Brescia Photo Festival
Large-scale photography spread throughout the city
About Brescia Photo Festival
Brescia, capital of photography
The Brescia Photo Festival is the major photographic exhibition in the Lombard capital, promoted by the Fondazione Brescia Musei. Each edition transforms the city into a widespread itinerary dedicated to the image: from the halls of the Museo di Santa Giulia to independent spaces, and even everyday locations, photography becomes the absolute protagonist.
A widespread festival
The festival's hallmark is its widespread nature: not just one venue, but a network of locations hosting exhibitions, installations, and meetings. The program intertwines major exhibitions with talks, conferences, book presentations, and screenings, featuring the participation of photographers, critics, and scholars from the Italian and international scene.
The great masters of the lens
Each year, the festival focuses on a major name in world photography, with an internationally renowned solo exhibition hosted at the Museo di Santa Giulia. Alongside the main exhibition, site-specific installations interact with the city's historic spaces, such as the Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, creating a dialogue between contemporary photography and ancient heritage.
Culture and the city
Brescia Photo Festival is now a benchmark event for photography enthusiasts in Lombardy and Italy. By combining great artists, a widespread program, and the enhancement of Brescia's museum heritage, it contributes to strengthening Brescia's profile as a city of art and culture, capable of attracting visitors and industry professionals from all over the country.
Brescia Photo Festival — edition 2026
The 9th edition of Brescia Photo Festival opens on Thursday, March 26, 2026, with a new four-day format packed with exhibitions, conferences, book presentations, and meetings with Italian and international photographers, critics, and scholars.
The protagonist of this edition is Bruce Gilden (New York, 1946), a renowned Magnum photographer and pioneer of street photography. The exhibition "A Closer Look", his first major Italian solo show, is dedicated to him and will be held at the Museo di Santa Giulia.
Programme Brescia Photo Festival 2026
The main exhibition
- Bruce Gilden — "A Closer Look", Museo di Santa Giulia, from March 27 to August 23, 2026: 80 photographs on the theme of faces (Faces, 2013-2024), portraits taken in various countries, with the characteristic use of flash at close range
Talk with Bruce Gilden
- Friday, March 27, 6:00 PM — Auditorium Santa Giulia, in dialogue with curator Denis Curti
- Saturday, March 28, 10:00 AM — Auditorium Santa Giulia, meeting with high school students
Festival Days (March 26-29)
- Widespread exhibitions, conferences, book presentations, and meetings with authors and critics
- Free admission to exhibitions on Friday, March 27, opening day
Highlights Brescia Photo Festival 2026
The solo exhibition of Bruce Gilden "A Closer Look" at the Museo di Santa Giulia and the talks with the Magnum master.
Prices Brescia Photo Festival 2026
Practical information — Brescia Photo Festival
Where
Museo di Santa Giulia (main exhibition), Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo, and other spaces throughout the city.
When
The festival's opening days are at the end of March; the exhibitions continue for months.
Tickets
Exhibitions require tickets according to museum rates; talks and meetings are generally free. Free admission days on opening occasions.
How to get there
Brescia is served by the Milan-Venice high-speed train, the A4 motorway, and the city's metro. The Museo di Santa Giulia is in the historic center, a UNESCO area.
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Where does it take place — Brescia Photo Festival
Museo di Santa Giulia e luoghi diffusi
Via dei Musei 81b, 25121 Brescia