Event Details
Welcome to Patras Carnival 2027
Patras Carnival 2027 runs from 17 January to 14 March 2027 and is the largest carnival celebration in Greece and one of the most significant in Europe. Every year, around 300,000 visitors travel to this port city in the Peloponnese to take part in spectacular parades, traditional masked balls, treasure hunts and weeks of street festivities. The season closes with the unmissable Grand Parade on 14 March 2027 and the ritual burning of the Carnival King at the harbour.
Highlights
- Opening Ceremony on 17 January 2027 at Georgiou I Square, with a town crier float and the mayor's proclamation from the balcony of the Apollon Theatre
- Treasure Hunt: city-wide riddle and art competition across carnival groups
- Children's Carnival with around 5,000 costumed children from across Western Greece
- Bourboulia: the legendary women's masked ball held since 1872
- Tsiknopempti: street barbecue Thursday with open-air grilling throughout the city
- Saturday Night Parade of carnival groups by torchlight
- Grand Parade on 14 March 2027 with 35,000 to 40,000 active participants
- Burning of the Carnival King's float at the St. Nikolaos Street pier in the harbour
Program & Schedule
The Patras Carnival is not a single event but a multi-week celebration with a packed calendar from mid-January until mid-March. The season opens on 17 January, the feast day of Saint Anthony the Great, a date that has remained unchanged for nearly two centuries. A specially decorated float carrying a town crier rides through the streets, followed by the official opening ceremony at Georgiou I Square, where the mayor addresses the crowd from the balcony of the historic Apollon Theatre with fireworks, music and performances.
One of the most distinctive features of Patras Carnival is the Treasure Hunt, in which carnival groups compete through city-wide riddles, navigation challenges and artistic contests over several weeks. Each group carries a name and a unified costume theme. One week before the Grand Parade, the Children's Carnival takes place, drawing around 5,000 costumed children from the wider Western Greece region, accompanied by marching bands and cheerleading squads. The Saturday Night Parade, held just before the final weekend, sees all carnival groups march through the illuminated streets of central Patras by torchlight.
The climax of the entire season is the Grand Parade on Sunday, 14 March 2027. Lavishly decorated floats created by the municipal carnival workshop lead a procession of 35,000 to 40,000 active participants through the city centre, watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators on the streets, on balconies and in grandstands. The parade begins around noon and lasts several hours. That evening, the Carnival King's float is burned at the harbour pier in a farewell ceremony with fireworks, concerts and dancing that can last well into the night.
Bourboulia: Greece's Oldest Masked Ball
The Bourboulia is a uniquely Patras tradition with no equivalent anywhere else in Greece. Dating back to around 1872 at the Apollon Theatre, it is a masked ball at which women remain entirely anonymous under a black domino costume and black mask, while men attend in formal wear. Women choose their own dance partners while maintaining their anonymity throughout the evening. The Bourboulia remains one of the most anticipated events of the carnival season and is considered part of the intangible cultural heritage of Patras.
Tickets & Entry
The main outdoor events of Patras Carnival are free and open to all. The Grand Parade, Children's Carnival, Saturday Night Parade and street celebrations require no ticket or registration. Separate tickets are required for some indoor events such as the Bourboulia and specific carnival balls. Full program details and ticketing information are published on the official website at carnivalpatras.gr as the season approaches.
Visitor Tips
- Book accommodation in Patras several months in advance; demand is extremely high during the final carnival weekend.
- Patras is reachable by train from Athens and by ferry from Italy (Venice, Ancona, Bari).
- Wearing a costume is strongly encouraged; dressed-up visitors are welcomed as full participants in the festivities.
- The main celebration areas are Georgiou I Square and the surrounding streets: Riga Feraiou, Gerokostopoulou and Heroon Polytechniou.
- January and February in Patras can be cool and wet; bring warm, waterproof clothing.
- Expect road closures and very large crowds on the Grand Parade weekend; use public transport where possible.
