The Lido in September: Why Film Buffs Should Trade Munich for Venice

Everyone in your feed will be in Munich for Oktoberfest. Let them have the beer tents. If you're flying out of Tel Aviv in early September and want something with more shimmer than a stein of lager, point yourself at Venice instead. The Venice International Film Festival — the oldest in the world, running since 1932 — takes over the Lido from September 2 to 12, 2026, and it turns an already improbable city into something close to a movie set.

Where the festival actually happens

Here's the thing tourists get wrong: the festival isn't in the postcard Venice of the Rialto and San Marco. It's on the Lido, the long sandbar island a 15-minute vaporetto ride across the lagoon. This is where the Palazzo del Cinema sits, where the red carpet unrolls, and where the Golden Lion is handed out. The Lido is flatter, greener, and — crucially — you can rent a bike here, which after a few days of Venetian foot traffic feels like a small miracle.

You don't need a press badge to feel the buzz. Accreditation for the general public exists (look for the "Accredito Cinema per tutti" pass), and individual tickets to screenings go on sale in the weeks beforehand. Book early; the marquee premieres sell out in minutes.

Making a trip of it

The smart play is to split your days:

• Mornings in the historic center — get lost on purpose in Cannaregio or Dorsoduro before the cruise crowds thicken.
• Afternoons and evenings on the Lido for screenings, or just for the beach and the people-watching outside the Hotel Excelsior, where the stars stay.

Late-summer Venice is warm but no longer scorching, and the light on the water at golden hour is exactly the reason cinematographers love this place.

Eating well without the tourist tax

Skip the restaurants with laminated menus and a guy waving you in. Do the Venetian thing instead: a cicchetti crawl. These are small bites — baccalà mantecato on crostini, fried olives, tiny sandwiches — eaten standing at a bacaro with a glass of ombra (house wine) or a spritz. Around the Rialto market and along Fondamenta dei Ormesini you'll find bars locals actually use. It's cheaper than a sit-down dinner and far more fun.

Practical notes for travellers from Israel

• The flight from TLV to Venice Marco Polo is short — roughly three and a half hours — which makes even a long weekend viable.
• From the airport, the Alilaguna water bus drops you near the center; for the Lido, connect via vaporetto.
• Stay in the center and commute to screenings, or stay on the Lido itself for early nights and quieter mornings. Lido rooms fill up fast during the festival, so lock one in.

Munich will still be there next year. This September, choose the city where the movies come to you.