Travelers, if you’re planning to visit Venice in 2025, there’s one experience you cannot miss: Venice Immersive 2025. We’re not talking about an art show or a regular film festival. No, you’ll enter another world. Literally.
Venice Immersive is the most futuristic part of the International Art Cinema Festival of the Venice Biennale, dedicated to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and all forms of immersive storytelling.
In this guide by Venice Insider Guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know: what to expect, where it’s happening, when to go, how to participate and of course, what not to miss.
What is Venice Immersive
Venice Immersive is a special and independent section of the Biennale Cinema, the iconic Venice Film Festival. But here we’re not talking about traditional films or short films.
Venice Immersive 2025 is a sensory journey into alternative worlds: VR experiences, AR performances, 360° environments, interactive installations and XR (extended reality) productions.
An experience beyond the screen
You’re no longer just a spectator: you become part of the work. You walk, you explore, you interact. You enter a story and move within it. Is it cinema? Is it art? Is it technology? All of the above. And Venice, with its timeless magic, is the perfect backdrop for this explosion of the future.
Venice Immersive 2025 dates (27 August - 6 September 2025)
Mark these dates: Venice Immersive 2025 will take place from 27 August to 6 September 2025.
When to go?
All days of the festival are interesting, but if you want to avoid the crowds:
- Go in the first days for the premieres.
- Choose the midweek for a more relaxed experience.
- The final weekend is perfect for special events and awards.
Where is Venice Immersive 2025
One of the questions everyone asks is: where is Venice Immersive 2025? Spoiler: it’s not on the Lido, where the Film Festival takes place.
Venice Immersive 2025 is on the Isola del Lazzaretto Vecchio, right in front of the Lido of Venice. A beautiful, historic place, turned into a VR reality hub.
How to get there
To get to Venice Immersive, you need to take a vaporetto from the Lido. During the festival, there are direct and frequent connections. And trust us: the boat ride to an island dedicated to the future is already an experience.
Why attend Venice Immersive 2025
Ok, you’re wondering: why should I add Venice Immersive 2025 to my itinerary?
Here are 3 reasons you can’t miss it:
1. To live a unique experience in the world
There are few events like this in the world. Venice Immersive is one of the rare places where you can try the best of VR/XR internationally, before anyone else, with works from all over the globe.
2. To explore new forms of storytelling
Immersive storytelling makes you live stories like never before. It’s exciting, engaging, sometimes even moving. You’ll be inside the story.
3. To see the tech side of Venice
Venice is not just gondolas and palaces. It’s also innovation, experimentation, future. Venice Immersive is the Venice of tomorrow.
Venice Immersive 2025 programme
The Venice Immersive 2025 programme is rich and detailed. The experience is designed to let you fully immerse yourself in the content.
What’s included?
- Individual VR explorations with headsets (Meta Quest, HTC Vive, etc.).
- Interactive installations to visit in groups.
- Special events, talks, meet the authors.
- Immersive 360° projections in digital theatres.
Experience duration
Each work lasts from 5 to 45 minutes, and many are bookable in advance. We recommend dedicating half a day to fully experience the event.
Venice Immersive 2025 selection
The Venice Immersive selection is curated by the Biennale, with a high-level artistic committee.
What gets selected?
The focus is on artistic quality, technological innovation and narrative capacity. We select:
- VR documentaries
- Immersive animations
- Interactive experiences
- Live performances with XR technology
- Mixed reality installations
Where do the works come from?
Works come from all continents. It’s an international showcase, with emerging talents and established names in the immersive storytelling field.
Venice Immersive 2025 info
Here's info on prices Venice Immersive 2025:
Prices
Venice Immersive 2025 is ticketed, with tickets available online or on site.
- Single ticket: for one or more experiences.
- Daily pass: to visit all installations in one day.
- Festival pass: valid for the whole duration.
Prices range from 10 to 40 euro, depending on the formula.
Bookings
Many experiences require advance booking, especially those with single headsets. We recommend booking online as soon as the official programme is out (summer 2025).
Best Venice Immersive 2025
Not all experiences are created equal. Some will leave you speechless. Here’s what to expect from the top immersive experiences 2025 (according to the first hints):
- "The Echo Garden": a multisensory journey through memory and nature.
- "ReGenesis": post-apocalyptic experience in mixed reality.
- "Home": documentary VR project on migration and identity.
- "Luminous": poetic installation with 3D projections and sound.
The final selections will be published in August, but these productions are already highly anticipated.
Highlights Venice Immersive 2025
Don’t miss:
- Opening Night on the island, with immersive live show.
- XR Award Ceremony with prizes for Best Experience, Best Storytelling and Best Interactive Work.
- Venice Immersive Market, for those working in the VR/XR industry (and want to network).
- Meet the Creators: meet the artists and developers.
Tip: attend the evening projections
Some evenings include nighttime outdoor experiences with installations and immersive performances under the stars of the lagoon!
Insights Venice Immersive 2025
Venice Immersive is not just an experience to live: it’s also an observatory on the future of cinema, art and communication.
3 things to watch out for
- Artificial intelligence and storytelling: more and more works use AI to create interactive stories.
- Collaborative VR: experiences where multiple users live the story together.
- XR and sustainability: works that tackle climate change in an immersive and provocative way.
Who visits Venice Immersive?
Not just nerds or film buffs. The audience is diverse: curious tourists, creatives, tech professionals, students, families. Anyone who wants to discover something new.
Conclusion
Dear travelers, if this year you want to experience Venice from a different perspective, Venice Immersive 2025 is the perfect occasion. A unique mix of technology, emotion, art and vision. A Venice you’ve never seen before.
Don’t miss out. Put on the headset, and let yourself be transported.