# Venice Biennale: dates, tickets, the cycle

> Art in even years, architecture in odd ones. The 61st Art Exhibition runs May 9 to November 22, 2026 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and Forte Marghera.

URL: https://myitalia.it/events/biennale-di-venezia
Last updated: 2026-09-02

The 61st International Art Exhibition, In Minor Keys, curated by Koyo Kouoh, runs from May 9 to November 22, 2026 at the Giardini, the Arsenale and Forte Marghera, at €30 full price and €16 for under 26s.

## Six and a half months, three venues

The 2026 exhibition opens on May 9 and closes on November 22, which makes it the longest-running ticketed event in Italy and the reason a Venice trip almost anywhere in the calendar can include it. The Giardini and the Arsenale hold the main body of the show, and Forte Marghera at Mestre carries part of it across the lagoon to the mainland.

Tickets are €30 full and €16 for visitors under 26. Both main venues sit outside the daily route through San Marco, which is worth knowing in a city where walking distance decides everything.

## Even years art, odd years architecture

The cycle is a strict alternation: art in even years, architecture in odd ones. 2026 is an art year and 2027 will be an architecture year, in the same buildings and on a similar calendar.

That single rule answers most planning questions in advance. A traveler who wants the architecture exhibition cannot see it in an art year, whatever else is on in the city.

## One festival in 1895, six by 1999

The Biennale began in 1895 with the first International Art Exhibition, and everything else was added later: music in 1930, cinema in 1932, theatre in 1934, architecture in 1980, dance in 1999. The film festival, the best known abroad, is 37 years younger than the institution that hosts it.

So the word Biennale on a poster in Venice is ambiguous by design. It can mean the art or architecture exhibition on its two-year cycle, or one of the annual festivals run by the same body, and the dates never coincide.

## Planning around it

Book a Biennale day rather than an hour: one ticket covers both main venues, and neither of them is a quick walk from the other in a city where nothing is quick. The nearest thing to a quiet slot is the first hour after opening on a weekday.

Venice practicalities that change year to year, including the access fee that is not currently in force, are in [the Venice access fee page](/stories/venice-access-fee-is-not-in-force). Other fixed-date events are listed on [the events theme page](/themes/events).

## FAQ

### When is the Venice Biennale in 2026?

May 9 to November 22, 2026. It is the 61st International Art Exhibition, titled In Minor Keys and curated by Koyo Kouoh, spread across the Giardini, the Arsenale and Forte Marghera at Mestre. Six and a half months is the longest run of any event on the Italian calendar.

### How much does a Biennale ticket cost?

€30 full price for the 2026 Art Exhibition and €16 reduced for under 26s. One ticket covers the Giardini and the Arsenale, which are the two main venues, and most visitors need a full day for the pair rather than an afternoon.

### Is the Biennale art or architecture this year?

Art in 2026, architecture in 2027. The two International Exhibitions alternate strictly, art in even years and architecture in odd ones, which means a visit in a given year decides what you see before you book anything.

### How old is the Venice Biennale?

It started in 1895 with the first International Art Exhibition. The other sections arrived much later and separately: music in 1930, cinema in 1932, theatre in 1934, architecture in 1980 and dance in 1999, so the institution is six festivals grown from one.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| La 61a Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte della Biennale di Venezia, intitolata 'In Minor Keys' e curata da Koyo Kouoh, si tiene dal 9 maggio al 22 novembre 2026 ai Giardini, all'Arsenale e a Forte Marghera. | [La Biennale di Venezia](https://www.labiennale.org/it/arte/2026/informazioni) | medium | 2026-11-30 |
| Le Esposizioni Internazionali di Arte e di Architettura della Biennale di Venezia si alternano di anno in anno: l'Arte cade negli anni pari (2026) e l'Architettura negli anni dispari (2027). | [La Biennale di Venezia](https://www.labiennale.org/it/storia) | medium | 2028-12-31 |
| La Biennale di Venezia e' stata fondata nel 1895 con la prima Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte; le sezioni sono nate in anni diversi: Musica 1930, Cinema 1932, Teatro 1934, Architettura 1980, Danza 1999. | [La Biennale di Venezia](https://www.labiennale.org/it/storia) | medium | 2099-12-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/event.biennale-di-venezia.1600.jpg
Author: Fred Romero. License: CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Viva_Arte_Viva_-_La_Biennale_di_Venezia_2017.jpg

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