January 30, 2026

Viareggio Carnival 2026

From February 1 to 21, the floats of one of Italy's most famous carnivals will be back on parade

Viareggio is synonymous with Carnival. From February 1 to 21, 2026, the Tuscan city will once again be transformed into one of Europe's largest open-air stages, where art, satire, and entertainment come together in a collective ritual that has been recounting the present through imagination for over 150 years.

The world's largest allegorical floats parade along the Viali a Mare: monumental papier-mâché structures that attract over 600,000 visitors from all over the world every year. These colossal and visionary works, capable of astonishing and provoking reflection, make the Viareggio Carnival one of the most iconic cultural events on the Italian scene.

The Grand Masked Parades: the heart of the show

The 2026 program includes six Masked Parades, scheduled for February 1, 7, 12, 15, 17, and 21, which are true traveling shows in which the city becomes the stage and the public an integral part of the event.

Nine first-class floats, four second-class floats, eight masked groups and eight individual masks will take part in the parade. Each float is a narrative universe in its own right: behind the gigantic figures that dominate the seafront, teams of artists, set designers, and builders work for months, assisted by hundreds of extras. Costumes, choreography, and original music transform each passage into an immersive experience, where satire becomes visual language and papier-mâché becomes theater.

The Opening Parade, on Sunday, February 1, at 3 p.m., ends with a fireworks display, while the Night Parades on February 7 and 12 light up the city with lights and colors. The Grand Finale on February 21, at 5 p.m., culminates with the announcement of the winners and a new fireworks display over the sea.

Viareggio Carnival Program 2026

Sunday, February 1 – 3 p.m.
1st Masked Parade
At the end: Fireworks Display
Saturday, February 7 – 5 p.m.
2nd Night Masked Parade
Thursday, February 12 – 5 p.m.
3rd Night Masked Parade
Sunday, February 15 – 3 p.m.
4th Masked Parade
Tuesday, February 17 – 3 p.m.
5th Masked Parade
Saturday, February 21 – 5 p.m.
6th Closing Masked Parade
At the end: announcement of the winners and fireworks display

Neighborhood Festivals: the popular soul of the Viareggio Carnival

While the Grand Masked Parades represent the spectacular and monumental face of the Viareggio Carnival, the Neighborhood Festivals embody its most authentic, popular, and shared spirit. It is in the city's neighborhoods that the spirit of Carnival is experienced up close, with convivial tables, live music, dancing under the stars, and open-air kitchens where traditional dishes take center stage.

Throughout February, Viareggio becomes a city in celebration, with a calendar of events that involves residents and visitors alike, alternating lively evenings with afternoon events dedicated to children, designed to instill a sense of belonging to a collective tradition from an early age. The Neighborhood Festivals are not simply side events, but moments of identity in which Carnival becomes community, solidarity, and shared memory.

Evening neighborhood parties

Old Viareggio neighborhood
Saturday, January 31
Sunday, February 1
Marco Polo neighborhood
Thursday, February 5
Friday, February 6
Saturday, February 7
Historic Carnival neighborhood – Old Viareggio neighborhood & Croce Verde Centro neighborhood
Thursday, February 12
CarnevalDarsena District
Friday, February 13, Saturday, February 14, Sunday, February 15, Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17
Croce Verde Centro District
Friday, February 20
Saturday, February 21

Special events in the districts

The Districts for Andrea – January 30
New Year's Eve Party in the Historic Carnival District – February 22

Afternoon district parties for children

Campo d'Aviazione District
Saturday, January 17 – from 1:30 p.m.
(Neighborhood soccer tournament, burraco tournament, craft market, charity dinner)
Monday, February 2 – from 2:30 p.m.
Bicchio Neighborhood
Wednesday, February 4 – from 3:00 p.m.
Terminetto & Migliarina Neighborhood
Friday, February 6 – from 3:00 p.m.
CarnevalPuccini District
Sunday, February 8 – from 3:00 p.m.
Foyer of the Gran Teatro Giacomo Puccini, Torre del Lago
Vecchia Viareggio District
Thursday, February 12 – from 3:00 p.m.
Varignano District
Friday, February 13 – from 2:30 p.m.
Carnevalpolpettino – Darsena District
Saturday, February 14 – from 2:30 p.m.

How to purchase tickets for the 2026 Viareggio Carnival

To watch the parade of allegorical floats on the Viareggio seafront, you must purchase an admission ticket, which is not nominative and can be bought online or at physical points of sale located at the entrances to the event on the days of the Masked Parades.

The official ticket office of the Carnival Foundation is located at the main entrance of the Cittadella del Carnevale, in Via Santa Maria Goretti. Normal opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., while on Fridays the ticket office closes at 5:00 p.m. During the Masked Parades, the ticket office will be open from 9:00 a.m. Special opening hours are also planned for certain dates with high attendance: Saturday, January 31, Friday, February 6, Saturday, February 14, and Friday, February 20, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

For information on day tickets, regulations in case of postponement or cancellation of shows, or for group bookings, please contact the ticket office on 0584 580740 or the dedicated group number 0584 580741, or write to biglietteria@ilcarnevale.com

The Citadel

The Citadel is the place of creativity and preservation of the historical and artistic heritage of the Viareggio Carnival. Opened to the public on September 26, 2001, the Citadel of Carnival, is the largest park dedicated to the Masks in Europe. Designed by architect Francesco Tomassi, it is developed with hangars, workshops and museum spaces around the large square, dedicated to Burlamacco, Viareggio's symbolic mask. Here master builders work to create the giant allegorical works. A first exhibition route focuses on the history of contemporary graphic art. The hangar doors where the masters work are like maxi “screens” for an impactful, oversized narrative: from futurism to modern-day languages through a selection of historical posters for Carnival. The new Museums and historical archives are an opportunity for visitors to discover the art of papier-mâché and the history of the event as it approaches the 150-year milestone. At the Citadel it is also possible to try your hand at working with Burlamacco's raw material through educational workshops for children.

Carnival Museum

The historical account of 150 years of the Viareggio Carnival through a selection of images to document its artistic evolution over the decades. Models, on the other hand, to recall the places in the city where the Carnival grew up, cradled by the dedication of its artists and the passion of its citizens. A timeline that starts in 1873 and goes all the way up to 2001, the year of the inauguration of the Carnival Citadel, now a symbol of creativity, culture and history. The Carnival Museum, therefore, is enriched with an exhibition space that implements the areas already open to the public in the Citadel: the experiential part in the Espace Gilbert, the Historical Archives, the papier-mâché workshops and the ground floor of the Museum itself, which introduces the upside-down world typical of Italian and European carnival traditions.