Venice 2026: Film, Fashion and Iconic Moments

Synopsis

The 83rd Venice International Film Festival is organised by La Biennale di Venezia and is to be held on the Lido di Venezia from September 2 to September 12, 2026. The Festival aims to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue.

Venice Film Festival 2026 and Key Highlights

The Film Festival kicks off on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 and runs through September 12, 2026. The opening night film is Danny Boyle’s “Ink”, an adaptation of the acclaimed stage play about the early years of Rupert Murdoch (played by Guy Pearce) and the tabloid The Sun. Maggie Gyllenhaal as the Jury President. Italian actors Greta Scarano and Nicolas Maupas as the Hosts. The Festival is officially recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers Association (FIAPF).

What is the Venice Film Festival

Long before Cannes became cinema's glamour capital and before Hollywood's biggest stars turned red carpets into global spectacles, there was Venice. Founded in 1932, the Venice Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. Today, it stands among the coveted "Big Five" film festivals alongside Cannes, Berlin, Toronto and Sundance.

The Film festival was created by Giuseppe Volpi, Luciano De Feo, and Antonio Maraini in 1932. The first-ever screening was of the American film Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde on the terrace of the Excelsior Palace Hotel. Nine countries participated in the festival, which ended on 21 August. No awards were given at the first festival, but an audience referendum was held to determine which films and performances were most praiseworthy.

Kendal Jenner Venice Debut in Vintage Armani

Kendall Jenner made her first-ever Venice Film Festival debut at the ‘Wild Horse Nine’ screening on September 3. Kendal stepped onto the red carpet in a vintage Giorgio Armani gown from the house’s Autumn/Winter 1995 collection.

The sleek and fitted champagne-gold gown features floral embroidery with delicate sequin and crystal embellishment.

Sydney Sweeney in Raffa Vintage

Sydney Sweeney also went vintage for the Armani Beauty dinner on September 3, opting for a sheer silver sequinned dress sourced from Raffa Vintage.

Drama in Armani Privé

Jonathan Bailey Gives the Tuxedo a New Aura. The black double-breasted jacket looks like its traditional black-tie foundation, but the barrel-shaped trousers make the silhouette feel much more relaxed. He paired the tuxedo with a pleated white shirt, velvet bow tie and velvet scarf, while sunglasses added a little extra attitude.

Nina Dobrev made a statement on Venice’s main red carpet in a dramatic Giorgio Armani Privé gown.

Armani: The Beauty Force behind Venice

Armani Beauty serves as the official Beauty sponsor of the Venice Film Festival, and 2026 marks the ninth consecutive year. The brand provides official make-up services for guests and celebrities.

Fashion’s Love Affair with Venice

Unlike the Cannes Film Festival, which mandates black-tie, bans on selfies, and crackdowns on sheer or oversized gowns to maintain elite French Riviera decorum and tight red-carpet traffic flow. Venice lays out an atmosphere to encourage a smoother, less bottlenecked arrival process via water taxis and cars.

Maintains a more relaxed classic Italian atmosphere, focusing heavily on Hollywood awards buzz rather than policing fashion and poses.

Venice 2026 is unfolding Fashion history, serving 1995 Armani, a fall 2000 archive moment, and this is only day two of the festival. A celebration of cinema and cultural history. The Lido is once again proving why Venice remains the world's most glamorous stage for film.