The Venice Carnival 2026 has celebrated the Olympics with a theme that intertwines history, art, and sport, paying tribute to the universal themes of play and challenge. “Olympus – The Origins of the Game” evokes mythology and the harmony of body and mind, but also recalls the Venice of centuries past, when Carnival was a grand stage for competitions, acrobatic performances, and feats of collective skill—a precursor to the spirit of the modern Olympics.

Photo Courtesy Fondazione Querini Stampalia – “La festa del Giovedì Grasso in Piazzetta” by Gabriel Bella.