Carnival, celebrated in Italy and around the world, is a movable celebration which, from a religious point of view, precedes the liturgical season of Lent. The calendar of this holiday, in fact, is linked to the date of Easter Sunday: in 2026 the Carnival will begin on Sunday 15 February.
In Italy, however, things change depending on whether the Roman rite is celebrated (widespread throughout almost the entire peninsula) or the Ambrosian rite, which is celebrated in Milan and other Lombard provinces such as Monza, Lecco, Varese and Como. In the first case, Carnival begins with Shrove Thursday and ends with Shrove Tuesday; in the second case, however, the celebrations end on the Saturday after Shrove Tuesday.
Carnival 2026: when it starts and when it ends
Let’s see the start and end dates of Carnival, according to the Roman rite.
- Fat Thursday: 12 February 2026.
- Carnival Sunday, culmination of the celebrations: 15 February 2026.
- Fat Tuesday, end of celebrations: 17 February 2026.
- Ash Wednesday: 18 February 2026.
According to the Ambrosian rite, however, the start and end dates of Carnival are as follows:
- Fat Thursday: February 19th.
- Fat Saturday, culmination of the celebrations: 21 February
Because the start date of Carnival is different every year
As anticipated, the date of the beginning of the period Carnival it is closely linked to that of Easter Sunday, which in turn is a moveable feast. In 2026, Easter falls on April 5, which is the Sunday following the first full moon that occurs after the spring equinox.
In the case of the Roman rite, therefore, the start of the masquerade party is calculated starting from the date of Easter, from which 46 days are subtracted to calculate Ash Wednesday (18 February 2026), which marks the start of Lent. At that point, the previous Sunday represents the culmination of the carnival celebrations.
In the case of the Ambrosian rite, however, Lent does not begin on Ash Wednesday, but on the following Sunday: in this way, the culmination of the Carnival celebrations takes place on Saturday (21 February 2026), or the day before the start of Lent.
Traditions and events in Italy and around the world
Carnival is a much celebrated and widespread holiday in Italy and throughout the rest of the world. In our country, one of the most important events is certainly the Venice Carnivalwhich this year will be celebrated from January 31st to February 17th in honor of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Equally famous is the Viareggio Carnivalcharacterized by the gigantic allegorical floats that parade along the seafront, but traditions and iconic characters are widespread throughout the country, from the Arlecchino of Bergamo to the Meneghino of Milan, passing through Pulcinella in Naples and Peppe Nappa in Sicily.
In the rest of the world, however, the Rio de Janeiro Carnival it is certainly the most famous and largest in the world, with parades filling the city streets, while in the USA the New Orleans Mardi Gras attracts visitors from all over the country (and beyond) to the sound of jazz music. Returning to Europe the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnivalwhich in size is second only to the Brazilian one.
