The countdown has officially begun. In 2027 Carnival falls early: Shrove Tuesday is 9 February 2027, the Giovedì grasso (Fat Thursday) on 4 February and the day after, Wednesday 10 February, Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent. In Milan and the areas that follow the Ambrosian rite, however, the celebrations last a few days longer: the Ambrosian Carnival ends on Saturday 13 February 2027.
How long until Carnevale 2027?
Today there are 103 days to Giovedì grasso and 108 days to Shrove Tuesday.Carnival is here! But many parades start earlier: the most eagerly awaited open in the last week of January, with Venice from 23 January and Viareggio from 30 January. Meanwhile, in the workshops, work has been going on for months.
Why the date changes every year
Carnival has no fixed date because it depends on Easter, which in 2027 falls on 28 March. Ash Wednesday comes 46 days before Easter and opens Lent: Shrove Tuesday is the day before, the last day of celebrations, while Giovedì grasso falls five days earlier. That is why in some years the parades take place in early February and in others well into March.
The Ambrosian Carnival: celebrations until Saturday 13 February
In the Archdiocese of Milan and in the areas that follow the Ambrosian rite, Lent does not begin on Ash Wednesday but on the first Sunday of Lent. Carnival therefore lasts until the Saturday before, the so-called «sabato grasso»: in 2027 that will be Saturday 13 February, four days after Shrove Tuesday. Tradition links this difference to Sant'Ambrogio (Saint Ambrose), Bishop of Milan: according to the most popular account, the Milanese waited for his return from a pilgrimage before starting Lent, prolonging the festivities.
The 2027 carnival dates already confirmed
These are the dates currently shown on our carnival pages, taken from the organisers' official channels. Where the organisers have not yet published their calendar, we write «dates coming soon»: we update the pages as soon as confirmations arrive.
- Carnevale di Venezia: from 23 January to 9 February 2027
- Carnevale di Viareggio: six masked parades from 30 January to 20 February 2027
- Carnevale di Cento: Sundays from 31 January to 28 February 2027
- Carnevale di Misterbianco: parades on Sunday 31 January, Sunday 7 and Tuesday 9 February 2027; défilé on Saturday 6 February 2027
- Carnevale di Avola: from 4 to 9 February 2027
- Carnevale di Larino: Saturday 6, Sunday 7, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 February 2027
- Carnevale di Sciacca: from 6 to 14 February 2027
- Carnevale di Maiori: Sunday 7, Tuesday 9 and Sunday 14 February 2027
- Carnevale di Massafra: parades on Sunday 7 and Tuesday 9 February 2027
- Carnevale di Putignano: dates coming soon
- Carnevale di Acireale: 31 January, 4, 6, 7, 9, 13 and 14 February 2027 (dates to be confirmed)
- Carnevale di Verona: dates coming soon
All the parades, with filters by month and region and the option to save events to your own calendar, are in the 2027 carnival calendar. Before setting off, always check times and programme on the organisers' official channels.
The carnivals waiting for you
A taste of what we'll see in February: pick yours.
How to plan your trip
With Carnival falling so early, the peak weeks will be between late January and mid-February, with the weekend of 6-7 February and Shrove Tuesday, 9 February, as the busiest days. If you are aiming for a ticketed carnival or a very popular town, it is worth booking accommodation early and keeping an eye on our carnival pages: dates, times and tickets are updated as official confirmations come in.
All the parades in one calendar
Filter by month and region, find out which dates are already confirmed and save the events to your calendar.
