Terracina Carnival
Masks, parades, and imagination between Borgo Hermada and Piazza Mazzini
About Terracina Carnival
A Carnival that unites the village and the city
The Terracina Carnival is a popular festival that colors the town overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the province of Latina, Southern Lazio, every year. The format established by recent editions promoted by the Municipality of Terracina includes a double appointment: a day of parades and games in Borgo Hermada, the agricultural district at the city gates, and the grand finale on Shrove Tuesday in Piazza Mazzini, the city's main square. Two locations, two souls of the same community, united by masks, confetti, and music.
Borgo Hermada: the most imaginative parade
In Borgo Hermada, the Carnival has the genuine flavor of a village fair. On Carnival Sunday, free registration for groups and masks opens in the late morning, and the parade starts at noon. The stars are not large floats, but wheelbarrows, bicycles, strollers, and carts creatively transformed into Wild West carriages, trams, and ambulances. After the awards ceremony, the afternoon continues until 5 PM with music and street performers, amidst artificial snow, smoke effects, and the distribution of Carnival sweets.
Piazza Mazzini and the "Top Mascherina" contest
On Shrove Tuesday, the party moves to the heart of Terracina. From 3 PM, Piazza Mazzini fills with entertainment, music, magic shows, children's dances, selfie points, inflatables, and games for all ages. The most anticipated moment is the parade of little masks on stage, with the "Top Mascherina" award given to the most beautiful and original costume: a small ritual that sparks the imagination of children and parents every year.
A community tradition
The event is organized by the Department of Culture and Major Events of the Municipality of Terracina with the contribution of local associations, in the spirit—as highlighted by Mayor Francesco Giannetti and Councilor Alessandra Feudi—of sharing and lightheartedness. In 2025, the festival took the form of the "Italian Carnival": Piazza Mazzini was transformed into a colorful village featuring traditional masks—Colombina, Pulcinella, Arlecchino, Pantalone, Brighella, and Dottor Balanzone—with Carnival bingo, creative workshops, giant bubbles, and origami.
Terracina, between sea and history
Participating in the Carnival is also an opportunity to discover one of the most fascinating cities on the Lazio coast: the Temple of Jupiter Anxur dominating the gulf from the top of Monte Sant'Angelo, the historic center with the Roman forum crossed by the ancient Appian Way, and the beaches of the Riviera of Ulysses. In February, the city experiences a quiet and authentic atmosphere, far from the summer crowds: the Carnival is its most cheerful moment, a family-friendly neighborhood festival that tells the story of the Pontine community's spirit.
Terracina Carnival — edition 2026
A double event between Borgo Hermada and Piazza Mazzini
In 2026, the Municipality of Terracina proposed the Carnival in the square with a double date, to ensure—in the words of Mayor Francesco Giannetti and Councilor for Culture Alessandra Feudi—wholesome fun in the name of tradition and sharing, for all ages.
On Sunday, February 15, Borgo Hermada kicked off the festivities: from free morning registration to the noon parade, participants transformed wheelbarrows, bicycles, strollers, and carts into Wild West carriages, trams, and ambulances, amidst masks of children and adults, music, and street performers until late afternoon, with artificial snow, smoke effects, and Carnival sweets.
On Shrove Tuesday, February 17, the grand finale took place in Piazza Mazzini: from 3 PM, entertainment, music, magic shows, children's dances, selfie points, mascots, inflatables, and games, with the stage parade of the most original costumes for the "Top Mascherina" award. The two days, with free admission, saw great popular participation, with the joy of the children cited by the administrators as the greatest satisfaction.
Programme Terracina Carnival 2026
Sunday, February 15, 2026 — Borgo Hermada
- 10:30 AM — Opening of free registration for groups and masks.
- 11:00 AM — Start of the village festival.
- 12:30 PM — Parade of individual masks and groups on decorated wheelbarrows, bicycles, strollers, and carts, followed by awards.
- 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM — Music and street performers, with artificial snow, smoke effects, and distribution of Carnival sweets.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 — Piazza Mazzini (Shrove Tuesday)
- From 3:00 PM — Festival in the square with entertainment, music, magic show, children's dances, selfie points, mascots, inflatables, and games for everyone.
- In the afternoon — Parade of masks on stage and awarding of the "Top Mascherina" prize for the most beautiful and original costume.
Highlights Terracina Carnival 2026
- Double event: Sunday, February 15 in Borgo Hermada and Shrove Tuesday, February 17 in Piazza Mazzini.
- Most imaginative parade in the Pontine Lazio region: wheelbarrows, bicycles, and strollers transformed into Wild West carriages, trams, and ambulances.
- "Top Mascherina" contest for the most original mask, with a stage parade.
- Street performers, artificial snow, children's dances, inflatables, and Carnival sweets.
- Free admission to both days.
Prices Terracina Carnival 2026
Practical information — Terracina Carnival
How to get there
By car: from Rome via the SS148 Pontina or the Appian Way SS7 (approx. 100 km); from Naples via the A1 motorway or the coastal road via Formia. By train: Monte San Biagio-Terracina Mare station on the Rome-Naples line via Formia, then COTRAL bus to the center. Borgo Hermada is located along the Appian Way towards Pontinia, a few kilometers from the center.
Admission
All events are free and open to the public; for the Borgo Hermada parade, registration for groups and masks is free and takes place on-site in the morning.
Tips
Come in costume: the "Top Mascherina" contest rewards the most original outfits. The squares are liveliest in the afternoon; during the festival days, the center may be partially closed to traffic, so it is best to park in the outer areas.
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Where does it take place — Terracina Carnival
Borgo Hermada e Piazza Mazzini
Piazza Mazzini, 04019 Terracina