The major events of September in Venice extend the Venetian summer: an irresistible cocktail of celebrities and artists from all over the world, performances, and tributes to artisanal excellence
The Venetian summer continues in September with an extraordinary series of events celebrating cinema, craftsmanship, art, music, and traditions.
From late August onwards, the Venice Film Festival will transform the Lido di Venezia into a sky full of stars, starting with the world premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice by Tim Burton, and will feature stars such as Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Angelina Jolie, to name but a few.
Simultaneously, under the artistic direction of director Luca Guadagnino, international craftsmanship will be celebrated in all its glory at the Giorgio Cini Foundation on the island of San Giorgio with Homo Faber: The Journey of Life.
The second edition of Homo Faber in Città features over 70 artisan ateliers in Venice and on the islands of Giudecca, Murano, and Burano, offering experiences, workshops, visits, and events.
The Venice Glass Week will celebrate the art of glass with exhibitions, meetings, and workshops in art galleries and museums across Venice and the island of Murano, while the Festival of Contemporary Music, directed for the fourth consecutive year by Lucia Ronchetti, will present works by international artists at the Venice Arsenale and other evocative locations in Venice.
Major events of the month
- 81st Venice International Film Festival
From August 28 to September 7
Lido di Venezia
The Venice Film Festival will kick off at the end of August, immediately offering the public the thrill of attending the world premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice by Tim Burton, the highly anticipated sequel starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, accompanied by Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe.
A showcase for films and a venue for cultural exchange with directors, actors, journalists, and film enthusiasts, the festival will make the Lido shine with cinema legends: Isabelle Huppert, president of the jury composed of James Gray, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Abderrahmane Sissako, Giuseppe Tornatore, Julia von Heinz, and Zhang Ziyi, will lead her team in evaluating works from around the world. The competition will feature films such as Joker: Folie à Deux by Todd Phillips starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, and Queer by Luca Guadagnino, starring Daniel Craig.
The atmosphere at the Lido is electric for the grand returns of Brad Pitt and George Clooney for the film Wolfs by Jon Watts, and Angelina Jolie for Maria by Pablo Larraín, a tribute to Maria Callas.
This year, the Orizzonti section promises to discover new talents and surprise audiences with titles such as Nonostante by Valerio Mastandrea and Marco by Jon Garaño and Aitor Arregi. Further enriching the landscape are Out of Competition titles like Il tempo che ci vuole by Francesca Comencini and Phantosmia by Lav Diaz.
Among the special events, the Venice Immersive section is not to be missed and is also open to the public with a subscription for those not accredited to the Festival. It explores the infinite frontiers of virtual reality, featuring works like All I Know About Teacher Li by Zhuzmo and Riven by Rand Miller.
- Homo Faber: The Journey of Life
From September 1 to 30
The third edition of Homo Faber celebrates the moments of life through the art of craftsmanship. Extraordinary scenography, unique objects, and artisanal demonstrations in the monumental spaces of the Giorgio Cini Foundation will guide visitors on a journey through hundreds of hand-crafted works by international talents.
The experience is orchestrated by Luca Guadagnino, Artistic Director of Homo Faber 2024, in collaboration with architect Nicolò Rosmarini. For each project on display, Guadagnino has paid tribute to materials, playing with the human senses through textures and visual aesthetics, making the Homo Faber experience a fascinating sensory exploration.
The second edition of Homo Faber in Città opens the doors of over 70 artisan ateliers in Venice and on the islands of Giudecca, Murano, and Burano. The Homo Faber audience can enrich their exhibition experience by visiting workshops and laboratories for free, meeting the artisans, and participating in experiences and workshops.
Thanks to the dedicated app and website, visitors can choose from suggested thematic itineraries in Venice, Murano, or Burano, or create a personalized route to travel independently from one workshop to another. In addition to the main program, there are a series of special initiatives: exhibitions, events, and meetings.
- The Venice Glass Week
From September 14 to 22 in Venice, Mestre, and Murano
Meetings with master glassmakers, exhibitions, workshops, conferences, aperitifs, and art installations to celebrate and promote the art of glass as a bridge between tradition and the future: this is Venice Glass Week, #AWorldOfGlass, the international festival founded in 2017, which this year also marks a historic record for participation requests, with over 300 applications from 45 countries.
Among the new features are free guided tours with an aperitif in the furnaces, curated by Select, and in collaboration with Homo Faber in Città, the Glass Bateo by Promovetro which will sail through the canals of Venice, and the new Family Programme created in collaboration with MUVE Education.
Events from the eighth edition’s program will be scattered throughout Venice, Murano, and Mestre. Most events are free of charge and suitable for audiences of all ages.
- 68th International Festival of Contemporary Music
From September 26 to October 11
For the fourth consecutive year, Lucia Ronchetti directs the International Festival of Contemporary Music – La Biennale di Venezia, which this year brings Musica Assoluta/Absolute Music. A series of daily appointments will feature international soloists and ensembles performing at the Arsenale and other evocative Venetian locations: Teatro la Fenice, Asac, the Marciana Library, the Church of the Pietà, Ca’ Giustinian, Forte Marghera, and St. Mark’s Basilica.
One of the distinctive features of this edition is the inclusion of the Biennale College Musica activities, offering fresh perspectives and stimulating artistic visions in support of new talents and innovative projects, selected through an annual open call.
Every day, music enthusiasts seeking new sounds will discover artists from all over the world through unique performances: a celebration of music as a point of meeting, exchange, and creation for all artists.
A free shuttle service will be available at the end of the evening performances from the Arsenale to S. Elena, S. Zaccaria, Zattere, Tronchetto, and Piazzale Roma.
Current exhibitions
At Ca’ Pesaro – International Gallery of Modern Art:
- Until September 15
Armando Testa
- Until September 15
Chiara Dynys – Lo stile
At the Museum of Oriental Art:
- Until September 15
Li Chevalier – I Hear the Water Dreaming
At the Galleria Giorgio Franchetti at the Ca’ d’Oro:
- Until September 15
NAUFRAGI – APPRODI
At the Gallerie dell’Accademia:
- Until September 15
Willem de Kooning and Italy
At the Peggy Guggenheim Collection:
- Until September 16
Jean Cocteau. The Juggler’s Revenge
At Palazzo Cini:
- Until September 29
Martha Jungwirth – Herz der Finsternis - Until October 13
Eleonora Duse contemporary myth
At Le Stanze della Fotografia:
- Until November 24
Helmut Newton – Legacy
- Until November 24
1912-1930 Murano Glass and the Venice Biennale
On the island of San Giorgio Maggiore:
- Until September 29
Alex Katz – Claire, Grass and Water
At the Biennale Gardens and the Arsenale:
- Until November 24
Foreigners Everywhere, 60th International Art Exhibition 2024 – La Biennale di Venezia
Article by Lucia Pecoraro.
Photos of the Venice Film Festival © Igor Serdyukov (cover) and © Rossana Viola
Micheluzzi Glass at the Micheluzzi Gallery © Bianca Vannucchi
Luca Guadagnino © Giulio Ghirardi
Anna Volkova Artisan © Dilyara Ramazanova
Lino Tagliapietra, L’origine del viaggio © Roberta Orio
Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester with Thomas Guggeis © Sophia Hegewald
Lucia Ronchetti, Director of the Music Sector © Andrea Avezzù
Willem de Kooning, Untitled Rome 1959 – The Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation
Arsenale © Andrea Avezzù, Courtesy La Biennale di Venezia
