The Venice Carnival in Italy is set to take its cue from the Olympics this year, with the lagoon city announcing the motto: Olympus – Alle Origini del Gioco (Origins of the Game). The event is from Jan 31 to Feb 17.
The reason is that the Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics 2026 will be taking place nearby almost simultaneously.
Every year, thousands of tourists from around the world travel to Venice to get a glimpse of the world-famous festival, many of them strolling the streets in traditional masks.
The city is likely to be even more crowded than usual and on some days several tens of thousands of visitors are expected.
The programme again includes grand masked balls as well as gondola parades on the canals. The Winter Olympics will be held from Feb 6 to 22.
The history of the Venice Carnival dates back to the Middle Ages. The tradition disappeared for a time before being revived and is now big business for the tourism industry.
Last year, the carnival ran under the motto, Il Tempo di Casanova (The Time of Casanova), marking the 300th birthday of the legendary womaniser, one of the city’s most famous residents. – dpa
