From May to November, the lagoon city becomes the great international laboratory of contemporary art. A perfect opportunity to rediscover Venice with fresh eyes, between the Giardini, the Arsenale, national pavilions and exhibitions spread across the city.
Venice is a city that seems to belong to the past, yet every two years it becomes one of the places most attuned to the present. It happens with the Art Biennale, which returns in 2026 from 9 May to 22 November with the 61st International Art Exhibition, entitled In Minor Keys and conceived by curator Koyo Kouoh. The exhibition unfolds between the Giardini, the Arsenale, the historic centre and Forte Marghera, turning the city into a widespread cultural itinerary.
The beauty of the Biennale is that you do not need to be an expert to visit it. You can go in out of curiosity, choose a few pavilions, and let yourself be surprised by a sound installation, a performance or a historic building opened for the occasion. It is a different way to experience Venice: less tied to its more familiar postcard images and closer to a city that changes, debates and experiments.
What is the Art Biennale, and why does it change the face of Venice?
The Venice Art Biennale is one of the world’s most important events dedicated to contemporary art. Founded in 1895, it has become an international event capable of attracting artists, curators, collectors and travellers from every continent. Its strength lies not only in the works on display, but also in the way it involves the city: for months, Venice becomes a map of exhibitions, pavilions, encounters, temporary architectures and special projects.
The 2026 edition has a special character. In Minor Keys grew out of the project by Koyo Kouoh, the Cameroonian curator who passed away in 2025, and which the Biennale has chosen to realise while respecting her original vision. The title invites visitors to listen to “minor keys”: voices, stories and artistic practices that are often less visible, yet able to tell the story of the contemporary world with depth.
Among the things to see, the main exhibition route unfolds between the Central Pavilion at the Giardini and the Arsenale. The Biennale lists 110 participants, including artists, collectives and organisations, selected to create resonances between different geographies and languages. Alongside the international exhibition, there are 100 National Participations, spread across the historic pavilions, the Arsenale and various locations in the city.
For first-time visitors to the Biennale, the advice is simple: do not try to see everything. It is better to choose one venue per day, alternate pavilions with breaks, and leave room for surprises. The Biennale is also made of detours: a courtyard, a deconsecrated church, a palazzo overlooking a canal, a room you enter almost by chance.
Giardini and Arsenale: the two venues to start from
The Biennale’s two main venues are the Giardini and the Arsenale, both in the Castello sestiere. They are complementary and equally important: all tickets include one admission to the Giardini and one to the Arsenale, even on different, non-consecutive days.
The Giardini: what to see and how to get there
The Giardini are the historic home of the Biennale. Here you will find the Central Pavilion and many permanent national pavilions, built over the course of the 20th century. It is an ideal area to begin your visit: the spaces are surrounded by greenery, the distances are manageable, and the atmosphere is that of an international park of art and architecture.
To get there from Piazzale Roma or Santa Lucia railway station, take ACTV lines 1, 4.1 or 5.1 to the Giardini Biennale stop; line 6 departs only from Piazzale Roma.
The Arsenale: what to see and how to get there
The Arsenale offers a different experience. Its spaces are more monumental: former shipyards, the Corderie, the Sale d’Armi, industrial settings and structures facing the water. It is the perfect place for those who love large installations and immersive works. The main entrance is in Campo della Tana, but access is also planned from Ponte dei Pensieri.
From Piazzale Roma or the station, you can get there on ACTV lines 1 and 4.1, Arsenale stop.
Art Biennale opening hours
Opening hours vary depending on the period:
- from 9 May to 27 September 2026, Giardini and Arsenale are open from 11:00 to 19:00, with last admission at 18:45;
- on Fridays and Saturdays, the Arsenale remains open until 20:00, with last admission at 19:45;
- from 29 September to 22 November, opening hours become 10:00-18:00, with last admission at 17:45;
- the exhibition is closed on Mondays, except 11 May, 1 June, 7 September and 16 November.
Tickets
A single admission ticket costs 30 euros; reduced rates are available for over-65s, residents, students and under-26s. There are also 3-day and weekly multiple-entry tickets, useful for those who want to visit the Biennale at a slower pace. Ticket purchases and guided tours are available online, with booking required for guided tours.
