From Saturday 23 January to Tuesday 9 February 2027: official theme and programme announced in the weeks before the opening.
Venice Carnival 2027: from 23 January to 9 February
The official website announces it: the Venice Carnival 2027 will take place from Saturday 23 January to Tuesday 9 February 2027. With Easter falling early in 2027 (28 March), the Carnival begins at the end of January. Fat Thursday (Giovedì Grasso) falls on 4 February and Fat Tuesday, 9 February, closes the festivities, on the eve of Ash Wednesday.
What to expect, based on how recent editions have unfolded (exact dates to be confirmed):
- Festa Veneziana sull’acqua: a grand procession of decorated boats opens the Carnival. In 2026, it paraded along the Grand Canal, from the Punta della Dogana to the Erbaria, with more than 140 vessels.
- Festa delle Marie: a parade of young Venetian women in costume, recalling a tradition of the Republic.
- Flight of the Angel (Volo dell’Angelo): a young woman descends, suspended from a cable, from the Campanile towards St Mark's Square. It is the most followed highlight.
- Best mask contest in St Mark's Square, street performances and costumed balls in the palazzi, often ticketed and requiring reservation.
- Svolo del Leon, on Fat Tuesday, for the closing.
Plan ahead: weekends and Fat Thursday are the busiest days; book your accommodation several weeks in advance. The 2027 calendar for the Venice access contribution (contributo d’accesso) had not yet been published at the end of October 2026; in 2026, it applied only to days from April to July. Check it before your visit.
For the history of the Carnival, masks and costumes, see the Venice Carnival page.
Sources and further information: Venice Carnival 2027, official website; Official press release on the Festa Veneziana 2026 (PDF); Venice access contribution; Venezia Unica.