Venice Film Festival 2027 runs Wednesday 1 to Saturday 11 September on the Lido in Venice. It is the 84th edition of the world's oldest film festival. The public can buy single-screening tickets online through La Biennale; accreditation is for film professionals and eligible students. Watching the red carpet arrivals from the public barriers is free.
When is Venice Film Festival 2027
Venice Film Festival 2027 runs from Wednesday 1 September to Saturday 11 September, eleven days in all. It is the 84th edition of the festival. Alberto Barbera stays on as artistic director for 2027 and 2028. The film line-up is announced in late July 2027, so check the official programme before you build a trip around one title. See the official La Biennale cinema pages for dates, line-up, and ticket sales as the festival approaches.
| Date 2027 | What happens |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 1 September | Opening day: first screenings, opening ceremony, first red carpet premieres. |
| 1–11 September | Competition, Orizzonti, Out of Competition, Venice Classics, and Venice Immersive screenings across the Lido venues. |
| Late July 2027 | Official line-up announced. Public ticket sales open a few weeks before the festival. |
| Saturday 11 September | Closing day: awards ceremony, including the Golden Lion. |
What is the Venice Film Festival
Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica is the Italian name for the festival, and it means International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art. It is run by La Biennale di Venezia, the same body behind the Venice Art and Architecture Biennales. It is the world's oldest film festival, and one of the three great European festivals alongside Cannes and Berlin. Each year it opens the awards season: films that premiere on the Lido often go on to Oscar and festival success. See the full list of music, film and arts festivals in this category.
What happens at the festival
The heart of the festival is the Venezia competition in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema, where the main premieres play each evening. Orizzonti, which means Horizons, shows new directions and emerging filmmakers. Out of Competition brings big-name premieres, documentaries, and restored classics through Venice Classics. Venice Immersive, a competition for virtual reality work, takes place on the small lagoon island of Lazzaretto Vecchio, just off the Lido. Alongside the official selection, the independent parallel sections, Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days) and Settimana Internazionale della Critica (Critics' Week), show debuts and arthouse discoveries. In the evenings, the red carpet arrivals draw the biggest crowds outside the Palazzo del Cinema.
Tickets and accreditation
The public can attend. La Biennale sells individual public tickets online a few weeks before opening, including seats for the evening gala screenings in the Sala Grande. Popular premieres sell out within minutes, so be ready when sales open, and expect gala-slot seats to cost more than daytime showings. Prices are published closer to the festival, so check the official site before you plan around a figure. Read the practical guide to Venice public tickets and accreditation before you book.
| Route | Who it is for | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| Public single-screening tickets | General public | A seat for one screening, bought online via La Biennale. Prices published closer to the festival. |
| Cinema accreditation | Film-sector professionals, eligible students | Badge + reservations for screenings across the festival. Badges are strictly personal and non-transferable. |
| Parallel sections | General public | Venice Days and Critics' Week screenings, with their own ticketing. Check each section's site. |
| Red carpet viewing | Everyone | Free from the public barriers on Lungomare Marconi. Arrive hours early for big premieres. |
Apply for accreditation early, and buy public tickets the moment sales open. Never buy tickets or badges from street sellers or resale sites: badges are personal and non-transferable, and a fake ticket means no entry and no refund.
The Golden Lion
The Golden Lion, the Leone d'Oro, is the festival's top prize. It goes to the best feature film in the Venezia competition, chosen by the main competition jury and handed out at the closing ceremony. The award was introduced in 1949. Other competition awards include the Silver Lion for best director, the Grand Jury Prize, the Special Jury Prize, the Volpi Cups for best actor and best actress, the award for best screenplay, and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for the best new young actor or actress. Separate Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement are awarded most years to film figures in recognition of a full career rather than a single film.
How the festival began
The festival began in 1932 as part of the 18th Venice Biennale, set up by Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata, then president of the Biennale, with sculptor Antonio Maraini and Luciano de Feo, the festival's first director. It opened on the night of 6 August 1932 with Rouben Mamoulian's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, shown on the terrace of the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido, and ran through 21 August. That first edition was not a competition: an audience vote picked unofficial favourites. The festival became a true competition in 1934, when the Coppa Mussolini was introduced for best foreign and best Italian film, a name dropped after the Second World War as the festival moved on from its origins under Italy's Fascist government. It became an annual event in 1935, when the Volpi Cup for best actor and actress was introduced. The last edition before this guide, the 83rd, ran 2 to 12 September 2026, with 21 films in the main competition. George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn received Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement that year.
Another great film festival is the Cannes Film Festival dates, access, and Palme d'Or guide. For the full list of festivals across the world, go back to the World Festival and Holiday Calendar.
Safety and visiting tips
- Crowds: keep your bag closed and in front, carry little cash, and agree a meeting point with your group.
- Fake tickets: buy only through the official La Biennale site. Never buy tickets or badges from street sellers.
- Red carpet: watch arrivals from the public barriers. Arrive hours early for a front-row spot on busy premiere nights.
- Dress code: smart casual is enough for daytime screenings. Pack something formal or elegant for the evening gala in the Sala Grande.
- Heat: early September on the Lido is hot and humid, around 22 to 28 degrees. Wear light clothes, carry water and sunscreen, and use shade between venues.
- Getting around: take the vaporetto to Lido S.M.E., then a short bus ride or a 20-minute walk down the Gran Viale to the venues. Wear comfortable shoes.
- Stay: book well ahead. Lido rooms are few and largely taken by delegations and press, and rates across Venice peak during the festival.
- Queues: popular screenings sell out fast and queues are long. Arrive early, and have a backup screening in mind.