Hustlers Convention

With the demise of Piper's Ballroom, the popular Hustler's Convention night has been relocated to Maxim's, formerly a kitsch nightspot for the well-heeled, opposite the Opera. With its cheesy décor still in place, the club attempts to create an atmosphere of fashionable slumming, reminiscent of a 1970s Italian porn film. While it got off to a good start with a session by local legends Pulsinger & Tunakan, it remains to be seen whether the free massages between 10pm and 1am and the half-price cocktails before-midnight will keep the punters rolling in.

Arsenale

While the larger part of this year's Architecture Biennale is concentrated in the Giardini pavilions, you would do well to head first to the appendix display in the old naval ship-building complex. Closed to the public except during the Biennale season, these vast and crumbling buildings provide a striking backdrop to the hi-tech exhibits and a fascinating glimpse of Venice's once-almighty marine industry which produced a warship a day at the height of the Republic's powers. Take a camera and prepare to be amazed.