Giovinazzo Carnival

A community-focused Carnival in Giovinazzo

The Giovinazzo Carnival is the annual event that brings color, masks, and joy to the squares of Giovinazzo, a charming town on the Adriatic coast north of Bari, in the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia. Created to restore a local, community-driven Carnival experience in public spaces, the event is organized by the Xenia association, in collaboration with Ramè and under the patronage of the Municipality of Giovinazzo.

A program blending tradition and entertainment

The Giovinazzo Carnival spans several days, enlivening the city's iconic landmarks: the Villa Comunale, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, Piazza Garibaldi, and other areas of the historic center. Rather than a parade of massive floats, this is a community-sized celebration featuring games, entertainment, and live performances specifically designed for children.

• Piñata breaking, a traditional game that kicks off the festivities in the Villa Comunale;
• Street performer shows, featuring juggling, comedy magic, and entertainment;
• Creative and recycling workshops for children;
• The most anticipated moment, the Carnival Funeral, with a procession winding through the historic center and the bonfire of the effigy, which traditionally marks the end of the festive period.

The Carnival Funeral

The event concludes with the Carnival Funeral, a ritual that blends irony with popular memory: a "funeral" procession accompanies the Carnival effigy to its final burning, celebrating the end of the revelry and the beginning of Lent. It is the most iconic moment of the festival, drawing dozens of families with children to the square.

A community event

The Giovinazzo Carnival was born with the clear goal of de-seasonalizing local events and promoting folk traditions, engaging families, children, and citizens of all ages. Free and spread across public spaces, it represents a key highlight of Giovinazzo's winter calendar and an opportunity to experience the historic center and the Villa Comunale in a festive atmosphere.