Venue
Patras, Achaea, Greece
{{item.title}}
Patras Carnival guide
Greece's biggest carnival in Patras.
In short
The Patras Carnival runs every year from 17 January to Clean Monday, which moves with Orthodox Easter. Masked balls, treasure hunts and parades build to a grand parade of satirical floats and costumed marchers, then a harbour bonfire. It suits travellers who enjoy volunteer-made carnival; book rooms early for the final weekend.
The Patras Carnival is the largest in Greece, a season of masked balls, treasure hunts and street parades that takes over the port city of the northern Peloponnese every winter. It ends in a grand parade of satirical floats and tens of thousands of costumed marchers, and then a bonfire on the harbour.
What sets it apart is who makes it. Volunteer groups of friends, neighbours and colleagues carry it, spending months on their own costumes and routines, while the municipality's floats poke fun at politicians and the year's news.
Spontaneity is the point. Visitors who join a group or a treasure-hunt team see a side of the carnival that spectators on the pavement never do.
–/5
No reviews yet
Been to this event? Your review helps other travellers.
Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Patras, Greece
Venue: Plateia Georgiou A
Held: Every year
Type of event: Party Events, Carnivals, Parade
Currency: Euro (EUR, €)
Time zone: Eastern European Time, UTC+2 (UTC+3 in summer)
Language: Greek
Map
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Costumes and warm layers for the parade
The carnival runs through the heart of winter, and the big parade means hours outdoors. Plan your costume around the weather.
- Layer thermals under the costume and carry a waterproof. Anything made of paper will not last a shower.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Marching or standing on Korinthou Street for an afternoon is hard on the feet.
- Masks are part of the fun, but keep one that lets you see the kerb and the crowd around you.
- Bring a bag for sweets: chocolate is thrown into the crowd at several events.
Crowds, children and the final night
The final weekend packs the centre. Agree a meeting point with your group before the parade starts, since the streets look different once the floats are moving.
- Children love the parades, but the night events get dense. Keep small ones on your shoulders or near a wall, and write your number on their arm.
- Carry only what you need, and keep phone and wallet in an inside pocket while you watch.
- At the burning on the harbour, stay well back from the fire and the fireworks zone and follow stewards' directions.
- Drinking is part of the night for many, but glass on the streets is a hazard; use plastic where you can.
Respecting the satire and the local groups
Carnival humour in Patras is sharp, and floats routinely target the powerful. Join in the spirit, but remember that you are a guest at a community event. The groups aim their jokes at public figures and current affairs, so leave costumes that mock religion, disability or ethnicity at home.
If you march with a group, follow its captain's instructions, turn up to rehearsals and stay in formation; the routines are planned for months. Ask before photographing children in costume up close, and if you are offered a place on the route by locals, say thank you and give it back when they return.
What happens on the day
- 17 January
Opening
A town crier reads a satirical proclamation, and that evening the mayor opens the season from the Apollon theatre balcony, in a ceremony kept secret until the last minute.
- February and March weekends
Balls and children's events
Masked balls through the season; the children's carnival comes about a week before the big parade.
- Saturday 13 March, afternoon
Chocolate in the centre
Clubs pelt the crowds with sweets.
- Saturday 13 March, after dark
Nihterini Podarati
The night parade on foot, full of lights and music.
- Sunday 14 March, from noon
The grand parade
Satirical floats lead the costumed groups along Korinthou Street; it takes several hours to pass. The King burns that night.
- Monday 15 March
Clean Monday
The treasure hunt winners are announced.
Booking a room and joining groups for the final weekend
Most visitors come for the closing weekend, and that is when Patras runs out of beds. Book weeks ahead. If the city is full, staying in a nearby town and coming in for the parades is a sensible fallback, but check the last bus or train before you commit, because the closing night runs late. Watching is free from any pavement along the route.
Taking part is the real draw. The carnival is built by volunteer groups, many of them friends, colleagues or neighbours, and some accept outside members who sign up in advance. You march in their costume, learn their routine and become part of the crowd everyone else is photographing. The treasure hunt works the same way: teams of 50 to 300 people or more answer questions on history and mathematics, take on artistic challenges and chase clues across the city.
Build the rest of the stay around the programme that the municipality publishes each winter, since it lists the exact times for every parade and ball. Pack a costume, or at least a mask. Costumes are half the fun, even on the pavement. For ideas beyond Patras, see our Greece pages.
The carnival's history since 1829 and its traditions
The first records of carnival in Patras date from 1829. It began with private balls and slowly passed into the hands of the townspeople, until the volunteer groups took charge of the whole thing. The oldest custom still alive is the Bourboulia. At these dances women came hidden under a black domino and a black mask, while men in evening dress chose partners without knowing who they were. The Apollon theatre, built in 1872, once hosted them; today the tradition continues at other venues.
Satire has always been the fuel. Floats mock politicians and the year's headlines, and the Carnival King changes character each year. Burning him at the Agiou Nikolaou mole stands for renewal and hope. The first treasure hunt, in 1966, had 94 players, who drove between the clues. The children's parade grew out of a Baby Rally first held in 1968.
