The 83rd Venice International Film Festival will take place from 2 to 12 September 2026. It is one of the oldest and most important film festivals in the world, bringing major premieres, directors, actors and thousands of cinema fans to Venice at the end of summer. Unlike many attractions in Venice, however, the festival is not held around St Mark’s Square: its home is the nearby island of Lido di Venezia.
For visitors, this makes the festival particularly attractive. You can watch a world premiere, see the red carpet and spend part of the day on an Adriatic beach, while central Venice remains only a short boat ride away.
Where Is the Venice Film Festival Held?
The heart of the festival is the Palazzo del Cinema on Lungomare Marconi, on the Adriatic side of Lido. Its Sala Grande is the main screening hall and the place associated with the festival’s biggest premieres, stars and award ceremonies. Next door, the Palazzo del Casinò contains additional screening rooms and facilities for press and industry professionals.
Other festival venues include Sala Darsena, Sala Giardino and the large PalaBiennale. The Venice Immersive programme takes place on nearby Lazzaretto Vecchio, only a few minutes from Lido by boat. This means that most visitors can stay on Lido and move between the principal festival locations without travelling back and forth across Venice.
What Will Be at the Venice Film Festival 2026?
The 2026 programme includes the main Venezia 83 Competition, Venice Open – Out of Competition, Orizzonti, Venezia Spotlight, Venice Classics, Venice Immersive and Biennale College Cinema. Many films are shown as world premieres, so audiences in Venice often see major releases months before their general cinema release. Selected screenings are open to ordinary visitors, not only journalists and accredited film professionals.
The opening film on 2 September will be Danny Boyle’s Ink, starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy. Other announced films include Casey Affleck’s Company, while the Out of Competition programme features names including Al Pacino, Kiefer Sutherland, Pamela Anderson, Taika Waititi and Ellen Burstyn. The festival will also present Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement to George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn, adding two particularly high-profile events to the 2026 edition.
The Venezia 83 jury is chaired by Maggie Gyllenhaal and will decide the main competition awards, including the Golden Lion for Best Film. Cinema fans can also explore restored classics, short films and experimental work, while Venice Immersive will present 68 extended-reality projects from 26 countries.
Can Ordinary Visitors See the Red Carpet and Buy Tickets?
Yes. The Venice Film Festival is an international industry event, but it is not closed to the public. Tickets are sold for many public screenings, with different prices depending on the cinema and time; for 2026, for example, standard Sala Grande tickets range from €18 for some afternoon screenings to €50 for the prime 7:30 p.m. slot.
You also do not need a ticket or accreditation simply to see the red carpet. La Biennale confirms that visitors can watch arriving stars and film delegations from the public pedestrian area, with red-carpet appearances also shown on a large screen. Directors and actors normally attend the main afternoon and evening official screenings at Sala Grande, although there is naturally no guarantee that a particular celebrity will appear outside the scheduled events.
How to Get to the Festival from Venice
From central Venice, reaching Lido is straightforward because there are no bridges or roads to cross: you travel by vaporetto, Venice’s public water bus. La Biennale recommends ACTV services from Ferrovia near Santa Lucia station, Piazzale Roma or San Zaccaria, with boats arriving at Lido Santa Maria Elisabetta; festival-period services can also run to Lido Casinò, much closer to the cinemas.
If you arrive at Santa Maria Elisabetta, the festival area is on the opposite side of the island. You can continue by local bus or taxi, rent a bicycle, or walk if you do not mind a longer stroll. From San Marco, travelling to Lido is especially convenient, which means staying in Venice itself remains a realistic option if you prefer canals and historic palaces to a seaside hotel.
How to Get from Marco Polo Airport to Lido
The simplest public-transport option from Venice Marco Polo Airport is to travel directly by Alilaguna boat. Both the Blue and seasonal Red routes connect the airport with Lido S.M.E., avoiding the need to travel first to central Venice and change boats. Venice Airport itself lists Alilaguna and private water taxis as the direct water-transport options for Lido.
A private water taxi is faster and much more comfortable if you are travelling with several people or heavy luggage, although it costs considerably more. During festival week it can also be a convenient choice for guests staying close to Lungomare Marconi. If budget matters more than speed, the direct Alilaguna service is normally the easier option.
Where to Stay Near the Venice Film Festival
For the full festival atmosphere, staying on Lido is much more convenient than sleeping in central Venice. The most famous choice is Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort, directly on Lungomare Marconi beside the festival district. The hotel has been closely connected with the festival since its beginnings: the first Venice Film Festival was held on the Excelsior terrace in 1932, and the property remains one of the places most strongly associated with visiting movie stars.
For something quieter and still close to the festival, Residenza d’Epoca Albergo Quattro Fontane and Hotel La Meridiana are practical choices in the same part of Lido. Hotel Villa Stella is another smaller option within easy reach of both the festival area and the beach. These hotels can fill quickly during the festival, so booking well before September is advisable.
Travellers who prefer to stay closer to the vaporetto terminal can consider Ausonia Hungaria. Its location on Gran Viale makes it convenient for boats to Venice while still keeping the beach and festival district within easy reach.
Beaches Near the Venice Film Festival
One of the unusual advantages of attending a film festival on Lido is that the cinemas sit only a short distance from the Adriatic Sea. The closest prestigious option is Excelsior Beach, directly in front of the Hotel Excelsior on Lungomare Marconi. It is a private beach with the traditional white Lido cabanas, restaurant facilities and beach services.
For a more accessible beach day, Bluemoon is one of Lido’s best-known public beach areas. It has a wide stretch of golden sand and is particularly convenient for visitors arriving at Santa Maria Elisabetta because it is reached by walking straight across the island along Gran Viale.
Early September is a particularly pleasant time to combine cinema with the sea. The summer beach season is still active, but the intense July and August holiday crowds are beginning to ease.
Why Come to Venice for the Festival?
The Venice Film Festival is worth visiting even if you are not a film-industry professional. You can buy a ticket for a premiere, watch stars arrive on the red carpet and experience one of the world’s major cinema events in a setting that feels completely different from a conventional urban festival. In the same day, you can have breakfast beside the beach, watch a new film at Palazzo del Cinema and take an evening vaporetto to St Mark’s Square.