Salina Carnival – Santa Marina Sasizzata

The Carnival of Salina Island

The Salina Carnival is one of the most beloved popular festivals in the Aeolian Islands archipelago, in the province of Messina. Unlike large city carnivals, the celebration here has an intimate and community-focused character: it takes place across the entire island of Salina, involving its municipalities in turn, in an atmosphere of typically Aeolian joy, folklore, and conviviality. The highlight is Shrove Tuesday, when the town of Santa Marina Salina hosts the famous sasizzata, the grand sausage feast that closes the celebrations.

A festival spread across three municipalities

The Salina Carnival is known for being itinerant across the island: in the days leading up to Shrove Tuesday, the parades visit the other island centers — Malfa and Leni — before the final appointment in Santa Marina. Each stop features a parade of allegorical floats, accompanied by the traditional Sicilian cart, a symbol of the island's and Sicily's folklore.

The sasizzata and the death of King Carnival

In Santa Marina Salina, Shrove Tuesday opens with the classic parade of allegorical groups and masks along the town streets. During the festivities, curious competitions are organized in which participating teams, strictly in costume, challenge each other in a series of fun games. The day continues with the theatrical performance of the death of King Carnival, accompanied by the traditional bonfire that symbolizes the end of the party and the arrival of Lent. The evening concludes with the grand sasizzata: a collective sausage feast in the square, where grilled sausage, wine, and local products are shared in an atmosphere of popular celebration.

Tradition, taste, and Aeolian identity

More than just a show for tourists, the Salina Carnival is an identity ritual that unites islanders and visitors around three ingredients: tradition, joy, and good food. The sasizzata, in particular, speaks to the deep bond between the island community and its gastronomy in one of the most evocative places in the Aeolian Islands. For those visiting Salina in winter, it is an authentic opportunity to experience the most genuine and festive side of the island, far from the summer tourist season.

Where and when

The celebrations take place in the municipalities of Salina Island — Malfa, Leni, and Santa Marina Salina — in the Sicilian Region, metropolitan city of Messina. The main event is on Shrove Tuesday in Santa Marina Salina, the island's administrative heart and main landing point for maritime connections with Lipari and Milazzo.