What to do in Venice in August 2025: 10 unmissable events among art, cinema and tradition

In August 2025 Venice reveals a soul to be experienced among canals, bridges and magnificent palaces, transforming itself into an open-air theater suspended between history and contemporaneity. Warm days invite discovering the city from unusual perspectives - strolling through less-traveled islands, admiring red sunsets on the Grand Canal, or getting lost among calli at dusk. But August also brings an extraordinary cultural load: international festivals, dance festivals, cinema under the stars, secular religious celebrations, contemporary exhibitions and traveling shows. In this panorama, La Serenissima offers an eclectic calendar designed for a diverse audience: cinephiles, performing arts enthusiasts, families or those who want experiential stays.

Each event tells the story of the city from a different face, and together they create a Venetian August full of beauty, energy and lagoon charm. Let's find out which ones you absolutely cannot miss.

August in Venice is a month suspended between light, water and culture, where every glimpse becomes a stage and every evening offers something different to discover. Warm days and golden sunsets frame a very rich calendar that weaves together major international events, intimate experiences, and popular traditions that have lived for centuries among the calli.

The Lido prepares to welcome movie stars for the prestigious International Film Festival, while the Dance Biennale enlivens historic spaces with contemporary performances that unite body, music and architecture. Exhibitions that speak of light, art and history open in historic palaces, such as “The Gold of the Lagoon” at Ca' Pesaro or the path dedicated to ancient epidemics at the Longhena Library.

At the same time, the city offers more collected and poetic moments: Candlelight concerts illuminated by hundreds of candles, projections under the stars in fields and gardens, and traveling shows that transform the less-touristy Venice into a diffuse theater. There is no shortage of celebrations that tell the authentic soul of La Serenissima, such as the Feast of San Rocco and the evocative Regata Storica, which closes the summer with its costumed processions and rowing races on the Grand Canal.

August, thus, becomes an opportunity to discover the city beyond the best-known destinations, experiencing Venice in a slow and passionate way: among culture, memory, entertainment and that unique atmosphere that makes every corner special, especially on warm summer evenings.

Every year, on August 4, Pellestrina Island is transformed into a place suspended between spirituality and poetry on the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of the Apparition. The tradition stems from a miraculous event dating back to 1716, when a group of fishermen told of seeing the image of the Virgin Mary appear on a wall near the parish church.Since then, the island has been renewing its devotion with an evocative celebration that involves the whole community.

The most exciting moment comes at sunset, when the faithful participate in an evening procession carrying lit lanterns and candles, which are reflected in the calm waters of the lagoon, creating an almost magical effect. The festival continues with solemn masses, live music, stalls selling traditional sweets and small cultural events that tell the stories and memories of Pellestrina. It is a unique opportunity to experience a Venice off the tourist track, rediscovering an island that still retains the slow pace, human warmth and authenticity of its seafaring roots.

Reaching Pellestrina Island from Venice is in itself a small journey into the beauty of the lagoon. From the historic center (Zattere or San Zaccaria) you first take the vaporetto to Lido, then continue by ACTV bus line 11, which, after crossing the Lido island and the short ferry boat ride on the Alberoni canal, takes you directly to Pellestrina. It is a route that combines water and land, perfect for discovering lesser-known sights and breathing in the most authentic Venice. Alternatively, for those leaving from Chioggia, there are direct ferries and motorboats that connect the city to the island in a few minutes, ideal for those who want to combine a visit to Pellestrina with a day in Chioggia. The journey is not just a displacement, but an integral part of the experience, amid silent landscapes and views that tell the most true lagoon story.

Island of Pellestrina - August 4, 2025

Until Sept. 28, the International Gallery of Modern Art at Ca' Pesaro is hosting “L'oro della laguna,” an exhibition that invites you to discover contemporary Venice through Antonello Viola's material and refined painting.

His works, where gold becomes light and symbol, dialogue with the noble spaces of the palace overlooking the Grand Canal, creating a path that tells not only the beauty of color, but also the deep connection between the city and its artistic history. It is a silent and intense journey among golden canvases, iridescent reflections and rarefied atmospheres, perfect for those who want to experience a moment of contemplation away from the crowd.

Ca' Pesaro - through September 28, 2025

An exhibition exploring the relationship between Venice and the great epidemics that marked it over the centuries continues throughout August at the Longhena Library. Through ancient documents, maps, drawings and reconstructions, the journey reveals how the Serenissima was able to deal with and manage the fear of contagion, transforming it into an opportunity to innovate and strengthen its identity.

A journey that touches on topical issues such as public health, but also the spirituality and resilience of a community capable of rebirth after every crisis.

