The Rethymno Carnival
The Rethymno Carnival is among the oldest carnivals in Greece, with a lineage traced to 1914. The 2026 edition ran from 1 February to 22 February in Rethymno, Crete, under the theme "Be, live, dress as whatever you dream of", closing with the grand seafront parade.
The Rethymno Carnival is among the oldest carnivals in Greece, with a lineage traced to 1914, when the first ball, parade and treasure hunt were held in Rethymno, Crete. Its modern form took shape under the Rethymno Touring Club from the early 1960s; since 1993 the Municipality of Rethymno has carried the organisation. The 2026 edition ran from 1 February to 22 February under the theme “Be, live, dress as whatever you dream of”.
The 2026 edition opened on 1 February at Mikrasiaton Square in the Venetian old town — the date the Triodion began that year — with the Municipal Philharmonic and a concert by Evangelia. A programme of serenades, a treasure hunt and Tsiknopempti grilling followed. The finale weekend ran on 21 and 22 February: the children’s and night parades through the streets on the Saturday, and the grand parade along the seafront on the Sunday, with twenty-seven floats, thirty-two groups and close to ten thousand carnival-goers, closing with fireworks.