Glamour’s first light

There is a precise moment when Venice stopped being just about art and became an image, a symbol. It was 1932. Europe stood at a cultural crossroads, torn between unrest and a deep desire for rebirth. In that atmosphere, the Venice Biennale made a visionary decision: to embrace cinema as an art form.
And so, the world’s first International Film Exhibition was born, a pioneering event that ushered in a new era. It wasn’t just a festival; it was an ode to beauty in motion.

That very first screen was set outdoors, beneath the stars of the Lido. Waves lapped the shore as the images flickered, and a curious, elegant, international audience watched in silence. Glamour had yet to be defined, but you could already feel it, in the rustle of silk fans and the shimmer of light on water. Venice revealed itself as the perfect stage for this debut: a natural theatre where art, fashion, and film could finally meet.

Excelsior: The World’s first red carpet

At the heart of this cinematic vision stood Hotel Excelsior, the Moorish masterpiece overlooking the Adriatic. Chosen as the official venue of the festival, it immediately became the beating heart of international glamour.
Its exotic domes, the grandeur of the Sala Stucchi, the sweeping loggias and sea-facing terraces, every detail formed a dreamlike backdrop made to embrace the magic of cinema.

Here, the first screenings took place, and the guests transformed each night into legend: Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Marlon Brando, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor... Icons who glided through the Hotel’s halls as if walking through a living screenplay.

At the Excelsior, the red carpet wasn’t just a symbol it was the beginning of a ritual that would become part of the world’s collective imagination.
Elegance wasn’t an accessory; it was the very air they breathed.

A stage beyond time

But the Excelsior was far more than a beautiful backdrop. It became a vital hub for European film culture a place where directors, producers, critics, and thinkers gathered.

Open-air screenings were held in the gardens, international delegations flowed through the corridors, private premieres and press events took shape in its salons. Year after year, the Hotel evolved into a space for inspiration, strategy, and storytelling.

To this day, during the Festival, the Excelsior comes alive again press conferences, exclusive interviews, gala evenings, and starlit cocktails.

Its charm remains untouched. As if every stone, every arch, every velvet chair still whispers the dialogue between myth and reality.

Live the legend

Staying at the Excelsior today is more than an experience it’s a journey into the living memory of cinema.
Here, where it all began, every corner tells a story and reflects the timeless glow of an era that continues to captivate.
Let yourself be enveloped by the eternal atmosphere of the Hotel that defined glamour and made film history.