What is Carnival of Venice?
Carnival in Venice is recorded as early as the 11th century, and by the 18th century it was famous across Europe: it lasted for weeks, and masks let people of every class mix freely. It faded after the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797 and was revived in 1979.
Masks are its heart: the plain white bauta, the black oval moretta, the long-nosed plague doctor (medico della peste) and the colourful half-mask called Colombina.
When is Carnival of Venice? Dates for 2026 and 2027
2026
- 31 January – 17 February 2026Carnival of Venice 2026
- Tuesday 17 February 2026Shrove Tuesday, the last day
2027
- 23 January – 9 February 2027Carnival of Venice 2027
- Tuesday 9 February 2027Shrove Tuesday, the last day
Carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday (Martedì Grasso), the day before Ash Wednesday, so it moves with Easter. The city announces each year's dates and programme on the official carnival site; the 2027 dates are already published there.
How people celebrate
- The Flight of the Angel (Volo dell'Angelo), when a guest glides down a rope from the bell tower of St Mark's into the square.
- The Festa delle Marie, a parade of twelve young Venetian women that recalls a medieval story.
- Masked balls in palaces, and the contest for the best mask and costume in St Mark's Square.
Good to know
- Masks are sold everywhere: look for workshops that make them by hand from papier-mâché.
- Weekends are very crowded; weekdays are calmer and better for photos.
- Feeding the pigeons in St Mark's Square has been banned since 2008.