A host of glittering top-name celebrities are set to arrive in Venice over the next few days, as the 52nd edition of the Biennial contemporary art festival gets under way.
The festival, which officially kicks off this weekend, will welcome US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton and British pop star Elton John among many others.
Clinton will attend the inauguration of a restaurant "In Paradiso" in the Biennial Gardens on Saturday, while Elton John has several visits scheduled in the Lagoon City, despite the cancellation of a concert planned in St Mark's Square.
The festival, which boasts the largest cultural menu ever, will showcase works by over 100 artists in 70 different exhibitions.
But in the evenings, press attention will shift to the myriad cocktail parties, gala events, dinners and dances planned for coming days.
Artists, designers, royalty, museum directors, politicians, actors and musicians have already started arriving in the city.
The Saudi princess, Nasrin Al Saud, arrived by plane on Wednesday morning, while an 86-metre yacht belonging to Russian billionaire Roman Abromavic, owner of Chelsea soccer team, was scheduled to dock at Venice in the evening.
Irish Arts Minister John O'Donaghue was also set to arrive on Wednesday, while Elton John and his partner David Furnish were spotted strolling through the city centre on Tuesday evening.
The fashion world will be represented by Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Valentino and Miuccia Prada, and Alberta Ferretti, all of whom will arrive before Saturday.
A Wednesday evening gala dinner on San Lazzaro degli Armeni island, celebrating an exhibit of work by US conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth, will be attended by Kosuth himself as well as three top movie stars: Robert De Niro, Richard Gere and Jeanne Moreau.
De Niro, who along with Gere will attend a celebrity dinner on Sunday hosted by Chanel, is in Venice for an exhibit of work by his father.
The exhibition, which runs from June 10 until September 10 in San Marco Casa d'Aste, will recall Robert De Niro Senior's love of Venice, including one of his earliest paintings entitled 'Venice at Night is a Negress in Love'(1943-44).
Another Hollywood star, the Mexican-born Salma Hayek, will arrive in Venice on Thursday with her partner Francois-Henri Pinault. The pair, who are expecting their first child, will attend a glittering gala dinner for 500 guests on Friday evening.
The Duke and Duchess of Kent are expected at a cocktail party in Palazzo Loredan Grifalconi on Wednesday, organized by the Venetian Heritage Committee.
Italian Culture Minister Francesco Rutelli will host the official launch of the biennial on Thursday, which will be attended by British Culture Minister Tessa Jowell. Other top European politicians expected in coming days include Austrian President Heniz Fischer and French Culture Minister Christine Albanel.
