Kochi–Muziris Biennale draws 1.6 lakh visitors in 20 days

Kochi: Around 1.6 lakh people visited the Kochi–Muziris Biennale contemporary arts festival between December 12 and 31, 2025, organisers said on Friday.

In a statement, the Kochi Biennale Foundation (KBF) said the numbers indicate strong tourist engagement and a growing local audience, with many visitors returning multiple times to experience the scale and diversity of the current edition.

The foundation said the integration of AI-based data tools into visitor management and analytics systems would help generate more accurate insights in the coming weeks, including visitor flow, peak timings, venue popularity and engagement patterns. This, officials said, would aid better planning, crowd management and audience outreach.

KBF Chairperson Dr Venu V said the defining feature of this edition was its expanded geographical and artistic spread. “This edition is characterised by a wider range of venues than before. The addition of performative art enhances the experience and encourages repeat visits,” he said.

Unlike previous editions concentrated in a few major hubs, this iteration of the Biennale is spread across historic buildings, warehouses, public spaces and neighbourhood venues across the city.

“There are 29 venues, of which only six are ticketed. As a result, the overall footfall has increased manifold,” said Thomas Varghese, CEO of the Kochi Biennale Foundation. He added that several venues, including Art by Children and the Students’ Biennale, are unticketed, making precise visitor counts difficult.

Organisers said the combination of spatial diversity and a strong presence of performance-based works has encouraged repeat visits, with audiences discovering new installations and live events over time.

With several weeks of programming still ahead, footfall is expected to rise steadily through January and February, aided by school holidays, tourist inflow and word-of-mouth interest. The Biennale will conclude on March 31.