Venice Biennale tickets for the 2026 Art Exhibition cost €30 for a standard one-access ticket, €20 reduced and €16 for students and visitors under 26, and they are sold online only through the official ticket office.
The 61st International Art Exhibition, In Minor Keys, runs at the Giardini and the Arsenale until Sunday 22 November 2026, open 10 am to 6 pm with last entry at 5:45 pm. That leaves just over two weeks to see it.
This guide covers prices, opening days in November, how to reach both venues by water bus and how to plan a visit in the final weeks. Every date, time and price comes from La Biennale di Venezia's official pages, checked on 5 November 2026.
When does the Venice Biennale 2026 close?
The Art Exhibition opened on 9 May and closes on Sunday 22 November 2026. Since 29 September it has been on autumn hours: both main venues open at 10 am and close at 6 pm, with last admission at 5:45 pm. The Austrian Pavilion keeps shorter hours, Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
The exhibition is closed on Mondays, with one exception left in the calendar: Monday 16 November is an open day. If your trip includes a Monday, that is the only one you can use.
Special projects are also shown at Forte Marghera on the mainland in Mestre, in addition to the Giardini and the Arsenale.
Venice Biennale tickets: prices and how to buy
The one-access ticket
The standard ticket gives one entry to each of the two venues, the Giardini and the Arsenale. The full price is €30. The reduced ticket is €20 for visitors over 65 and residents of Venice. Students and anyone under 26 pay €16 with a valid ID. Children up to 6 enter free.
Multi-day passes
If you want to go back, the 3-day multiple-access pass costs €40 and the weekly pass €50. For most visitors with a couple of days in Venice, the 3-day pass is the one that fits, because a single venue easily takes a morning or an afternoon.
Where to buy
Tickets and guided tours are sold online only, through the Vivaticket links on the official Biennale site, with a €0.50 presale fee. Save the PDF on your phone and bring any document that proves a discount. A few concessions, such as disability tickets and cardholder discounts like FAI or ACI, are sold in person at the Infopoints at the Giardini (Viale Trento) and the Arsenale (Riva Ca' di Dio).
Guided tours are booked through the same official channel. Scheduled tours cost €10 per person per venue, on top of the entry ticket.
How to get to the Giardini and the Arsenale
Both venues sit in the Castello district at the eastern end of the city, about ten minutes' walk from each other. From Piazzale Roma or the railway station (Ferrovia), ACTV water bus lines 1 and 4.1 stop at Arsenale. For the Giardini, take line 1, 4.1 or 5.1 to the Giardini Biennale stop; line 6 also runs there from Piazzale Roma.
From Marco Polo Airport, the Alilaguna Blu line stops at Arsenale. If you are coming from Punta Sabbioni, take line 14 to San Zaccaria and change to line 1 or 4.1.
How to plan a visit in the final weeks
Allow three hours per venue
La Biennale itself estimates around three hours for a self-guided visit to each venue. With autumn closing at 6 pm, the simplest plan is the Arsenale one day and the Giardini the next, both starting at opening time. Doing both in one day is possible, but it leaves little time for the national pavilions.
Leave the suitcase at your hotel
The free cloakroom takes only small items: large bags, suitcases and luggage cannot be stored. If you arrive or leave on the day of your visit, sort out luggage storage first. Both venues have a bar or restaurant inside.
Check the tide
November is the peak month for acqua alta. Most episodes last a couple of hours and the MOSE barriers now stop the big floods, but the waterfront in Castello can get wet on high-tide mornings. Our guide to acqua alta in Venice explains how to read the forecast.
The Festa della Salute on the closing weekend
The last Saturday of the Biennale, 21 November, is also the Festa della Madonna della Salute, Venice's votive feast at the basilica of Santa Maria della Salute.
Each year a temporary floating bridge is built from the Santa Maria del Giglio side to San Gregorio for the pilgrimage. In 2025 it opened to the public two days before the feast.
Times for 2026 had not been published when we checked, so look for the Patriarchate's announcement closer to the date. Expect the area around the Salute to be busy that weekend.
Where to stay for the Biennale
Castello, around Via Garibaldi and the Riva, is the closest base: you can walk to both venues and avoid water bus queues in the morning. San Marco and the area around San Zaccaria are a short ride away on line 1 or 4.1 and give you the rest of the city on foot. If you are on a budget, Mestre is linked to the city by train and bus, but adds travel time at both ends of the day.
Our Top Hotels in Venice list shows each hotel's area, and the Venice City Guide covers neighbourhoods, transport and food. To combine the exhibition with the city's great painting, see Venice in 48 hours.
What the closing weeks mean for hosts and local businesses
The final fortnight concentrates two reasons to visit in one window: the last days of the Art Exhibition, ending on Sunday 22 November, and the Festa della Salute on Saturday 21 November. For hotels, apartments and restaurants in Castello and around San Marco, that weekend is worth treating as its own event rather than as ordinary low season.
A few practical points come straight from the Biennale's rules. Because tickets are sold online only, the most useful thing a host can send before arrival is the official ticket link and the reminder that discount tickets need proof at the gate.
Because luggage cannot be left at the venues, guests checking out on a Biennale day will ask for bag storage or a later check-out.
With last entry at 5:45 pm and the venues closed on Mondays except 16 November, guests arriving on a Sunday evening or a Monday will need a plan for those hours.
The Biennale alternates its Art and Architecture exhibitions, so another edition will follow, but the dates of the next one were not yet on the official site when we checked. Owners who want to understand the city beyond tourism can start from Living in Venice.
FAQ
How much are Venice Biennale tickets in 2026?
€30 full price, €20 reduced for over-65s and Venice residents, €16 for students and under-26s. The 3-day pass costs €40 and the weekly pass €50. Children up to 6 enter free.
Can I buy Biennale tickets at the door?
Standard tickets are sold online only on the official site. Some concessions, such as disability tickets, are sold in person at the Infopoints at the Giardini and the Arsenale.
Is the Venice Biennale open on Mondays?
No, it is closed on Mondays, except Monday 16 November 2026.
What time does the Biennale open in November?
From 10 am to 6 pm, with last admission at 5:45 pm, until closing day on 22 November.
Does one ticket cover both the Giardini and the Arsenale?
Yes. The one-access ticket includes one entry to each venue. If you want to go back, choose the 3-day or weekly pass.
Programmes can change: check the organiser's page before you go.
Official sources, checked on 5 November 2026: La Biennale di Venezia: Biennale Arte 2026, Information (hours, tickets, prices), La Biennale di Venezia: Prepare your visit (transport, closing days, cloakroom, visit time), La Biennale di Venezia: Biennale Arte 2026 from 9 May to 22 November and Gente Veneta (Patriarchate of Venice weekly): the 2025 votive bridge for the Festa della Salute.
Photo credits: cover (Santa Maria della Salute) by Claudio Schwarz and the Arsenale tower by Intrepid, both via Unsplash.
