Carnevale date + costume calendar
Pick a year and your costume ambition. The tool returns the official Carnevale dates for that year and what your tier costs.
What this solves
Carnevale is the 10-day window ending Mardi Gras (the Saturday before Ash Wednesday). Tourists arrive in Venice not knowing which Saturday to expect. The dates shift year to year, tied to Easter. This tool returns the official dates for your year and a parent-child note: La Biennale opens on odd-numbered years (2025, 2027), so Carnevale gets an architecture or art biennale overlap.
How to read the result
"Start" is the opening Sunday. "End" is the closing Saturday (Mardi Gras). "Costume tier" tells you the realistic price band for the costume ambition you selected. "Costume lead time" is how many weeks before the festival you need to start the costume.
Renting is fine for one Carnevale weekend. Made-to-measure and heirloom require booking 6-12 months out at the well-known ateliers.
Limitations
FAQ
Is Carnevale a public holiday?
No. It's a public festival. Shops and restaurants are open.
Can I wear a mask without a costume?
Yes — a Volto (full face white mask) with a hat is a classic Venetian costume with no need for a full outfit.
Where do the parades happen?
The Festa delle Marie (first Saturday), Volo dell'Angelo (Sunday before Lent), and the Best Mask Competition are the main events, all in Piazza San Marco.