Carnival 2027 at Rialto

When is Venice Carnival 2027?

From Saturday 23 January to Tuesday 9 February 2027. Giovedì Grasso is 4 February, and the last weekend is 6 and 7 February.

The official site confirms the window: "Carnevale di Venezia 2027 returns from January 23rd to February 9th, 2027". The end date follows Easter, which falls on 28 March in 2027, so Ash Wednesday is 10 February and Martedì Grasso the day before. That is early. In 2026 Carnival ran from 31 January to 17 February.

The theme is announced with the programme, usually in the autumn or early winter. Until then, ignore any blog that lists exact 2027 events with times: nobody has them yet.

What happens at the Rialto Bridge during Carnival?

The opening water parade ends there. In 2026 about a hundred decorated boats rowed from Punta della Dogana to the Erbaria, and the Pantegana burst in front of the bridge.

The Carnival's own press release of 31 January 2026 describes the Festa veneziana on Sunday 1 February: a water procession on the Grand Canal, "l'attesissimo scoppio della Pantegana davanti al Ponte di Rialto", and about a hundred Venetian boats sailing from Punta della Dogana to the Erbaria, where the day ended with live music and Venetian food. The Pantegana is a giant papier-mâché rat, the joke mascot of the lagoon Carnival.

In earlier years the festa sull'acqua started in the Rio di Cannaregio; in 2026 it was the Grand Canal run to Rialto. Wait for the 2027 programme to see which. For a view, the Riva del Vin and the bridge steps fill early. Come an hour ahead, or watch from the San Marco side by the Riva del Carbon, where it is a little calmer.

Which other Carnival events are near Rialto?

Most shows are in St Mark's Square, ten to fifteen minutes away. In 2026 Campo San Polo, five minutes from the market, had an ice rink, and bacari ran a Carnival food trail.

The main stage, the Best Mask parades, the Volo dell'Angelo and the presentation of the Marie all happen in Piazza San Marco. The Festa delle Marie is a gondola procession of twelve young Venetian women; in 2026 it went from the Scuola Grande di San Marco to St Mark's Square on 7 February.

Closer to Rialto, the same 2026 press release mentions ice skating in Campo San Polo and the fifth Carnevale del Gusto, a food trail through bacari, restaurants and historic bars. If you want Carnival without the square's crush, an evening of cicchetti around the market is the move. Our cicchetti bar guide has the addresses.

How crowded is Rialto during Carnival, and how do vaporetti change?

Very, on the weekends. Lines 1 and 2 are rerouted during the water parade, and the Rialto Mercato stop goes quiet for a few hours.

The Rialto Bridge is the main walking route from the station to St Mark's, and in Carnival week the whole city funnels across it. Weekday mornings are fine. Saturday and Sunday afternoons are slow-moving, shoulder to shoulder on the ramps.

On parade day in 2026, ACTV sent line 1 down the Giudecca Canal instead of the Grand Canal for most of the morning, suspended line 2 on the Grand Canal for about an hour and a half, and stopped departures from Rialto Mercato toward the Lido between 10:14 and 14:02, all per the official press release. Expect something similar on the 2027 parade day. Our vaporetto guide covers the normal stops.

Do you pay the Venice access fee during Carnival 2027?

No. The 2027 fee season starts on 26 March, seven weeks after Carnival ends.

The 2027 calendar approved on 15 October 2026 runs from Good Friday to 15 August (ANSA). No Carnival day is on it, so day-trippers walk in free. Hotels are another story: rooms near Rialto for the final weekend go early and cost more.

One more practical point from 2026. Carnival falls in high-tide season, and that year the passerelle were suspended in many areas because of the crowds, per Il Post. Pack waterproof shoes. Our acqua alta post explains the tides; the access fee post has the full 2027 calendar.

Should you book a Rialto tour in Carnival week?

Yes, and early. Small-group tours cap at 10 to 15 people, and the final weekend sells out first.

Venice caps guided groups at 25 and the food tours here go much smaller: 14 for the street food tour and the market lunch, 10 for the cicchetti walk. In Carnival week those seats are the first thing to go, and they go fastest on the final weekend. Booking early is free of risk: every tour on this site cancels free up to 24 hours before.

Our pick is the Real Hidden Venice walk. It starts at the station, threads through Cannaregio and the old Ghetto, where Carnival crowds thin out, then ends at the Rialto Market. A guest in September 2026 summed it up: "he steered clear of crowded areas". Masks are welcome on any walk; buy a real papier-mâché one from a workshop rather than a plastic stall copy. The market itself keeps its normal hours in Carnival, so check our market hours guide before a Monday visit.

Two hours with a Venetian, through quiet Cannaregio to the Rialto Market. In Carnival week, the back streets are the point.

★ 4.9 · 2 hours · from $45

Explore the Real Hidden Venice walk → Tour details

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