Looking for a sports bar in Venice, Italy “near me”? Venice’s sports bar scene blends casual charm with match-day moments. From cozy bacari with a single TV showing the occasional major event to pubs that reliably screen games year-round, this guide highlights where to catch the action—plus the favorite dishes you won’t want to miss.
Venice may be better known for gondolas than goalposts, but the city has a surprisingly rich sports culture. Locals rally behind Venezia FC, whose home ground—the lagoon-side Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo—is one of the oldest stadiums in Italy.
Basketball fans cheer for Umana Reyer Venezia, with both men’s and women’s teams competing at the top level and playing at Palasport Taliercio in nearby Mestre.
Beyond the pros, Venetians embrace a wide range of participation sports: rowing (especially the traditional voga alla veneta), football, basketball, tennis, and even golf on Lido.
Joggers, cyclists, and swimmers also make the most of the city’s scenic routes and fitness centers.
Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just looking to catch a match over a Spritz, Venice has its own way of blending sport with style.
In This Post
Venice Sports Bars – Overview
Venice might not be packed with dedicated sports bars like Rome or London, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss the match.
From buzzing Irish pubs tucked near the Rialto to local bacari with a discreet TV behind the bar, this city has plenty of cozy corners where you can catch live football, rugby, or Formula 1—Spritz in hand, gondola gliding by.
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Where to Watch Live Sports in Venice![]()
Here’s my curated list of Venice’s best sports bars, pubs, and canal-side hideouts for catching game-day action. There’s even a steakhouse!
Heads up: Some bars might get fully booked for major matches or require a reservation—especially during tournaments. Others may close unexpectedly or change their focus seasonally, so always double-check before heading out.
Bar All’Angolo – San Marco
Calle de le Botteghe, Sestiere San Marco, Venice, Italy
A cozy, casual bar tucked just off Campo Santo Stefano. Known for its friendly service, fresh paninis, and relaxed vibe, it’s a great daytime stop for a Spritz and a sandwich—especially if there’s a match on.
Sports Focus: Occasional football matches, especially Serie A and Champions League • TVs: One indoor screen, visible from most tables • Entertainment: No live music or games, but great people-watching from the terrace • Menu Overview: Italian café fare—paninis, tramezzini, pastries, and coffee • Featured Dishes: Lasagna, tuna salad, fresh fish crostini, brioches.
Bar Al Vecio Calice – Castello
Castello 1820, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, Venice, Italy
A local favorite near Via Garibaldi with a relaxed, wine-bar feel. Known for cicchetti and waterfront views, it occasionally screens big games in a low-key setting.
Sports Focus: Football (Serie A, Premier League), occasional rugby • TVs: One large screen indoors, sometimes a second outside during summer • Entertainment: Chill music, canal views, and a lively aperitivo crowd • Menu Overview: Cicchetti, pizza, seafood pasta, and local wines • Featured Dishes: Burrata with anchovies, smoked tuna crostini, seafood pasta. FACEBOOK
Birreria Zanon – Cannaregio
Fondamenta dei Ormesini, Venice, Italy
A laid-back alehouse with a canal-side terrace and a rotating selection of local craft beers. It’s a favorite among students, kayakers, and anyone looking for a casual drink and a bite.
Sports Focus: Occasional football matches, especially during tournaments • TVs: One indoor screen • Entertainment: Chill music, canal-side seating, and a lively local crowd • Menu Overview: Craft beers, sandwiches, and cicchetti • Featured Dishes: Spicy crab cicchetti, black bread tramezzini, vegetarian tapas. FACEBOOK
Chet Bar – Dorsoduro
Campo Santa Margherita, Dorsoduro, Venice, Italy
A retro-cool cocktail bar with a youthful crowd and a soundtrack that leans indie and alternative. It’s a favorite among students and creatives, especially on weekends when the energy spills into the square.
Sports Focus: Football (Serie A, Premier League), occasional F1 or NBA • TVs: One large screen indoors, often tuned to Sky Sports • Entertainment: Eclectic music, DJ sets, and a buzzy Campo Santa Margherita vibe • Menu Overview: Cocktails, craft beers, and bar snacks • Featured Dishes: Mojitos, gin & tonics, nachos, and toasted sandwiches.
Corner Pub – Dorsoduro
Campo Santa Margherita, Dorsoduro, Venice, Italy
A rustic-meets-modern bacaro with a loyal local following. Tucked near Ca’ Foscari, it’s known for its generous cicchetti, cold beers, and friendly service.
