May’s warmth (13–22°C/55–72°F) and 15-hour days signal the start of peak season. The Biennale Art Exhibition opens, drawing global crowds to the Giardini and Arsenale. The Festa del Carciofo Violetto celebrates the lagoon’s prized artichoke, while the Vogalonga rowing event and Festa della Sensa fill the canals with pageantry. Hotel prices and crowds rise, but the city buzzes with creative energy and outdoor dining. Occasional rain is possible, but most days are bright and pleasant.
Pro tips for visiting Venice in May
• Book Biennale tickets and accommodation at least three months in advance, as demand is highest during opening weeks. • Go early to the Giardini and Arsenale to avoid midday exhibition crowds. • Reserve tables at trattorias on Sant’Erasmo for the artichoke festival (second Sunday of May). • Head to the Lido for a beach break during busy weekends. • Avoid the main vaporetto lines during Vogalonga, as thousands of rowers fill the canals. • Choose a hotel in Cannaregio or Giudecca for better rates and quieter nights. • Bring a light rain jacket for brief showers and a sunhat for midday walks. • Reserve water taxis for festival evenings, as public transport can be crowded.
Venice in May at a glance
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Weather
Maximum temperature: 22°C
Minimum temperature: 13°C
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Daylight
Around 15 hours of daylight
Sunrise: 5:30am
Sunset: 8:30pm
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Key events
Festa del Carciofo Violetto, Festa e Regata della Sensa, Etruscans and Venetians Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia (Art Exhibition)
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Crowds
Tourist-heavy, with long queues at attractions, crowded streets, and seasonal events adding to the buzz.
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What to pack
Light sweater, rain jacket, comfortable shoes for walking, sunhat, sunglasses, and a reusable water bottle.
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Seasonal treats
Castraure (violet artichokes), risi e bisi, scampi alla veneziana, prosecco, spritz, frittata di asparagi, tiramisù.
May 1 is a national public holiday with closures of offices and many businesses in Venice. Plan shopping around it. Expect a slower morning in residential streets.
Doge’s Palace opens a 700+ artefact exhibition on water, cults, and sanctuaries linking Etruscan and Veneto worlds. Buy timed tickets to manage queues in San Marco.
The 61st International Art Exhibition opens across Giardini and Arsenale with 99 national pavilions and collateral events. Buy tickets in advance, allow full days on site.
The Arsenale hosts an international boat show with exhibitors and hundreds of boats in the water basin and pavilions. Tickets required, book ahead for weekend entry slots.
Gallerie dell’Accademia stages Abramović works among Renaissance masters, marking her 80th birthday. Buy tickets early for peak months, rooms can bottleneck at openings.
Ca’ Rezzonico shows Francesco Guardi paintings from the Gulbenkian collection inside an 18th-century palazzo museum. Go weekdays, Dorsoduro stays calmer than San Marco.
Ca’ Pesaro hosts Jenny Saville’s first Venice exhibition, tracing her work from the 1990s onward inside a Grand Canal palazzo. Go early afternoon, the galleries stay quieter than San Marco.
Fondazione Giorgio Cini presents Georg Baselitz large-scale recent paintings on San Giorgio Maggiore. Take vaporetto Line 2, then allow walking time to the venue campus.
Plan ahead: must-visit experiences for Venice in May