Food follows the church calendar. On Tsiknopempti, the carnival Thursday given over to grilled meat, the Upper Town, the old Tsami quarter and Germanou Street fill with grills, music and wine. Clean Monday swings the other way: lagana bread, seafood and kites.
Getting there
From Athens by road
Patras is about 210 km west of Athens. On the Olympia Odos motorway the drive takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, and KTEL coaches link the city with Athens and most of Greece.
Flying in
Most visitors fly into Athens. Araxos, about 40 km from Patras, is a military base with seasonal civilian flights only.
By sea
Daily ferries arrive from Ancona, Bari, Brindisi, Trieste and Venice.
From the north
Drivers cross the Rio-Antirrio Bridge into the eastern suburb of Rio.
In town
Walk: everything happens in the centre.
Where to stay during the festival
We have no hotels listed in Patras yet, so the ones below are in Athens, the nearest area where we list hotels. The next date is 17 January 2027. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, since rooms close to the festival are the first to go.
Athens
Hotel Grande Bretagne, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Athens5-star hotel
No reviews yet
from$480.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Airport shuttle
- Swimming pool
4 Rooms available
Book Now
Weather and what to pack
Patras in February and early March is cool and showery. Average highs are about 15 to 16°C and lows about 10 to 11°C, and February brings close to 70 mm of rain (2008-2025 averages at Patras Port).
Parade days can be bright and mild, but the night events are chilly.
Worth packing
- A costume, or at least a mask: most of the crowd dresses up
- A warm, waterproof jacket
- A bag for catching chocolate
- Comfortable shoes for hours on Korinthou Street
Car hire in Patras
Airport transfer to Patras Carnival
Met at arrivals at Athens International Airport (ATH) and driven door to door to Plateia Georgiou A.
- Athens International Airport (ATH) → Plateia Georgiou A
- 243 km · 2 hr 45 min
Restaurants and food in Greece
Places to eat in Greece before or after the celebrations.
Contribute:
Recently viewed events
Others of this kind you opened on this device, so you can get back to them quickly.
Travelers are asking
No questions yet about Patras Carnival. Ask the community or our travel team, and the answer will show here once it is published.
Be the first to ask
Our team answers questions here
Explore Greece
Nearby things to see
Sights within easy reach of the festival.
Greece
Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens is the rocky citadel above the centre of the Greek capital, crowned by the Parthenon and other 5th-century BC temples to Athena. Plan tw...
No reviews yet
Explore Greece
Other festivals around the same time
Festivals held in the same weeks, if you want to plan more than one.
04
Feb, 2027
Feb, 2027
Cultural Events, Carnivals, Parade
Cologne, Germany
2 photos
07
Feb, 2027
Feb, 2027
Food Festivals, Cultural Events, Carnivals
Ivrea, Italy
1 photo
24
Mar, 2027
Mar, 2027
Religious Festivals, National Day, Parade
Athens, Greece
Explore Greece
More events and festivals in Greece
Festivals and events across Greece, with dates, venues and ticket details where available.
05
Jan, 2027
Jan, 2027
Cultural Events, Religious Festivals
Piraeus, Greece
31
May, 2027
May, 2027
Live Events, Cultural Events, Arts Festivals
Athens, Greece
24
Jun, 2027
Jun, 2027
Live Events, Cultural Events, Folk Festival
Hydra, Greece
Save time: create a trip and get offers from locals
Tell us where and when you want to go, and local travel experts send you offers for your trip.
1 Create a trip
2 Get offers from locals
3 Pick the one you like
Create a trip
Need help?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
General
No. You can stand anywhere along the route for free. The only cost is time: arrive early on parade day if you want a kerbside view.
Yes, if you register with one of the carnival groups in advance. Some welcome outside members and will tell you what costume to wear and when to rehearse.
Clubs of chocolate throwers pelt the crowds with sweets at the opening, at the children's parade and at the grand parade. The main battle is held on the afternoon of the final Saturday in the city centre.
A masked dance and one of the carnival's oldest customs. Women attend anonymously in a black domino and mask, and the men, in evening dress, have no idea who they are dancing with.
In recent years between 35,000 and 40,000 people have marched in the Sunday grand parade, which takes several hours to pass and is broadcast across Greece.
Yes. About a week before the main parade, some 20,000 children parade with their schools and dance groups, and play areas, theatre and music are set up for them around town.
On the Agiou Nikolaou mole in the port, on the night of the grand parade, followed by fireworks and concerts.
Order a glass of Mavrodafni, the local wine, or try Tentura, a liqueur listed among the city's specialities. Carnival nights and Tsiknopempti grills are the obvious occasions for both.
Not the big ones. The municipality builds the satirical floats that open the Sunday parade. The costumed groups behind them design and make their own outfits and choreography, which is where most of the volunteer work goes.
Getting there
Not all the way. Ride the Athens suburban railway to Kiato, then transfer to the Hellenic Train bus that continues to Patras. Intercity coaches are a direct alternative.
Timing & weather
The earliest records date from 1829, when the celebrations were private balls. The volunteer-run street carnival grew out of them over the following two centuries.