The Siena Awards Photo Festival runs from 10 October to 29 November 2026, with exhibitions in Siena, Sovicille and Castelnuovo Berardenga. Its venues create a cultural itinerary through the city and surrounding towns, connecting documentary photography with environmental stories and contemporary visual experimentation.
Featured image: Jasper Doest, photograph from Meet Bob. @SienaAwardsPhotoFestival2026.
Exhibitions to build your itinerary around
James Nachtwey’s Witness to Our Time is at La Tinaia in Sovicille. In Siena, Cinzia Canneri’s Women’s Bodies as Battlefields is at the Accademia dei Rozzi, while Jasper Doest’s Meet Bob at the Natural History Museum explores the story of a rescued flamingo and the relationship between people and wildlife.
Other projects include Pierpaolo Mittica’s photographs of Chernobyl and Uğur Gallenkuş’s Parallel Universes at Castelnuovo Berardenga’s Landscape Museum. Group shows bring together the Siena International Photo Awards, Creative Photo Awards and Drone Photo Awards.
People Sharing All the World at the former Lo Stellino distillery opens on 11 October. Check individual opening dates when planning the first weekend.
Opening-weekend events and a cancellation
The SIPA Talks take place at Teatro dei Rinnovati on Friday 9 October from 3pm. Registration is compulsory and seats are limited; admission is free for exhibition-ticket holders. Simultaneous interpretation into Italian is provided. The awards ceremony is scheduled for Saturday 10 October at 4:30pm.
James Nachtwey’s talk scheduled for 9 October at 9pm has been cancelled. His exhibition in Sovicille remains listed in the festival programme.
Tickets and travel planning
- Nine-exhibition pass: €17 standard, €14 concessions, €7 students; free for children under 12 and companions of visitors with disabilities.
- Use: valid until 29 November; visits can be spread across different days, with one admission to each included show.
- Listed hours: Fridays, 3–7pm; weekends and public holidays, 10am–7pm. Individual exhibition dates apply.
- Key addresses: La Tinaia, via dei Macelli 1, Sovicille; Accademia dei Rozzi, via di Città 36, Siena; Natural History Museum, piazzetta Silvio Gigli 2, Siena; Lo Stellino, via Fiorentina 95, Siena.
Sovicille and Castelnuovo Berardenga are separate towns, so allow for transfers between venues. The official pass page includes a venue map. Ask the festival about accessible routes and language support at help@sienawards.com or +39 350 1296678. Consult its travel information and the SIPA Talks programme before booking.
