What's on in Venice, learn about the festivals, celebrations and major events that happen each year in Venice city, Italy. Check out the annual calendar.
The Regata Storica is the main event in the annual "Voga alla Veneta" calendar. This unique sport has been practised in the Venetian lagoon for thousands of years and today it is well-known for the spectacular historical water pageant that precedes the race.
The Carnival of Venice is an annual festival. Carnival starts around two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday. You can rent costumes and masks and take part in its famous festival.
The Venice Art Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice. The Venice Film Festival is part of it, as is the Venice Biennale of Architecture.
Venice Film Festival or Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica di Venezia is the oldest film festival in the world. Founded in 1932, the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the Lido island.
The Festa del Redentore is one of the Venetians' most treasured festivities, and is a tourist attraction thanks to the spectacular firework display. It falls on the third Sunday in July, when Holy Mass is held in the presence of the Patriarch, followed by a religious procession.
Venice is a city full of traditions. One of the more famous is the Festa della Sensa (Feast of the Ascension) in which the wedding between the Duke, the former Governor of the Venetian Republic, and the Sea is represented in the so called Sposalizio del Mare.
The Vogalonga is a non-competitive regatta which began in 1975, when a group of Venetians, in a protest against the damage caused by use of power boats in the historic city created this event.
The Festa della Madonna della Salute is the least touristy of the Venetian festivities. Held on November 21st at the Madonna della Salute Church, the festival commemorates Venice's deliverance from the plague in 1630.