Torre Annunziata Carnival
The masked festival of the Oplontine city, between Villa Parnaso and Rovigliano
About Torre Annunziata Carnival
A widespread Carnival at the foot of Mount Vesuvius
The Torre Annunziata Carnival is not just a single parade of floats; it is a festival spread across several days and various locations throughout the city. Every year, the Municipality of Torre Annunziata, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, creates a calendar designed especially for children and families, featuring a morning school parade along the main streets, entertainment in Villa Parnaso park, and the Shrove Tuesday celebration in the seaside district of Rovigliano. The result is a community-focused Carnival that brings the party into the neighborhoods rather than concentrating it in one single major event.
The school parade, the heart of the event
The most popular event is the masked parade of local school students, which crosses the center starting from the square in front of the Giraud Stadium and ending in Piazza Nicotera, along Corso Umberto I and Corso Vittorio Emanuele. This is no ordinary parade: for years, the event has been built around a civic message—peace, legality, inclusion—and concludes with the reading of thoughts and wishes dedicated to the city. The organization is entrusted to the Casa Salesiana together with the Piccoli Passi Grandi Sogni Aps association, with the support of the municipal administration, and involves local comprehensive schools.
Villa Parnaso, the park that transforms
Villa Parnaso park, one of the main green spaces in the center of Torre Annunziata, hosts the day dedicated to younger children. Here, the municipal administration sets up a true themed village with entertainment, creative workshops, baby dance, inflatable games, and scenic attractions that change from year to year. It is the most relaxed moment of the Carnival, perfect for those traveling with preschool children: entry is free, with no tickets or reservations required.
Rovigliano and Shrove Tuesday
The closing is entrusted to Rovigliano, the district at the eastern end of the city, just a stone's throw from the mouth of the Sarno river and opposite the islet that gives it its name. In the spaces adjacent to the Church of San Michele Arcangelo, the Shrove Tuesday afternoon comes to life with family entertainment, inflatables, clowns, soap bubble shows, and fire performances that accompany the sunset. It is the evening when the Oplontine Carnival becomes a street spectacle.
A free and accessible festival
- Free admission to all events, no reservation required;
- Activities designed for the 3-11 age group, but open to everyone;
- Outdoor events in parks and city squares;
- Multiple locations involved, from the historic center to the Rovigliano coastline;
- Municipal organization, in partnership with local schools and associations.
The Carnival and the city of Torre Annunziata
Torre Annunziata is one of the densest and oldest cities on the Vesuvian side: here you will find the Oplontis archaeological site, with the famous Villa of Poppea, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list alongside Pompeii and Herculaneum. The city is also linked to the devotion to the Madonna della Neve, the city's patron saint, whose basilica marks the urban center. The Carnival fits into this fabric as a moment of shared popular celebration: no monumental choreography, just masks, music, and children reclaiming the main streets. For those visiting the Vesuvian area in February, it is an opportunity to see the city from the inside, far from the tourist circuits of Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast.
Torre Annunziata Carnival — edition 2026
2026 Carnival in Torre Annunziata
For the 2026 edition, the municipal administration of Torre Annunziata chose to spread the festivities over three distinct moments, all free and designed for children and families. It began on Thursday, February 12, with the school parade, the most popular event of the year, and concluded on Tuesday, February 17, Shrove Tuesday, with an afternoon of entertainment in the Rovigliano district.
The Shrove Thursday parade
The gathering took place at Piazzale G. Gargiulo, in front of the Giraud Stadium, from 9:30 AM: the parade then set off at 10:00 AM along Corso Umberto I and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, ending in Piazza Nicotera around noon. Students from the third, fourth, and fifth grades of the IC Leopardi Parini Rovigliano, IC Alfieri, IC Pascoli - 2 Siani, and the 4th Didactic Circle Cesaro participated in costume, united by a common color as a symbol of inclusion and participation. Upon arrival, each school read a message of hope dedicated to the city, followed by music and dancing.
Villa Parnaso and Rovigliano
On Sunday, February 15, Villa Parnaso park transformed into the Dinosaur Village, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with entertainment, creative workshops, baby dance, inflatable games, and prehistoric-themed attractions. On Tuesday, February 17, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the closing afternoon took place in the spaces adjacent to the Church of San Michele Arcangelo in Rovigliano, featuring inflatables, clowns, soap bubbles, and a fire show.
Programme Torre Annunziata Carnival 2026
Thursday, February 12, 2026 - School Parade
- 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Gathering at Piazzale G. Gargiulo, near Giraud Stadium
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Parade along Corso Umberto I and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, arrival at Piazza Nicotera
- Participants: 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades of IC Leopardi Parini Rovigliano, IC Alfieri, IC Pascoli - 2 Siani, 4th Didactic Circle Cesaro
- At Piazza Nicotera: Reading of a message of hope by each school, music, and dancing
- Organization: Casa Salesiana and the Piccoli Passi Grandi Sogni Aps association, with the patronage of the Municipality of Torre Annunziata
Sunday, February 15, 2026 - Villa Parnaso
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: "Dinosaur Village"
- Children's entertainment, creative workshops, baby dance
- Inflatable games and prehistoric-themed attractions
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (Shrove Tuesday) - Rovigliano
- 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Spaces adjacent to the Church of San Michele Arcangelo
- Entertainment for children and families
- Inflatables, clown performances, soap bubble show
- Fire show at the end
Highlights Torre Annunziata Carnival 2026
- The parade on Thursday, February 12, from Giraud Stadium to Piazza Nicotera, with four local schools united by a single color
- The "Dinosaur Village" set up at Villa Parnaso on Sunday, February 15
- The Shrove Tuesday fire show in Rovigliano
- Creative workshops, baby dance, and inflatables for the little ones
- All events with free admission
Prices Torre Annunziata Carnival 2026
Practical information — Torre Annunziata Carnival
How to get there
By train: Torre Annunziata Centrale station (Naples-Salerno line) or Torre Annunziata - Oplonti station on the Circumvesuviana EAV line (Naples-Sorrento). Both are a few minutes' walk from the center and Villa Parnaso.
By car: A3 Naples-Salerno motorway, take the Torre Annunziata Nord or Torre Annunziata Sud exits. On festival days, the center may be subject to traffic closures along Corso Umberto I and Corso Vittorio Emanuele: it is advisable to park in peripheral areas and continue on foot.
Rates
All municipal Carnival events are free of charge, with no reservation required.
Tips
- Activities for the little ones are concentrated in the morning at Villa Parnaso: arriving early helps avoid queues for the inflatables.
- The afternoon in Rovigliano is the most spectacular part of the festival, but it takes place near the sea: it is best to dress in layers.
- The program is published by the municipal administration a few days before the Carnival: check the final times on the official channels of the Municipality of Torre Annunziata.
- On the same day, you can combine your visit with the Oplontis Excavations, just a few minutes from the center.
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Where does it take place — Torre Annunziata Carnival
Villa Parnaso