Planning Your Trip and Upcoming Events

Its difficult to decide when to come to Venice. It is wonderful to visit all year round. Here are some points of reference to help you choose the season which suits you best.

If you are a music lover: Orchestral concerts are held from May to July and from September to December. The Fenice Theatre has finally re-opened its doors after a devastating some years ago. The Opera season runs from December to May; Jazz Concerts and the Festival of Contemporary Music take place in September, but you can attend a concert almost any day of the year in Various churches. Concerts are also given regularly in the Church of the Pieta, where Antonio Vivaldi was once Music Director of the of the all-girl orphan orchestra. The Music, Theatre and Dance Biennale also hosts many events. Program of projects, productions and world premieres, Teatro Verde, Teatro Piccolo Arsenale, Teatro alle Tese. Theatre: From March to September, Music: From May to October, Dance: From June to September.

Do you like the Theatre?: From October to May, you can see world class performances at the Teatro Goldoni. The Cini Foundation occasionally presents open air performances during the summer and in the Campo S. Polo there is an open air cinema during the summer showing the latest films, many of which are in English.

Film Lovers Rejoice!: Lido is the "in" place to be in during late August and early September (as well as the summer months on this first class beach) The world-famous International Film Festival Official Biennale and Lido Movie Festival site is chock full of the latest films and celebrities! An experience you won't want to miss! It takes place for a ten day period from the end of August through the beginning of September every year. Also taking place in Sept. on the first Sunday of the month is the incredibly beautiful Historical Regatta parade along the Grand Canal.

Contemporary Art is the focus of the Venice Biennale The Art Biennale: Official Biennale and Lido Movie Festival site takes place from June through November. This international Modern Art festival takes place in the Giardini Pavilions in Castello

Traditional Festivals Official site for upcoming events are held throughout the year; September brings the spectacular Regata Storica in mid-Sept., a historical regatta in period costumes; November, the Day of the Madonna della Salute mid. Nov., and in May, the Day of the Sensa, when Venice renews her vows of marriage with the sea. The Day of Redentore, www.comune.venezia.it/turimo, is held on the third Sunday in July, culminating in an extraordinary fireworks display.

The Carnival is probably the biggest single event of the Venetian calendar. Carnivale runs for the ten days preceding Mardi Gras The entire city is given over to costumed revels, impromptu street concerts, and pageants and balls of every kind. This is an experience you will treasure for a lifetime!