Campiello Award at Venice Lido: Final for the First Time at Palazzo

The Campiello Award will, for the first time, hold its final at the Lido di Venezia: the inaugural event takes place on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., at the Palazzo del Cinema, with about 900 guests and a television broadcast in the following week, according to ANSA.

Details of the final at the Lido di Venezia

The 2026 edition of the Premio Campiello changes both in setting and schedule: for the first time the final will be at the Lido di Venezia, at the Palazzo del Cinema, instead of the traditional Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice. The ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2026, beginning at 6 p.m., and it also represents a shift in month and time for the prize — from September to October and moved to late afternoon. According to ANSA, the change reflects organizational choices to integrate the event into the Lido’s cultural program and to the audience in the city at the start of October.

Broadcast and expected audience

The organizers have partnered with Sky to bring the final to those who cannot attend in person: television coverage is planned for October 10, 2026. The coverage will be broadcast on different channels and times:

• Sky Arte at 23:00;
• Sky Documentaries at 19:45;
• also streaming on the Now platform;
• and on open signal on the Cielo channel in late-night programming, as reported by ANSA.

On the Lido, about 900 people are expected, including institutional guests, representatives from business and cultural circles, and publishing house members, creating a restricted, selective audience for the in-person ceremony. For Brazilian readers and others following Italian cultural news, the broadcast options provide multiple ways to watch remotely; see also our coverage in Notícies da Itália.

Books and finalist authors mentioned

The finalists list includes well-established names in contemporary Italian literature. Among the competing titles, ANSA highlights:

• Valeria Parrella, with La ragazzina (Feltrinelli) — a novel that revisits the figure of Joan of Arc in a narrative designed to speak with today’s youth;
• Marcello Fois, with L'immensa distrazione (Einaudi) — described as a work at the border between family history and existential reflection;
• Alcide Pierantozzi, with Lo sbilico (Einaudi) — also cited among the contenders.

The final will bring together critics, judges, and the audience for the proclamation of the 2026 Campiello Prize winner, an event that typically influences publishing markets and critical readings in Italy.

Relevance for Brazilians and descendants of Italians

The Premio Campiello is one of Italy’s most prestigious literary awards, and the final at the Lido broadens visibility opportunities for contemporary authors — information relevant to Brazilian readers interested in Italian literature and translations. The combination of Sky broadcast, Now streaming availability, and open-signal airing on Cielo provides multiple ways for the diaspora and for those researching literary trends or seeking new references for translations and cultural events. For readers following topics related to life and culture in Italy, contextual reports related to this matter can be found in our Life in Italy section and other updates in Notícias da Itália.

The Campiello 2026 final at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido represents both an organizational and symbolic novelty, with national and international coverage and a small audience of about 900 guests, according to ANSA.

The October 3 ceremony, therefore, marks not only a change of venue but also a shift in the prize calendar and dissemination approach, with implications for the Italian publishing scene and foreign interest.

Source: ANSA