Sports Focus: Football (Serie A, Champions League), rugby • TVs: One large screen indoors, often with commentary • Entertainment: No frills—just good vibes and a canal-side perch • Menu Overview: Cicchetti, pasta, and local wines • Featured Dishes: Sardines in saor, cod mousse crostini, mushroom tortellini. FACEBOOK
Devil’s Forest Pub – San Marco
Calle dei Stagneri O de la Fava, San Marco, Venice, Italy
Venice’s most iconic Irish-style pub, just steps from the Rialto Bridge. Expect Guinness, burgers, and a crowd that’s ready to cheer.
Sports Focus: Football, rugby, NFL, F1 • TVs: Multiple screens throughout the bar • Entertainment: Pub quizzes, live music, and a lively expat crowd • Menu Overview: Pub grub, burgers, and international beers • Featured Dishes: Nachos, chicken wings, burgers with fries. FACEBOOK
Irish Pub Santa Lucia – Cannaregio
Cannaregio 282/b, Cannaregio, Venice, Italy
A cozy, well-loved pub just steps from the train station. Open since 1995, it’s a go-to for locals and travelers alike, with Sky Sports on screen and Guinness on tap.
Sports Focus: Premier League, Champions League, Serie A, rugby, NFL • TVs: Multiple screens indoors, including a large main screen • Entertainment: Lively crowd, outdoor terrace, occasional live music • Menu Overview: Pub snacks, toasted sandwiches, and late-night bites • Featured Dishes: Irish coffee, vodka lemonade, tramezzini, chips.
The Irish Pub Venezia – Cannaregio
Corte dei Pali, Cannaregio, Venice, Italy
Venice’s original Irish pub, complete with long benches, big plasma TVs, and a social, international crowd. A classic match-night destination.
Sports Focus: Football (all major leagues), rugby, F1 • TVs: Multiple plasma screens throughout the bar • Entertainment: Pub games, music, and a “drink to win a T-shirt” challenge • Menu Overview: Beers, cocktails, sandwiches, and snacks • Featured Dishes: Guinness, Kilkenny, toasted sandwiches, baby Guinness shots. FACEBOOK
Margaret DuChamp – Dorsoduro
Fondamenta dei Ormesini, Venice, Italy
A lively, student-friendly bar in one of Venice’s most vibrant squares. Great for people-watching, Spritz sipping, and catching a match with the crowd.
Sports Focus: Football during major tournaments • TVs: One screen indoors, sometimes visible from the square • Entertainment: DJ sets, live music, and a buzzing outdoor scene • Menu Overview: Cocktails, beers, and light snacks • Featured Dishes: Aperol Spritz, burgers, focaccia, tramezzini.
Mc Onor Pub – Mestre
Piazza Erminio Ferretto, Venice, Italy
A full-service pub and pizzeria in Mestre with a loungey vibe and plenty of screens. Great for pizza, beer, and watching the game with locals.
Sports Focus: Football, rugby, and Italian league matches • TVs: Multiple screens throughout the space • Entertainment: Live music, lounge seating, and a family-friendly vibe • Menu Overview: Pizza, pasta, burgers, and craft beers • Featured Dishes: Tiramisu, spaghetti carbonara, club sandwiches. FACEBOOK
Osteria Al Squero – Dorsoduro
Dorsoduro, Venice, Italy
A beloved bacaro perched directly across from the historic gondola workshop of San Trovaso. It’s more wine bar than sports bar, but during big matches, the crowd gathers canal-side with Spritz in hand and eyes on the screen.
Sports Focus: Football during major tournaments • TVs: One small screen indoors, sometimes visible from the window • Entertainment: Gondola views, lively aperitivo crowd, and seagull dodging • Menu Overview: Cicchetti, regional wines, and Spritz • Featured Dishes: Baccalà mantecato, mortadella crostini, meatballs.
Osteria al Timon – Cannaregio
Fondamenta dei Ormesini, Venice, Italy
A rustic-chic hotspot known for its steak boards, cicchetti, and canal-side boat seating. It’s not a sports bar by name, but they screen matches during tournaments and the vibe is always buzzing.
