What is the Festa del Redentore?
The Festa del Redentore is Venice's own festival, held by Venetians for Venetians on the third weekend of July. It began as an act of thanksgiving. In 1576 a devastating plague swept through the city, and the Doge, Alvise I Mocenigo, vowed to build a church to the Redeemer if it ended. When it did, the Republic kept its word: Andrea Palladio designed the church of Il Redentore on the island of Giudecca, consecrated in 1592, and every year since, the city has crossed the water to give thanks.
That crossing is the heart of the festival. A temporary bridge of boats and pontoons is laid across the wide Giudecca Canal from the Zattere to the church steps, so that Venetians can walk to the Redentore, as the Doge once did in procession. It is the only time of the year the canal can be crossed on foot.
The night before belongs to the party. On Saturday evening thousands of boats, from rowing boats to motor launches, decorated with lanterns and branches, crowd into St Mark's basin. Families and friends eat dinner on board, often a feast of traditional Venetian dishes, and wait for the fireworks, which burst over the lagoon for the best part of an hour.
What to expect
The festival is short: a Saturday night of feasting and fireworks, and a Sunday of pilgrimage and celebration.
Saturday afternoon
The bridge opens
The votive bridge opens to the Redentore, and Venetians start to gather. Boats take their places in the basin from late afternoon, and the waterfront of San Marco and the Zattere fills with people claiming spots for the evening.
Saturday night
The fireworks
Late in the evening the fireworks begin, launched from pontoons near the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, and light up the domes and bell towers of the city for between 45 minutes and an hour. Afterwards, young people traditionally head to the Lido to wait for the sunrise.
Sunday
Pilgrimage and regattas
Sunday is devoted to the religious side of the festival: masses at the Redentore and a steady flow of people walking across the votive bridge to give thanks, as the city has done for more than four centuries.
Boats gather in St Mark's basin as the sun goes down
Photo by Andrea S. Costa / flickr · CC BY 2.0
Planning your trip
Getting there
Venice's Marco Polo airport is linked to the city by bus and water bus, and the Santa Lucia railway station has trains from across Italy. On the festival night, water bus services are rerouted or suspended in the basin, and walking routes around San Marco can be closed or one-way, so check the city's notices for the evening.
Where to stay
July is high season in Venice, and rooms for the Redentore weekend are in demand. Staying on Giudecca or in Dorsoduro puts you close to the bridge and the best waterfront views. Mestre and the Lido are cheaper alternatives, with transport into the centre.
What it costs
The fireworks are free to watch from the waterfront. A place at a waterfront restaurant with a view costs a great deal and must be booked ahead, and so does a place on a boat. Venice is expensive at the best of times, and July is peak season.
Go like you know
- Make it a picnic: Venetians bring sarde in saor, sweet and sour sardines, roast duck and watermelon for the night.
- Walk the votive bridge to the Redentore on Sunday morning, as the Venetians do.
- Stay up for the sunrise on the Lido if you have the energy; it is a Venetian rite of passage for the young.
- Visit Palladio's church on another day too, when it is quiet, to see the building the whole festival grew around.
- Venice's other great festival is the Venice Carnival, in February.
- Siena's Palio on July 2 makes a fine Italian pairing in the same month.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Festa del Redentore?
On the third weekend of July: the fireworks on Saturday night and the religious celebrations on Sunday. In 2026 the fireworks fell on July 18. In 2027 they are expected on Saturday July 17, with the Sunday feast on July 18.
Do I need a boat to enjoy it?
No. Many Venetians watch from the waterfront, with picnic tables set up along the Zattere, the Giudecca and the Riva degli Schiavoni. A boat gives you the full experience, but a good waterfront spot, claimed early with a picnic, is the next best thing and costs nothing.
Is the Redentore a religious festival?
Both religious and festive. It began as thanksgiving for the end of a plague, and the Sunday mass and the walk across the votive bridge remain its religious heart. The Saturday night feast and fireworks are a celebration, and for many Venetians the best night of the year.
