the start of service on Monday, 17 August 2026 — a good two weeks before the festival starts — running through Saturday, 12 September. The reason is the closure of Piazzale Casinò to traffic. The changeover runs in two stages.
Stage 1 — 17 to 31 August: bus services on the island are reorganised. Line CO (Circolare Oraria) is suspended entirely; line CA (Circolare Antioraria) runs a diverted route via via S. Gallo, via Colombo, Lungomare Marconi and via Emo; line C drops its morning runs towards Santa Maria Elisabetta while extending afternoon runs to via Parri; and the festival line V runs from Santa Maria Elisabetta via Gran Viale and Lungomare Marconi to via Quattro Fontane — the most practical connection to the Palazzo del Cinema.
Stage 2 — 1 to 12 September: service is reinforced for the festival, especially on the water. Alongside the established boat line 20 (San Zaccaria B ↔ Lido Casinò), a new line MC runs for the first time in 2026. Together they give a 10-minute frequency between the city and the festival grounds from 8am to 6pm. After 6pm the MC line shifts its terminus to Piazzale Roma, serving late departures until the last screenings end. Lido bus lines V, A, B and CA run continuously from 6am to 3am on these days.
Getting to the Lido
The festival grounds are on the Lido, the car-free lagoon island between Venice and the open Adriatic. From the city centre several vaporetto lines run to the Lido Santa Maria Elisabetta stop; from there it is about a 10-minute walk along the waterfront, or a short ride on line V, which serves the Palazzo del Cinema during the festival. During festival days, line 20 and the new line MC run directly from San Zaccaria B to the Lido Casinò stop with no transfer.
- Line 1 — the Grand Canal line to the Lido (slow, but the most scenic sightseeing ride).
- Line 5.1/5.2 — the Lido ring line to and from Piazzale Roma and Ferrovia (the train station).
- Line 6 — a fast direct connection between Riva degli Schiavoni and the Lido.
- Line 14 — from San Marco–San Zaccaria via the Lido to Punta Sabbioni.
Tip: during the festival, boats to the Lido are busiest in the late afternoon (star-spotting time) — travelling earlier is far more relaxed. Everything on getting to Venice in general is covered on our Getting to Venice page.
Combine the festival, the city and the beach
Early September is one of the loveliest times of year in the lagoon: pleasant temperatures, the Adriatic still warm from summer, and the peak heat behind you. The Lido has a long sandy beach with beach clubs — a morning by the water and an afternoon at the cinema works well together. If you only want a taste of the festival, combine it with classic sightseeing in the historic centre and an evening stroll; for ideas see Venice by Night. A side trip to the islands of Murano and Burano is easy to fit in too.
If you’re in the lagoon in September anyway: right after the Mostra, the Venice Glass Week runs from 12 to 20 September, and the Regata Storica takes place on the Grand Canal on 6 September — both combine well with a festival visit.
Where to stay during the festival
During the Mostra, hotels on the Lido and in Venice are in high demand and priced accordingly — the best Lido properties are often booked out months in advance. If you’re flexible, consider Mestre (on the mainland, cheaper, good train/bus links) or the Adriatic seaside resorts such as Jesolo and Cavallino-Treporti, from where you can reach Venice by bus and vaporetto. Booking early pays off either way.
No access fee in September
Good news for festival visitors: Venice’s day-visitor access fee (Contributo di Accesso) applied in 2026 only on set days between 3 April and 26 July. So in September no access fee is charged. In any case the fee never applies to the lagoon islands — and therefore not to the Lido, where the festival takes place.
Practical tips for your festival visit
- Watch films during the day: repeat screenings and side sections are cheaper, less crowded and bookable at short notice.
- Check the timetable beforehand: Lido bus lines have already changed from 17 August, and the reinforced boat service starts on 1 September.
- Travel early: vaporetti to the Lido get crowded in the afternoon; mornings are far more relaxed.
- Sun protection and a light jacket: beach weather by day, cooler by the water in the evening.
- Buy tickets only officially: sales run exclusively through the Biennale platform — treat offers through other channels with caution.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Venice Film Festival 2026 take place?
From 2 to 12 September 2026 on the Lido di Venezia, with a pre-opening on 1 September. It is the 83rd edition of the Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica.
Can ordinary tourists attend screenings?
Yes. A large share of the screenings is public. No industry accreditation is needed. Purchases in 2026 run exclusively online via the Biennale’s ticketing platform.
Can I still get tickets?
Sales have run since 11 August 2026, while seats last. Sala Grande premieres usually sell out very fast; daytime repeats and the side sections offer much better odds.
Do buses and vaporetti change because of the festival?
Yes, in two stages. From 17 to 31 August 2026, bus line CO is suspended and lines C and CA run diverted routes while line V serves the Palazzo del Cinema. From 1 to 12 September, service is reinforced: boat line 20 and the new line MC together run a 10-minute frequency between San Zaccaria and Lido Casinò from 8am to 6pm; after 6pm the MC serves Piazzale Roma into the night. Buses V, A, B and CA then run from 6am to 3am.
How do I get to the festival?
During festival days, directly via line 20 or the new line MC from San Zaccaria B to the Lido Casinò stop, with no transfer. Alternatively, by vaporetto (lines 1, 5.1/5.2, 6 or 14) to Lido Santa Maria Elisabetta and then bus V, A or B.
Do I have to pay the Venice access fee in September?
No. The Contributo di Accesso applied in 2026 only until 26 July and never on the islands. It does not apply to a festival visit on the Lido.
Will I actually see stars there?
Yes — on the red carpet in front of the Sala Grande, usually in the late afternoon and evening. Arrive early for a good spot at the barriers. In 2026, George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn are among those expected for their honorary Golden Lions.