Biennale Arte, exhibitions and major cultural events
From late April to early summer, Venice enters one of the richest moments of its cultural calendar. The opening of the Venice Biennale coincides with a season of major international exhibitions across the city’s museums and with several historic events rooted in Venetian tradition.
Visiting Venice during this period means moving between contemporary art, historic heritage and a vibrant cultural life that unfolds across palaces, churches and exhibition spaces throughout the city.
This guide brings together the main events of the Venetian spring season, from the Biennale to major exhibitions and traditional celebrations.
- Biennale Arte 2026: theme and curatorial structure of the exhibition
- The main venues of the Biennale: Giardini and Arsenale
- Off-site Biennale exhibitions across the city
- Major art exhibitions in Venice starting this season
- Spring events and traditional celebrations
- Practical information for visiting Venice
Biennale Arte 2026 - 61st International Art Exhibition
9 May – 22 November 2026
Preview days: 6–8 May
The Venice Biennale is one of the most important events in the international contemporary art calendar, and each edition transforms the city into a global cultural hub.
The 2026 exhibition, titled In Minor Keys, follows the curatorial project conceived by Koyo Kouoh, the first African curator appointed to lead the Biennale, who passed away in 2025. The exhibition reflects on how art can create spaces of attention, listening and sensory perception in a world shaped by ongoing global crises.
The exhibition brings together 111 international artists and unfolds across several locations in the city. Rather than being organised into traditional thematic sections, the exhibition is structured around a series of curatorial “motifs” that shape how visitors encounter the works.
Among these are Shrines, dedicated to influential artistic figures; Oases, conceived as spaces for pause and contemplation; Schools, designed as environments for research and learning; and Processions, spatial interventions that introduce movement and collective experience into the exhibition. This structure encourages visitors to move through the exhibition at a slower and more reflective pace.
Main venues: Giardini and Arsenale
The two historic Biennale sites remain the starting point for most visits.
Giardini della Biennale
The large public garden in the eastern part of the city hosts the Central Pavilion and several permanent national pavilions built throughout the twentieth century.
Arsenale di Venezia
The former shipyard of the Venetian Republic houses a central part of the international exhibition. The long halls of the Corderie are today among the most striking exhibition spaces of the Biennale.
The Biennale across the city: off-site pavilions and exhibitions
Alongside the main venues, the Biennale extends into many other locations across Venice. National pavilions and collateral events are hosted in historic palaces, churches and cultural institutions, creating a network of exhibitions across different districts of the city.
One of the most visited off-site projects is Personal Structures, organised by the European Cultural Centre at Palazzo Mora and Palazzo Bembo. The exhibition brings together international artists and architects around the theme Confluences and offers free admission.
Other Biennale projects take place in distinctive locations throughout the city. San Fantin Church hosts the collateral event Toward the Light by artist Lore Bert. The Church of the Pietà on Riva degli Schiavoni becomes the venue for the New Zealand Pavilion, presenting Fiona Pardington’s photographic project Taharaki Skyside. The Church of Santa Maria del Pianto near Fondamente Nove hosts the Kosovo Pavilion, while the former Solveni Pharmacy in Dorsoduro is transformed into the exhibition space for the Pakistan Pavilion.
These venues, and many more, often allow visitors to access historic buildings that are rarely open to the public and contribute to making the Biennale a truly citywide event.
Major art exhibitions in Venice in 2026
During the Biennale season, also several Venetian museums and foundations present important temporary exhibitions.
Marina Abramović – Transforming Energy
Gallerie dell’Accademia
6 May – 19 October 2026
This exhibition marks an important moment in the history of the museum: it is the first major solo exhibition dedicated to a living female artist at the Accademia Galleries. The project places Abramović’s works in dialogue with masterpieces from the historical collection, including Titian’s Pietà.
Dries Van Noten Foundation
Palazzo Pisani Moretta
Opening April 2026
A new interdisciplinary cultural centre dedicated to contemporary craftsmanship and the dialogue between fashion, design, glassmaking and the applied arts.
The foundation was created by Belgian designer Dries Van Noten with the aim of establishing a cultural platform where creative disciplines intersect. Its programme includes exhibitions, collaborations between designers and artists, and projects exploring materials, craftsmanship and artistic production.
Anish Kapoor
Palazzo Manfrin, Cannaregio
From 5 May 2026
The Venetian headquarters of the Anish Kapoor Foundation presents a major exhibition dedicated to the artist’s creative process, featuring around one hundred models and studies produced over more than four decades.
Peggy Guggenheim in London
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
25 April – 19 October 2026
The exhibition explores Peggy Guggenheim’s years in London between 1938 and 1939, a crucial period that saw the emergence of some of the first exhibitions dedicated to the European avant-garde.
Pinault Collection
Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana
From 29 March 2026
The two Venetian venues of the Pinault Collection present new exhibitions featuring works by Michael Armitage, Amar Kanwar, Lorna Simpson and Paulo Nazareth.
Spring events and traditions in Venice
Alongside its artistic season, Venice celebrates some of its most important historic traditions during the spring months.
On 25 April, Venice celebrates Saint Mark, the patron saint of the city, with the traditional Feast of Saint Mark. On this day it is customary to give a bòcolo, a single red rose inspired by a medieval Venetian legend.
On 17 May, the city celebrates the Festa della Sensa, also known as the Marriage of the Sea. The ceremony takes place in the waters off the Church of San Nicolò al Lido and lasts for the morning. During the ritual, the mayor throws a golden ring into the lagoon, renewing the bond between Venice and the Adriatic. The 2026 edition includes a symbolic twinning with Palermo.
On 24 May, the Vogalonga returns, a one-day non-competitive rowing event covering about 30 km. The route starts from St. Mark's Basin, winds through the lagoon to Burano and Murano, and ends in the Grand Canal, involving thousands of boats to raise awareness about motorboat-generated waves.
At the end of May (27-31) the Arsenale hosts the Salone Nautico, dedicated to innovation in boating and sustainable navigation technologies.
Between 31 May and 2 June, the Venice Wine Festival takes place, with tastings and events centred around the historic Rialto Market area.
Practical information for visiting Venice
In 2026 Venice continues to test the Access Fee for day visitors during selected high-traffic days between April and July.
The fee applies between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm.
The cost is €5 with advance booking and €10 for last-minute reservations. Visitors staying overnight in Venice are exempt from the fee but must still register online in order to obtain the exemption QR code.
The reference website for registration can be found here.
Exploring the Biennale and contemporary art in Venice
During the Biennale season many exhibitions and national pavilions are hosted in historic palaces, churches and cultural spaces across the city. Navigating between the main venues, collateral events and parallel exhibitions often requires time and a good understanding of the Venetian art context.
For travellers interested in exploring these spaces in greater depth, Venice Incoming organises tailor-made contemporary art itineraries led by specialised local guides. These experiences can combine visits to the Biennale, off-site pavilions and major exhibitions across the city, creating a coherent cultural itinerary through Venice’s contemporary art landscape.
For more information or to request a personalised programme click here
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