Venice Carnival 2026 Programme Schedule

People in costume at the Venice Carnival in front of the Venetian Arsenal.

Venice Carnival 2025

Venice Carnival 2026 Dates

The 2026 Venice Carnival will take place from 7 to 17 February 2026.

Venice Carnival Pictures Videos

Pictures Venice Carnival 2025
Venice Carnival Videos

The Venice carnival is 95% made by masked and costumed people who are her again this year from all over the world and represent the true magic of the Venice carnival.

The largest concentration of masked and costumed people is in and around Saint Mark's Square, but you'll also meet costumed groups in many other squares in Venice.

Tours Tickets Doge's | St.Mark | Museums | Venice | Islands | Gondola | G.Canal | Taste

City Pass Museums Churches Transport

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
City Pass Venice from €53 ➤

People in costume at the Venice carnival on Campo San Martin.

Carnival at the Arsenal Please note that the programme for the 2026 Carnival below may be subject to change until the beginning of February. We will inform you of any changes as soon as they are communicated to us.

The 2026 Venice Carnival and its Programme

At the Venice Carnival, there is no parade of people in costume as you might see at other carnivals. Here, the spectacle is in the streets, everywhere at once and every day of the carnival (from 7 to 17 February 2026).

The highest concentration of people in costume is in and around St. Mark's Square, but you will also come across groups of people in costume in other squares in Venice.

Venetian carnival costumed figures in front of the church of San Zaccaria.

Carnival at San Zaccaria Not forgetting the competition for the best costume on St. Mark's Square (dates and times below, participation in this parade is free of charge and registration takes place on the spot, one hour before the start of the parade).

The Flight of the Angel from St. Mark's Bell Tower

Due to the work that has been going on in St. Mark's Square for the past few years and the work that took place in the Bell Tower of St. Mark's during the 2025 carnival, the flights of the angel, the eagle and the lion had been cancelled.

They should normally be reinstated all three during the 2026 Venice Carnival. The dates and times that we indicate below for them are provisional and will only be definitively confirmed at the end of January 2026.

Pre-carnival in Venice 2026

Carnival at San Zaccaria In recent years, a pre-carnival in Venice has been created for commercial reasons, with the aim of artificially extending the carnival period.

However, this pre-carnival has nothing to do with the real Venice Carnival, which will begin on 7 February 2026.

The only authentic and non-commercial event of this pre-carnival is the Venetian boat parade along the Grand Canal in Venice, a parade of traditional Venetian boats that lasts just over half an hour.

During this pre-carnival, street entertainment is organised by the municipality of Venice with professional actors.

Carnival at San Zaccaria However, what makes the Venice Carnival truly magical are the enchanting masks and costumes that you can see in our photos of the 2025 carnival ➤

These magnificent costumes are not made by professionals, but by amateurs. They are enthusiasts, lovers of the Venice Carnival, who create their extraordinary costumes themselves, which often require several months of work.

These amateurs have no connection with the events organised by the city of Venice with professionals.

Carnival at the Arsenal You will therefore not see any of these people in costume in the streets of Venice before 7 February 2026, the date of the start of the real Venice Carnival.

Pre-carnival 2026

Saturday 31 January 2026

Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano on the campo Galuppi from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (Free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00

Sunday 1 February 2026

Carnival of the Venetians by boat

Venice Carnival - The Venetians' Carnival by boat, the flight of the Pantegana

10:30 Gathering of the boats at the Dogana da Mar next to the Salute church.
Departure of the procession at 11:00.
11:20 explosion of the "Pantegana" in front of the Rialto bridge.
11:30 Arrival at the Campo de l'Erbaria in Rialto and Venetian festival.
Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano on the campo Galuppi from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (Free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00

Tours Tickets Doge's | St.Mark | Museums | Venice | Islands | Gondola | G.Canal | Taste

The Programme for the 2026 Venice Carnival

Saturday 7 February 2026

Venice Carnival - The Feast of the Maries

15:30 The Feast of the Maries

The parade of the 12 prettiest girls in Venice will set off from the traghetto at Santa Sofia, from where they will travel by gondola to St. Mark's Square.

You will see six gondolas (undecorated) with two young girls per gondola on the Grand Canal of Venice, so not much to see in our opinion on this short route, the real show will be at St. Mark's Square between 15: 45 and 16:00 with the presentation of the 12 Maries to the public.
Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (Free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume Place St. Marc, from 9:00 to 17:00 (free)
Competition to find the best Carnival Costume Place St.Marc, at 12:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (free)

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
Secrets Carnival Casanova €74 →
Carnival Pub Crawl €79 →

Sunday 8 February 2026

Venice Carnival, the Flight of the Angel at St. Mark's

12:00 The Flight of the Angel from the Bell Tower of St. Mark

Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns:
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume Place St Marc, from 9am to 5pm (free)
Competition for the best Carnival Costume Place St. Marc, at 12:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (free)

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
Secrets Carnival Casanova €74 →
Carnival Pub Crawl €79 →

Monday 9 February 2026

Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (Free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume Place St. Marc, from 9:00 to 17:00 (free)

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
Secrets Carnival Casanova €74 →
Carnival Pub Crawl €79 →

Tuesday 10 February 2026

Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume Place St. Marc, from 9:00 to 17:00 (free)

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
Secrets Carnival Casanova €74 →
Carnival Pub Crawl €79 →

Wednesday 11 February 2026

Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume in St. Mark's Square, from 9:00 to 17:00 (free)

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Thursday 12 February 2026

Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume St Mark's Square, from 9am to 5pm (free)
Competition for the best Carnival Costume Place St.Marc, at 12:00, 16:00 and 17:00 (free)

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
Secrets Carnival Casanova €74 →
Carnival Pub Crawl €79 →

Friday 13 February 2026

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
Secrets Carnival Casanova €74 →
Carnival Pub Crawl €79 →

Saturday 14 February 2026

Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume Place St. Marc, from 9:00 to 17:00 (free)
Competition for the best Carnival Costume Place St.Marc, at 12:00 and 16:00 (free)
Burano Carnival from 15:00 to 23:00

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
Secrets Carnival Casanova €74 →
Carnival Pub Crawl €79 →

Sunday 15 February 2026

12:00 The Flight of the Eagle from the Bell Tower of St. Mark
16:00 Final of the Best Carnival Costume Competition St. Mark's Square, (free)
Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns:
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume Place St. Marc, from 9:00 to 17:00 (free)
Burano Carnival from 15:00 to 23:00

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Monday 16 February 2026

Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00
The Parade of People in Costume Place St. Marc, from 9:00 to 17:00 (free)

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits

Smartphone Tickets Accepted
Secrets Carnival Casanova €74 →
Carnival Pub Crawl €79 →

Tuesday 17 February 2026

12:00 The Flight of the Lion from the Bell Tower of St. Mark
15:00 Presentation of the Mary of the Year 2026 in St. Mark's Square
16:30 Parade of the most beautiful costumes that took part in the competition in St. Mark's Square (free)
The Parade of People in Costume in St. Marc's Square, from 9:00 to 17:00 (free)
Music, Circus-Theatre, Acrobats and Clowns :
Campo S. Margherita, S.Giacomo, S.Geremia, S.Cassiano, Gesuiti, S.M.Formosa, Sant'Elena and in Burano (Piazza Galuppi) from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 19:00 (Free)
Street Theatre (Free):
Campo Santo Stefano at 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00

Events Balls Opera Concert Visits