Pomezia Carnival "Carnival Tales"

A town square Carnival in the heart of the Roman coast

The Pomezia Carnival is the most anticipated winter event in the city of Pomezia, located in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, in the Lazio region. It is not a single parade concentrated on one day, but a true widespread festival: for about two weeks, between late January and mid-February, the calendar is filled with initiatives involving both the urban center of Pomezia and the seaside district of Torvaianica, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea.

The formula is now consolidated and recognizable: the Municipality of Pomezia, through the Culture and Entertainment Office, publishes an annual public notice addressed to associations, committees, schools, parishes, and third-sector entities, inviting them to propose events to be included in the official calendar. The Administration provides public spaces free of charge, grants the use of the municipal coat of arms, and ensures promotion through institutional channels. The result is a choral program, built from the grassroots, where small neighborhood entertainment and more spectacular events coexist.

"Carnival Tales": the theme of the 2026 edition

The 2026 edition presents itself with an explicit title, "Carnival Tales", which directs the festival's imagery toward the world of fairy tales: classic fairy tale characters, themed costumes, storytelling, and creative workshops designed especially for the little ones. It is a choice consistent with the family-oriented vocation of the festival, which over the years has favored an accessible, safe, and child-friendly Carnival, without sacrificing evening events for the adult audience.

What to see during the Pomezia Carnival

• Masked group parades along the main streets and squares, with allegorical floats created by local associations
• Children's entertainment in Piazza Indipendenza in Pomezia and Piazza Ungheria in Torvaianica
• Storytelling and masked narrations in libraries and cultural spaces
• Theatrical performances, juggling, magic, and stilt walkers in open-air spaces
• Majorette and marching band parades, the traditional closing of the key days
• Luna park and game areas set up for the entire duration of the event

Two hubs, two atmospheres

The dual soul of Pomezia is clearly visible during the Carnival days. In the city center, Piazza Indipendenza — the civic heart of the city founded in the 1930s during the reclamation of the Agro Pontino — hosts the most crowded moments, with the stage, stands, and the arrival of the processions. In Torvaianica, however, the festival takes on a more maritime and relaxed character: Piazza Ungheria and the seafront offer an unusual setting for the Carnival, with the winter sea behind the masks.

A popular tradition that renews itself

The Pomezia Carnival does not have the centuries-old history of the great Italian historical carnivals, but over the years it has become an identity-defining element for a young and constantly growing community. Its strength lies in participation: it is the schools, oratories, sports, and cultural associations that build the costumes, set up the floats, and animate the squares. For this reason, the event is considered one of the most effective moments of social cohesion in the entire municipal calendar, alongside the Pomezia Summer and the Pomezia Christmas.

Who it is designed for

It is a deeply family-oriented Carnival: most of the events are free and designed for children aged three and up, with afternoon schedules. Visitors arriving from Rome — Pomezia is just over thirty kilometers from the capital — find here a quiet and authentic alternative to the large city events, with the advantage of being able to combine the festival with a walk on the coast or a visit to the nearby archaeological site of Lavinium, one of the key places of the myth of Rome's origins.