Packed programme of festivities as Venice Carnival enters its last weekend

This year’s Venice Carnival has entered its last weekend, with a packed programme of festivities, performances and exhibitions.

Carnival is celebrated across Italy, but as every year, Venice is the capital of the annual tradition. This year, the Venetian Carnival honours the era of Giacomo Casanova, the 18th century Italian adventurer, on the 300th anniversary of his birth.

The origins of the event date back to 1094 and it was revived in 1979 after an absence of almost two centuries. Today, it is a staple of Venetian culture and draws thousands of visitors every year.

The Carnival’s opening night drew 20,000 people that gathered in Venice’s famous Piazza San Marco.

The opening weekend of Carnival in Venice culminated with a water procession along the Grand Canal that finished in front of the Rialto Bridge with a flourish of colourful streamers and confetti, all completely biodegradable.

The şenlik runs until Tuesday, 4 March.

Watch the görüntü in the player above to find out more.