The 153 edition of the Viareggio Carnival, the history of a city in one big party! From 1 February to 21st February 2026 .
Five parades of allegorical floats on the Viali a Mare, scheduled on 1st,7th, 12,15,17 and 21 February for a 'Universal Carnival', dedicated to all the traditions, stories and cultures of Carnival in the world.
A unique and extraordinary edition for the city of Viareggio, desired by the Carnival Foundation and the artists who are working in the hangars of the Citadel to complete their gigantic allegorical constructions.
The parades of the allegorical floats and masquerades will open on the Viareggio seafront on Sunday 1st February about 6 p.m. with the first Masked Course.
The second Masked Course will be on Saturday 7 February at 4 pm.
Super Courses on February, 12, 15,17 3 exceptional parades of floats.
Grand final on Saturday 21st February with the Parade at night starting at around 6 p.m., followed by the closing fireworks display.
A tradition dating back to 1873, when the rich bourgeoisie decided to masquerade in protest against high taxes, Carnival today is an unmissable event for those who love great artistic papier-mâché constructions, which draw on both reality and fantasy, and is enriched every year with new events and manifestations.
The Viareggio Carnival is so important that an entire district of the city is dedicated to the construction of the floats, which lend a magical and dreamy aura to this city!
The importance of Carnival is such that the Viareggio Carnival Foundation has established the Carnival Museum inside the Citadel.
The Museum is developed through a didactic stand that illustrates the different phases in the creation of a papier-mâché work, compositional solutions, construction materials and some original works. Educational workshops are set up on the ground floor where visitors can try their hand at manipulating clay and paper for modelling artefacts.
