Greta Scarano, Nicolas Maupas to host Venice

La Biennale di Venezia said on July 8 that actress-director Greta Scarano and actor Nicolas Maupas will host both the opening and closing nights of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The ceremonies are scheduled for September 2 and September 12 in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido, the festival’s main venue. Scarano and Maupas will present the inauguration ceremony on opening night and return for the closing event, when the Lions and other official prizes are announced. The festival runs from September 2 to September 12, 2026. ### Why are Greta Scarano and Nicolas Maupas the names attached to both nights? Greta Scarano was identified by La Biennale as both an actress and director, and Nicolas Maupas as the co-host for the two marquee ceremonies of Venezia 83. The official announcement ties both performers to the same assignment rather than splitting the opening and closing duties, making them the public faces of the festival’s bookend events. (labiennale.org) Rai News said the two will lead the ceremonies from the Sala Grande stage at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido. Italian coverage described the pairing as a new duo linked to contemporary Italian cinema, while the Biennale notice set out the practical details: opening on Wednesday, September 2, and closing on Saturday, September 12. (labiennale.org) ### What exactly happens at those two ceremonies? The September 2 ceremony opens the festival in its main theater on the Lido, according to La Biennale’s announcement. That event traditionally serves as the formal start of the Venice film festival, with the hosts introducing the evening on the Sala Grande stage. (rainews.it) The September 12 ceremony closes the 11-day event and includes the announcement of the Lions and the festival’s other official prizes, La Biennale said. That makes the closing night the point at which the competition’s main awards are formally handed down. ### Why is the two-host format getting attention in Italy? (labiennale.org) Adnkronos, as cited by other Italian coverage, said the appointment brings the Venice festival back to a dual-host format after nearly 30 years. A secondary report summarizing that coverage said the previous comparable setup dated to 1998, when Livia Azzariti and Alessandro Gassmann hosted the opening ceremony of the 55th Venice Film Festival. (labiennale.org) ANSA and other Italian outlets matched the core details of the Biennale statement, reporting that Scarano and Maupas will handle both the opening and closing nights of the 83rd edition. Those reports did not change the schedule or venue details set out by La Biennale. (en.lamilano.it) ### Where does this fit in the wider Venezia 83 calendar? La Biennale’s Cinema 2026 pages list the festival dates as September 2 through September 12 and place the hosting announcement among the event’s official updates. The same festival pages also list operational dates and deadlines, including accreditation timing for industry participants. The next public milestones are on the official Biennale cinema pages, where the September 2 opening night and September 12 closing ceremony remain the key fixed dates for Scarano, Maupas and the Venezia 83 awards program. (ansa.it) (labiennale.org 1) (labiennale.org 2)