World City Guide

Special Events

New Year’s Day Swim, a chilly swim in the Lido, 1 Jan, Lido
Carnivale, famous carnival culminating with an exclusive masked ball and mass dancing for the locals and suitably attired tourists in St Mark’s Square, in the 10 days leading up to Shrove Tuesday, Feb/Mar, city centre (website: www.carnivalofvenice.com)
Festa di San Marco, gondola race in honour of the city’s patron saint, late Apr, Sant’Elena to Punta della Dogana
La Sensa, re-enactment by the city’s mayor of the Marriage to the Sea ceremony, first performed by the Doge, Pietro Orseolo, who sailed out into the lagoon and cast a golden ring into the sea, Ascension Day, May, Venetian Lagoon
Vogalonga, 32km (20-mile) boat race from St Mark’s Square to the island of Burano involving any rowing vessel and any number of crew, Sunday following Ascension Day, May, Venetian Lagoon (website: www.vogalonga.com)
Palio delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare, at the Palio of the Old Maritime Republics, where four teams in traditional costume take to the waters to battle to protect their commercial interests, June, Venetian Lagoon.
Festa del Redentore, Venetians celebrate their deliverance from the plague of 1526, with a pontoon of boats, fireworks display and picnics on the water, third weekend in Jul, pontoon laid across the Giudecca Canal to the Palladio’s Redentore church from Sant’Elena to Punta della Dogana
Venice Film Festival, one of the world’s leading film festivals, Aug-Sep, Palazzo del Cinema, Lido (website: www.labiennale.org)
Regata Storica (Historic Regatta), procession of historic vessels along the Grand Canal, followed by a race between the city’s top oarsmen and gondoliers, first Sunday in Sep, Grand Canal
Venice Marathon, Oct (website: www.venicemarathon.it)
Festa Di San Martino, children patrol the streets in trick-or-treat style, mid-Nov, city centre
Festa della Salute, the church of salute (good health) was built to celebrate the passing of the plague of 1630. In mid-Nov, a pontoon is built across the Grand Canal to the Church of Madonna della Salute