Carnival season in Greece continues, with locals and tourists eagerly waiting to watch the Patras Carnival unfold. After the widespread celebration of Meat Thursday, the focus shifts from grilling to masquerades and parties. The weekend-long carnival in Patra is known around the world for its extravagant parade, with Greek broadcasting network ERT livestreaming the festivities on the day. Elaborate carnival floats and mountains of confetti fill the streets, each year grander than the one before. This year, the parade will include 15 floats and a whopping 50.000 carnival revellers.

The carnival king, Patras Carnival 2018

The “king and queen” of Patras

Every year, the Patras carnival reveals one float that represents the “carnival king” and is the leading float in both the Saturday night parade as well as the main event on Sunday. Previous notable king floats include 2024’s “King Of Globalization” which depicted a giant chess board including famous landmarks from all over the world, as well as 2018’s “Unemployed” king. This year the “carnival king” will be a float of Greek god Dionysus, representing indulgence and the carnival culture in Patra and beyond. Traditionally, the “carnival king” is burned in a magnificent closing ceremony accompanied by fireworks and cheers. 

Together with a king, a woman is chosen by the municipality of Patras to represent the “carnival queen”. Sat on a grand parade float of her own, she is a representation of the local spirit of Patras and must harbor a deep appreciation for the yearly carnival. When choosing the yearly “carnival queen”, select judges from the municipality of Patras sift through hundreds of applicants for the position to choose a queen that encompasses the spirit of the festival. Being famous or well known is not required to apply, anyone can send in their resume when applications open late November.

Carnival revellers from Patras carnival 2017 ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ/ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ/ΓΙΩΤΑ ΚΟΡΜΠΑΚΗ

A weekend of partying

This year’s Patras Carnival will consist of a late-night parade on Saturday 21st and the main parade on Sunday 22nd. While there is not a full official schedule of the festival available to the public, treasure hunts and other such mini games will also be included.