The short and furious Rijeka Carnival is upon us

14. January 2016 By: Rijeka 2020

Shortly after removing the festive decorations from the city centre, their replacement comes in the form of carnival strips and flags that announce that fifth season which is unique to Rijeka – the Rijeka Carnival.

At the media conference at the Salon of the City of Rijeka, it was announced what we can expect during this short but exciting period.

The mayor emphasised that the Rijeka Carnival has long since become recognisable beyond Croatian borders, and expressed his faith that it would once again attract large numbers of tourists this year. ?In 2015, Rijeka achieved the best results in tourism as of yet and recorded an increase in overnight stays of 25 percent in comparison with last year. The carnival is, without a doubt, one of the events that attracts tourists the most? – said the mayor.

He also stressed that the Rijeka Carnival is part of Rijeka’s candidacy programme for European Capital of Culture 2020, as Rijeka is one of the four Croatian cities that entered the second round of elections for European Capital of Culture. Under the slogan Rijeka 2020 – Port of Diversity, Rijeka’s candidacy is based on the themes of work, water and migration, topics that are both quintessential for city and are of great importance for the present and future of Europe. As one of the most visible and popular cultural events and brands in Rijeka, the Rijeka Carnival has been given a special place within the Rijeka 2020 programme.

Original This year’s carnival period, which traditionally begins by raising the Pust on January 17 on Antonje and ends on Ash Wednesday, February 10, gives us a little more than three weeks to ‘do’ the craziest parties of the year. First the new Queen of the Rijeka Carnival should be chosen, the key to the city handed over, and the rule of the masks established. Two of the definitely most special sporting events – the Paris-Bakar Carnival Auto-Rally and the Carnival Snowboard Session – are not to be missed, and neither is dancing the night away at a number of dances and concerts, visiting the Carnival Fairy Tale at the Tower, eating fine (humanitarian) minestrone or iota… and finally experiencing all the madness as the icing on the cake at the Rijeka Carnival and the Children’s International Carnival Parade.

This is best seen live because there are no pictures or recordings to truly capture the full force of the oddities and fun that await us, and because – Be What You Want To Be – Come to the Rijeka Carnival!

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