What: Venice Carnival
Where: Venice, Italy
When: February 13–24
Some festivals are all about doing wacky stuff (throwing tomatoes or dodging bulls), getting smashed (Oktoberfest) or listening to music in the rain (Glastonbury).
But then there are festivals that are all about class, sophistication and stunning costumes.
To describe the Venice Carnival as a giant dress-up party would be like saying Buckingham Palace is a simple family home with nice curtains.
With some of the balls costing hundreds of euros to attend, you certainly won’t find people dressed like a gorilla or sexy nurse.
Instead, it’s all about elaborate, beautiful costumes and masks.
As well as loads of dances, there’s plenty of music and theatre performances in the Piazza San Marco (the hub for the 12 days of festival activities), and a couple of parades, including a procession of decorated gondolas.
The Venetians take their masks very seriously, so forget the Darth Vader outfit and splurge on something classy.
