The always magical Carnival of Venice is back this year, from 11 to 21 February 2023! The city will also hold its ‘pre-carnival’ schedule of events from 4 to 5 February 2023.
The Venice Carnival is a traditional Italian festival. In fact, this one goes back to the Middle Ages. The carnival begins ten days before Ash Wednesday and it lasts until Shrove Tuesday. Famous for its costumes and masks, it attracts huge crowds each year, who await the event with excitement.
The festival generally attracts over half a million people over its 10 days.
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What is so magical about the Venice Carnival?
Most of the costumes you’ll see there have been made for the occasion. About 95% of the participants make their costumes themselves! That’s the real authenticity and uniqueness of this event.
What is the Venice “Pre-carnival”?
The Pre-carnival is a series of events and parties that precede the Venice Carnival. This includes gala dinners, candlelit dinners, dances, concerts, treasure hunts and more. But most importantly, workshops to make your own carnival mask!
You can enjoy these workshops and events on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 February.
Venice Carnival 2023 programme of events
The Venice Carnival will start with the festival of the “Maries”, which runs from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Starting from the church of San Pietro di Castello, girls in beautiful and intricate costumes will parade through Via Garibaldi to St. Mark’s Square. They will stay around the square for several hours, to be admired by all and have their photo taken.
Find the whole programme of the pre-carnival and the carnival of Venice here, including big-ticket extravaganzas like this and also the smaller events: concerts, dinners, operas and workshops. The programme gives all the details related to the different events, as well as prices.
Note: The flight of the angel and flight of the lion from the bell tower of St. Mark’s will not take place this year, due to the ongoing works in St. Mark’s Square.
Enjoy the Italian countryside as well as the carnival
Open-air accommodation deep in the beautiful countryside of the Veneto region is ideal for your stay near Venice! It will allow you to enjoy the festivities and excitement of the carnival, yet at the same time have a quiet place to retreat to – to rest and recharge for the next day of fun. It will also serve as a base to enjoy many of the other great things to do and places to see in the lovely region of Veneto. For example, it would be a shame to miss learning about the unique fermentation method used for DOCG Prosecco in the scenic, rolling hills of this sparking wine region, which stretches between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, only an hour or so from Venice!
Not all campsites are open at this time of year, but we have several great options for you: check out the chalets, mobile homes and pitches available at our campsites in Veneto.
If you need to rent a car to get from the airport to the campsite and to visit some of the other fantastic places in the Veneto region, you can compare and book car rental services here!
Don’t forget to share your videos and pictures with us, if you decide to head to the carnival! Follow us on social media:
The full carnival takes place from 11 to 21 February 2023, but there is also a ‘pre-carnival’ on 4 and 5 February which includes lots of fun events too.
You can get there by plane. Marco Polo Airport is the main airport for Venice, but you can also fly into Treviso Airport, located one hour north of Venice. This is the airport most used by low-cost airlines. From other major Italian cities, you can easily take the train to Santa Lucia Station in Venice. Visit the Ferrovie dello Stato website.
If you are coming by car, we recommend that you park your car outside the city. Your campsite is a good solution for parking – then bus or boat into the centre of town.
