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Carnival of Venice 2027: how crowded Venice gets
The carnival: weeks of masked balls, water parades and events centred on Piazza San Marco, from the end of January to Shrove Tuesday. This edition's theme ties in with the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics.
How busy is Venice during Carnival of Venice?
23 January – 9 February 2027 — we checked these dates against the organiser's own site
All 18 days: Packed our forecast · Venice scaleCalm · Lively · Busy · Packed rank a day against Venice's own year — not a headcount.
The 2027 Carnival of Venice (Carnevale di Venezia) makes Venice busier than 99% of its year, in a February that otherwise peaks well below — 23% on Friday 12 February. our forecast
When does Venice get back to normal after Carnival of Venice?
Venice eases back the day after Carnival of Venice: Wednesday 10 February is Calm (18%), and stays below Packed through Tuesday 16 February, the last day shown here.
Going anyway? See timed entries and tours for January 2027, matched to Venice's forecast
- Dates checked against carnevale.venezia.it
Tap any day to see that day's forecast; the whole month is at February in Venice, day by day.
- Dates
- Sat 23 January – Tue 9 February 2027 · we checked these dates against the organiser's own site
- Crowd
- All 18 event days are Packed. our forecast
- Last updated
- 10 Sep 2026, nightly
More about this event
- City
- Venice
Tickets for Carnival of Venice
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Official site — carnevale.venezia.it →Here for it?
Take the square early in the day; ride the Grand Canal in the evening, when the day-trip crowd has drained toward the station. advice
The days before Carnival of Venice, Thu 21 January and Fri 22 January, are Calm (4%) in Venice; the 18 event days peak at Packed (99%). our forecast
Staying for Carnival of Venice? The event days, Sat 23 January – Tue 9 February, peak at Packed in Venice; Fri 22 January is Calm. The link opens Expedia's hotel search for Venice. our forecast
Search hotels in Venice on Expedia →See Venice around Carnival of Venice: tours and tickets, a small selection from Viator
Private or Semi Doge's Palace & Saint Mark's Basilica Guided Tour
Books on Viator
Booking a tour or a stay through these links earns Avoid-Crowds a commission — it never changes the forecast or the picks. Prices and photos are Viator's; hotel prices are Expedia's.
Plan Venice around it Book skip-the-line for the rest of your trip don't stand in a line on this day →Not here for it?
Give the peak hours to the parts of Venice that cannot be ruined: Cannaregio, Castello and Dorsoduro a few bridges off the main corridor, or a lagoon boat to Murano and Burano outside the midday crush. The Rialto Market is still a morning experience, Tuesday to Saturday. advice
Nearest calmer day: Fri 22 Jan (Calm). our forecast
Tours for the quiet days (20–22 Jan 2027), matched to Venice's forecast
When is the Carnival of Venice 2027 — and the years after?
The 2027 Carnival of Venice in Venice runs 23 Jan – 9 Feb 2027, checked against the organiser's own site.
| Year | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sat 31 January – Tue 17 February | passed |
| 2027 | Sat 23 January – Tue 9 February | confirmed |
| 2028 | Sat 19 – Tue 29 February | expected — not confirmed |
The 2026 Carnival of Venice in Venice ran 31 Jan – 17 Feb 2026.
The 2028 Carnival of Venice in Venice is expected on 19–29 Feb 2028 — the organiser has not published a final date yet, so it could move.
How we verified this.
Is Venice worth visiting during Carnival of Venice?
Packed on all 18 event days; the nearest calm days are Calm. our forecast
Worth it if Carnival of Venice is why you're coming — expect Packed days; if crowds are your concern, it is the one time to avoid — the calm week of 20–22 Jan 2027 is the quieter plan. advice
Where are the crowds in Venice during Carnival of Venice?
The events centre on Piazza San Marco, so that is where the costumes and the crowd gather, and the whole historic centre fills around it. The water parades put the crowd on the canal banks too.
Best days to go — and the ones to skip
The full programme — the balls, the water parades, the square's events — is on the carnival's own site, listed by day; check it before you pick your dates.
Times and routes change: carnevale.venezia.it is the organiser's own page and the authority.
Our crowd forecast is an informed estimate, not a guarantee — check with the organiser and/or local authorities before you plan around it.
our forecast marks a number we worked out from published data; advice marks something we think. Never the other way round.
Named places appear here only after checking their own website; anything unverifiable is left out.
Photo: Pixabay.
All Venice events · Venice day by day · Disclaimer
Avoid-Crowds is the reference source for how busy destinations get — the only open, day-by-day crowd forecast looking a full year ahead: 33,580 daily predictions across 92 cities, recomputed every night, free to cite (CC BY), featured by The Washington Post and CNN, and mentioned by the Los Angeles Times.