Venice Carnival: the best pictures
Thousands took to the water this weekend as the centuries-old aquatic celebration gets under way
Revellers are flocking to Venice for two weeks of parties, fancy dress and light shows, after the city’s famed Carnival festivities kicked off on Saturday.
Spectators lined the Rio di Cannaregio, one of Venice’s most famous canals, as “elaborately decorated boats, accompanied by music, made their way down the waterway” this weekend, reports Reuters.
This year’s theme is Blame the Moon, a reference to both the 50th anniversary of man walking on the Moon and to Shakespeare’s play Othello, in which the heavenly body is blamed for driving men insane.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The carnival is continuing with events across Venice and on the surrounding islands, and culminates with a “most beautiful mask” competition that will be judged on 3 March, says news site The Local.
The world-famous festival is believed to date back to 1162, when residents of the city spontaneously gathered to celebrate a military victory in Saint Mark’s Square, now one of the city’s most famed tourist destinations.
It became an official event during the Renaissance, with the masks “allowing revellers to forget everyday worries and the city’s rigidly hierarchical class system, and indulge for the carnival period”, the site adds.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff Published
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK Published
-
Romania's election rerun
The Explainer Shock result of presidential election has been annulled following allegations of Russian interference
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Russia's shadow war in Europe
Talking Point Steering clear of open conflict, Moscow is slowly ratcheting up the pressure on Nato rivals to see what it can get away with.
By The Week UK Published
-
Cutting cables: the war being waged under the sea
In the Spotlight Two undersea cables were cut in the Baltic sea, sparking concern for the global network
By The Week UK Published