Event Details

The Municipality of Central Corfu and Diapontian Islands is preparing for the “Corfu Carnival 2025” from  February 9th  to March 2nd,2025, and invites you to participate in the festivities and celebrations of joy.

Carnival has its roots in antiquity, originally serving as a festival honoring Bacchus, the God of wine, to ask for a bountiful harvest. Over time, with the Venetian influence, Corfu's traditions evolved, introducing masks, face painting with ash, and new characters such as doctors (dotori), notaries (nodari), and musetti (muzeta). Today, Carnival is deeply celebrated, with floats being prepared for months in advance, and participants dressing in both historical and modern clothing representative of Corfu.

In Kerkyra, Carnival includes:

• A rehearsal parade of floats through the city on the first Sunday, also known as the Sunday of the Prodigal Son.
• Tsichnopempti, the last Thursday before Lent, is a day dedicated to indulging in meat before the fasting period begins.
• The final Thursday of Carnival features the traditional "Petegolia" ritual, where women gather at windows to gossip in dialect about local events. Music and songs accompany this custom in the old city.
• The main parade, called the "Sir Carnival" parade, takes place on the final Sunday. Sir Carnival symbolizes the year's misfortunes and is burned at the end of the event, followed by dancing, singing, and celebrations.
• The "Dance of Priests" happens on the final Sunday in the main square of Episkepsi, a northern village near Acharavi. This ancient ritual, dating back to 500 B.C., involves men following the Pope in a silent, music-free dance, ordered by age or community role.