Il Cinema Ritrovato 2026:
complete guide for visitors

For nine days every summer, Bologna becomes the world capital of classic cinema. Il Cinema Ritrovato — the Cineteca di Bologna’s festival dedicated to restored films and great rediscoveries — returns from 20 to 28 June 2026 in its most special edition yet: the 40th (XL). Five hundred films, eight venues dotted across the city, screenings from morning to night, and every evening a grand finale under the open sky of Piazza Maggiore. If you love cinema, this is the guide for you.

What is Il Cinema Ritrovato

Founded in 1986 by the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, the festival has long been called a paradise for film lovers: a place where great films of the past — restored, rediscovered, often screened from a unique surviving print — come back to life before an international audience. This is not nostalgia: it is cinema archaeology as a form of discovery, bringing historians, directors and enthusiasts from every continent together to share the same passion. Over four decades the festival has established Bologna as the world’s foremost reference point for film restoration and preservation.

The XL 2026 edition: numbers and highlights

The 40th edition is the richest ever: 500 films spread across 8 city venues including historic cinemas, theatres and the open-air screen in Piazza Maggiore. The programme — dubbed Festival XL — celebrates three towering figures of world cinema:

• Luchino Visconti — a landmark tribute in 2026, marking both the 120th anniversary of his birth and the 50th of his death. The Cineteca has contributed to the restoration of masterpieces such as Senso, The Leopard and Rocco and His Brothers.
• Barbara Stanwyck — one of Hollywood’s greatest stars of the 20th century, the subject of a dedicated retrospective.
• Joséphine Baker — iconic figure of cinema and African-American culture in the 1920s and 30s.

“Il Cinema Ritrovato is a Garden of Earthly Delights for every film lover: a journey through the ages that brings back the taste, presence and truth of faces from the past.” — Cineteca di Bologna

Screenings in Piazza Maggiore

The most iconic moment of the festival: every evening, as the sun goes down, Piazza Maggiore transforms into Italy’s most evocative open-air cinema. The evening screenings are free of charge, open to everyone, and require no festival pass. Booking is recommended on the busiest nights. From 15 June through to 14 August, the Sotto le Stelle del Cinema series extends the outdoor cinema season in the square well beyond the festival itself.

Passes and tickets: how it works

To attend screenings in the city’s indoor venues you need a festival pass, available online on the official website or at the festival box offices. Options include: a full pass valid for the entire festival; reduced passes for students, Cineteca members and under 25s; and single tickets subject to availability. Once you have your pass, you receive login credentials by email for the seat-reservation platform. The system is progressive — seats open in phases from early June. For the evening screenings in Piazza Maggiore no pass is needed: entry is free.

Getting to the festival venues

All screenings take place at 8 venues in Bologna’s historic centre, each reachable on foot from the Central Station area in 10–20 minutes. The main sites are Cinema Lumière (Via Azzo Gardino 65, home of the Cineteca), Cinema Modernissimo (Piazza Re Enzo), Cinema Jolly and the sweeping open-air screen of Piazza Maggiore. To move around the centre without a car, TPER bus lines 11, 14, 21 and 27 link the station to all major venues in minutes. By bike, the entire historic centre is within 15 minutes.

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Staying at Bologna Fair Tower during the festival

Bologna Fair Tower is located at Via Cleto Tomba 21, a short walk from Bologna Centrale station. From here, every festival venue is reachable on foot or with a quick bus ride: Cinema Lumière is about 20 minutes on foot, Piazza Maggiore around 25. The location is ideal for packing your day with morning and afternoon screenings, retreating to your room to rest, then heading back to the square for the evening show — no parking stress, no late-night transport worries.

How to reach the venues from the property

On foot — the walk from the property into the centre follows Via Indipendenza, one of Bologna’s most beautiful tree-lined boulevards. Allow about 20–25 minutes to reach Piazza Maggiore, strolling under the famous arcades along the way.

By bus — lines 11 and 14 depart from the station area and reach the centre in 8–10 minutes. Line 21 covers the route to Cinema Lumière at the Cineteca. Check evening timetables at tper.it or on the Moovit app.

By bike — Bologna is one of Italy’s most cycle-friendly cities. From Bologna Fair Tower to the festival venues takes just 10–12 minutes on two wheels.

• En-suite rooms with private bathroom, terrace and in-room coffee station
• Steps from Bologna Centrale: ideal if you’re arriving by train
• Direct booking, no commission fees