Longhena Library - through August 2025

Warm Venetian evenings become even more magical with outdoor screenings that enliven fields, historic courtyards and hidden gardens. The “Cinemoving” festival brings art-house films, great classics and new releases to the Lido beach as well, where you can sit with your feet in the sand and enjoy the show under the starry sky.

This is it's a unique way to discover Venice outside the canonical hours, breathing in the night breeze and being surprised by places that go almost unnoticed during the day, but turn into open-air cinema at night.

Various locations, including the Lido beach - through August 21, 2025

From Aug. 15-31, Bissuola Park in Mestre becomes a contemporary circus tent for all ages. Comedy, acrobatics and clowning come together in shows that wink at artistic innovation, but remain accessible and fun for children and families. An ideal event to experience an alternative, energy-filled evening just a stone's throw from Venice, without sacrificing the quality and charm of the modern circus scene.

To attend the Circus Fever! shows at Bissuola Park, getting to Mestre from Venice is quick and easy. Rely on public transportation in Venice. From the historic center you can take the regional train (about 10 minutes from Venice Santa Lucia station to Venice Mestre) or the many ACTV buses (lines such as 4L, 6, 7 or 80) that connect Piazzale Roma with the center of Mestre in about twenty minutes. If you prefer to travel in total comfort, streetcar line T1 also connects Venice (starting from Piazzale Roma) directly to Mestre, passing near Bissuola Park. A short journey that will allow you to discover the lively urban area of the Venetian mainland, where culture and entertainment meet green spaces perfect for summer evenings.

Bissuola Park (Mestre) - August 15-31, 2025

If you love intimate atmospheres, August is the perfect month to experience the famous Candlelight concerts: these are evenings where the music of Beatles, Lucio Dalla and other great artists resonates in the warm light of hundreds of candles, often set up in historic palaces or secret gardens.

Venice is quintessentially a romantic city, so although candlelight concerts can be found in other places in Italy, in this case you will have the unique opportunity to combine gondola rides with sunset. A perfect way to see the city reflected in the water as evening falls. Romantic and unique experiences that will make you feel part of a timeless tale.

Various picturesque places - August 2025

During the summer, the Church of San Vidal, in the heart of Venice, hosts a refined series of Baroque concerts dedicated to Vivaldi and his era. Set at sunset in an acoustically evocative space, these events offer a journey through Vivaldi's royal Baroque harmonies, followed by interpretations by contemporary composers and historical musicians.

The intimate atmosphere, architectural beauty and sonic artistry combine to create an intimate and enthralling experience-a true dive into 18th-century Venice. An ideal proposal for those who wish to carve out an evening of cultured music, culture and spirituality.

The Church of San Vida is just one of the many beautiful churches  you can find in the lagoon city.

St. Vidal Church - August 2025

You will have until Nov. 23, to see the 19th Architecture Exhibition. August might be the month to do it. This year's Exhibition addresses the relationship between natural and artificial with installations, national pavilions and immersive works.

It is a fixture for fans of urban projects, critical landscapes and visions of the future, at the heart of the Biennale's international ferment. But it's also a great way to spend a few hours within your tourist itinerary in Venice.

through Nov. 23, 2025, Giardini and Arsenale della Biennale

On August 16, 2025, the charming Cannaregio district will come alive with an evening of outdoor jazz thanks to Laguna Libre Eco Osteria & World Jazz Club, the official venue of the Venice Jazz Festival in the summertime. The evening combines the convivial elegance of dining on the terrace or by the canal with a high-quality concert featuring local and international musicians. The event, which begins with aperitifs at 7 p.m. and continues with live music until 11 p.m., is the perfect opportunity to listen to refined sounds under the soft lights of the lagoon.

This is an authentic experience, perfect if you love the collected atmosphere but live with the desire to discover contemporary and musical Venice.

Laguna Libre (Cannaregio) - August 16, 2025

On August 16, the city celebrates one of its oldest and most heartfelt festivals: the Festa di San Rocco. Among the alleys of the San Polo sestiere, the solemn procession passes through campo San Rocco, accompanied by music and chants that echo through the calli. After mass inside the Church of San Rocco, there is a procession under the Doge's tent. The evening then comes alive with concerts in the splendid Scuola Grande di San Rocco, home to works of art and relics of the saint and enriched by Tintoretto's canvases that watch over the audience.

It is a moment that unites faith, history and culture, where the ancient community spirit of the Serenissima is still alive. The festival is deeply felt by Venetians and has ancient origins, linked to the end of the plague in the 16th century.

Campo San Rocco and Scuola Grande di San Rocco - August 16, 2025