Sports Focus: Football (Serie A to,pm, Champions League), especially during summer • TVs: One indoor screen, sometimes projected outdoors • Entertainment: Aperitivo crowd, boat seating, and a lively bar scene • Menu Overview: Grilled meats, cicchetti, and local wines • Featured Dishes: Steak board for two, sarde in saor, grilled octopus. FACEBOOK
Il Santo Bevitore – Cannaregio
Campo Santa Fosca, Cannaregio, Venice, Italy
A craft beer haven with 21 taps, 28 gins, and a loyal following. It’s one of the few places in Venice where beer lovers can geek out and still catch the game.
Sports Focus: Football, rugby, and international tournaments • TVs: One large screen indoors • Entertainment: Chill music, canal-side seating, and rotating beer events • Menu Overview: Craft beers, gin cocktails, and cicchetti • Featured Dishes: Polpette, tuna crostini, MacGuffin gin & tonic. FACEBOOK
Skillà Bar – Dorsoduro
Campo Santa Margherita, Venice, Italy
A youthful, high-energy bar with late-night hours and a prime location in one of Venice’s liveliest squares. Expect music, cocktails, and the occasional match on screen.
Sports Focus: Football (especially during tournaments) • TVs: One screen indoors, visible from the square • Entertainment: DJ sets, live music, and a student-heavy crowd • Menu Overview: Cocktails, beers, and light snacks • Featured Dishes: Spritz, margaritas, nachos, and focaccia.
Verde Bistrot – Castello
Calle de le Rasse 4525, 30122 Venice, Italy
A casual café near San Zaccaria with outdoor seating and a TV inside. It’s more of a sandwich-and-Spritz stop, but they’ve been known to show matches during peak times.
Sports Focus: Football during major events • TVs: One screen indoors • Entertainment: Chill café vibe, great for a quick bite • Menu Overview: Sandwiches, pizza, salads, and drinks • Featured Dishes: Club sandwich, lasagna, tiramisu.
Best Hotel in Venice for Sports Fans
Hotel Indigo Venice-Santelena – Sant’Elena
Tucked into the leafy Sant’Elena district and just a five-minute walk from Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, this IHG boutique gem channels local style with just the right pulse of pre-match energy.
Whether you’re catching a Venezia FC home game or watching Italy take on England over Aperol, the hotel’s chic lounge and proximity to Venice’s fan culture make it a stealth favorite among sports-savvy travelers. CHECK RATES HERE!
Final Thoughts on Sports Bars in Venice
While Venice might be better known for gondolas than goal celebrations, this floating city hides a surprising number of pubs, bars, and bacari that cater to sports fans when major sporting events are taking place.
Whether you’re after a Guinness in Cannaregio, a big screen in San Marco, or cicchetti and calcio by the canal, sports bars in Venice deliver match-night magic with a side of lagoon charm.
From pubs to trendy wine bars to steak houses, this guide to Venice sports bars showcases exactly where to watch live sports in Venice—whether you’re following Serie A, cheering for your rugby team, or catching the Champions League with a Spritz in hand.
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Planning your trip to Venice, Italy? Save this list and don’t miss out on the chance to experience the city like a local—pint in hand, eyes on the screen, and feet dangling over the canal. Got a favorite sports bar in Venice I missed? Or snapped a match-night photo on location? Tag me on socials and share the vibe.
And if you’re sticking around Italy: check out my Rome sports bars guide, or dive into where to stay in Venice for sports fans—post coming soon. 🏆
Flying to Venice?
Venice is served by Marco Polo Airport (VCE), just 6 km from the city center and easily reached by water taxi, vaporetto, or shuttle.
Many travelers fly to Venice via Rome Fiumicino (FCO) or Milan Malpensa (MXP)—Italy’s two busiest international hubs—especially when combining cities on a longer itinerary.
The following airlines fly to all three airports: Etihad, Lufthansa, Qatar, Swiss International, and Vueling! Compare fares, find your perfect route, and arrive ready to start your Venetian advenure.
Etihad Airways Etihad connects to Venice via its hub in Abu Dhabi (AUH), with onward flights available across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Check schedules now!
Lufthansa Lufthansa operates flights to Venice through Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC), offering connections across Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Book your flight now!
Qatar Airways Qatar Airways serves Venice through its global hub in Doha (DOH), with extensive links to Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. Check fares now!. Check lights now!
SWISS International Air Lines SWISS flies into Venice through Zurich (ZRH), with links to Central Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Find flights now!
Vueling Vueling connects Venice with major European cities via its hubs in Barcelona (BCN), Rome (FCO), and Florence (FLR). Book tickets now!
Venice is also easy to reach by train or bus from other Italian cities and nearby countries —ideal if you’re already traveling in the region.
