International Festival of Contemporary Music – Music Biennale
The Biennale festival dedicated to the music of our time
About Biennale Musica
The music of our time in Venice
The Biennale Musica is the International Festival of Contemporary Music of La Biennale di Venezia, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious cultural institutions. Every autumn, the festival transforms Venice into an international sound laboratory dedicated to present-day musical research and creation.
World premieres and site-specific projects
The program favors world premieres, commissions, and site-specific projects designed for the city's spaces. The festival takes place in the historic venues of the Biennale—from the Arsenale to Ca' Giustinian—and in other locations in the city center, extending to the mainland areas of Mestre and Marghera, creating a dialogue between Venetian architecture and contemporary sound languages.
Between avant-garde and tradition
The programming spans diverse genres and worlds: from the avant-garde to electronic music, from Renaissance repertoire reinterpreted experimentally to the musical cultures of the world and club culture. The festival also awards the Golden Lion and the Silver Lion, accolades that honor established and emerging figures in the international music scene.
La Biennale College
Alongside the performances, Biennale College Musica supports young musicians under 30, guided by international mentors in the development of new projects. Promoted in Venice, in the Veneto region, the festival reaffirms the city's international vocation as a crossroads of languages and artistic experimentation.
Biennale Musica — edition 2026
The 70th edition of the Biennale Musica, scheduled from October 10 to 24, 2026, marks the second artistic direction by composer Caterina Barbieri, who titles the festival "A Child of Sound": an invitation to rediscover sound as a primordial experience of openness, creativity, and vital energy.
The program features over 40 events with approximately 130 artists, 23 new works, including 18 world premieres, in a journey that intertwines Renaissance vocal repertoire, contemporary music, electronic music, world music, and club culture. The Silver Lion is awarded to Sarah Davachi, who presents a new commission and organ recitals.
Programme Biennale Musica 2026
October 10 - 24, 2026 — "A Child of Sound"
- Sarah Davachi — Silver Lion, new commission and organ recital
- Kara-Lis Coverdale — world premiere of Changes in Air
- Over 40 events with approximately 130 artists spanning avant-garde, electronic music, and world sound cultures
- 18 world premieres and site-specific projects
- Biennale College Musica — projects by five young musicians under 30
Main venues: Arsenale (Teatro alle Tese), Ca' Giustinian, and other historic spaces, with extensions to Marghera and Mestre mainland. Full program at labiennale.org.
Highlights Biennale Musica 2026
Prices Biennale Musica 2026
Practical information — Biennale Musica
How to get there
Venice is reachable by train to Santa Lucia station, by car to Piazzale Roma or Tronchetto, or by plane to Marco Polo Airport. The festival venues (Arsenale, Ca' Giustinian, and others) can be reached by ACTV water bus or on foot.
Where and when
Arsenale, Ca' Giustinian, and other historic venues in Venice (VE), in October. Some events extend to the mainland areas of Mestre and Marghera.
Tickets
Tickets and passes are available on the official website of La Biennale di Venezia.
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Where does it take place — Biennale Musica
Arsenale, Ca' Giustinian e altre sedi storiche
Ca' Giustinian, San Marco 1364/A, 30124 Venezia