La Biennale di Venezia presents its 2026 live performing arts season featuring three major international festivals running from June to October 2026. The 54th International Theatre Festival (June 7-21) directed by Willem Dafoe, the 20th International Festival of Contemporary Dance (July 17-August 1) directed by Sir Wayne McGregor, and the 70th International Festival of Contemporary Music (October 10-24) directed by Caterina Barbieri will collectively present 158 events featuring 470 artists from around the globe. The festivals welcome participants from Italy and Mediterranean regions to Lapland, South Africa, China, Southeast Asia, Japan, Samoa, and New Zealand. La Biennale received 1,841 applications from 48 countries for open calls including: Italian and international directors and playwrights (with new actor/actress calls), choreographers and dancers (with calls for new Italian and foreign choreography), and composers, sound artists, and musical performers. Biennale College offers opportunities for artists under 30 to develop long-term projects on the international stage. The 2026 programs emphasize the immediacy of live performance, exploring themes of time, sound, and human encounter. Theatre festival features 55 events including 11 co-productions with 10 world premieres, 2 European and 4 Italian premieres. Programs span diverse theatrical traditions from Greek contemporary theatre to Japanese experimental theatre and Southeast Asian performance forms.