What to see: pavilions, debuts and new perspectives
One of the reasons the Biennale is so fascinating is the presence of the national pavilions. Each country interprets its own space in a different way: some choose spectacular installations; others use video, performance, archives, sound, traditional materials or digital languages.
In 2026 there are also important debuts: Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Nauru, Qatar, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Vietnam are taking part in the Art Biennale for the first time; El Salvador is taking part for the first time with its own pavilion. It is an interesting detail for travellers too: visiting the Biennale means crossing very distant cultural geographies while remaining in Venice.
At the Arsenale, one stop to mark on your map is the Italian Pavilion, with Con te con tutto by Chiara Camoni, curated by Cecilia Canziani. The project occupies the Tese delle Vergini and presents itself as a walk-through landscape, with ceramic works, natural elements and dialogues with other artists.
Another new feature of the 2026 edition is the “Visitors’ Lions”: the public can vote for an artist participating in the In Minor Keys exhibition and for a National Participation. Ticket holders who have visited both venues, Giardini and Arsenale, can vote; voting remains open for the entire duration of the event, from 9 May to 22 November. It is a way to make the visit even more participatory: not just observing, but choosing what has left a mark.
Venice beyond the pavilions: exhibitions across the city
The Biennale does not end between the Giardini and the Arsenale. An important part of the experience is seeking out the collateral events and pavilions spread throughout the historic centre. In 2026, there are 31 collateral events approved by the Curator, organised in different Venetian venues by non-profit public and private bodies and institutions.
This is where Venice truly becomes an itinerary. A palazzo usually seen only from the outside may open its rooms to an exhibition; a former church may host an installation; a foundation may propose a project that dialogues with the Biennale. To organise your visit, it is worth choosing one area per day: Castello after visiting the Arsenale, Dorsoduro to combine exhibitions and museums, San Marco or Cannaregio for an evening walk between exhibition venues and less crowded calli.
A practical option: spend one morning at the Giardini, a second half-day at the Arsenale, and leave at least a few hours free for events in the city. This way, the Biennale does not become a marathon, but a common thread that helps you explore Venice in a slower, more personal way.
A weekend between art and canals
For a first visit, the most balanced itinerary is this:
- arrive in Venice on Friday, stroll through the Castello district and get a first taste of the Arsenale during its extended opening;
- Saturday at the Giardini;
- Sunday devoted to a selection of collateral events and a museum or foundation.
Those who only have a weekend can choose one main venue and a few pavilions around the city. Those with three days can buy the multiple-entry ticket and spread out their visits better. Weekdays are recommended if you want fewer crowds, while from May to September the Friday and Saturday evening openings at the Arsenale allow you to experience the exhibition more calmly in the late afternoon.
It is best to travel light: suitcases and large bags are not allowed inside the exhibition venues, while a free cloakroom is available for small items only. Both venues have restaurants and refreshment points, with options for coeliacs, vegetarians and vegans. For families, there are toilets with changing tables and pushchairs are available on request while supplies last.
Something else to check before departure is the access fee for the city of Venice, scheduled on certain days in 2026. Visitors staying in accommodation where the tourist tax is paid do not have to pay it, but it is always useful to verify dates and conditions before arrival.
Why go in May and June
May and June are two ideal months to experience the Biennale. The event has just begun, the cultural calendar is rich, and the long days make it possible to alternate exhibitions, walks and outdoor stops. It is also the best time for a trip that combines art and city life: a visit to the Giardini can end with an aperitif on Via Garibaldi, a morning at the Arsenale can continue towards Riva degli Schiavoni, and an exhibition in Dorsoduro can become the perfect opportunity to linger among quieter calli, campi and canal walkways.
A different trip to Venice
The 2026 Art Biennale is an invitation to return to Venice for a specific reason: to discover how contemporary art dialogues with an ancient, fragile and extraordinarily powerful city. It is a journey suited to those who love museums, but also to those who want to be surprised without too many explanations; to those looking for a cultural weekend, but also to those who want to see Venice beyond its most predictable routes.
Between the Giardini, the Arsenale and exhibitions spread across the city, Venice becomes an atlas to be explored on foot and by vaporetto, a place where every stop can change the way you look at the present. And perhaps this is precisely the best way to visit Venice in 2026: not only seeking its most famous beauty, but listening to its new voices.
