Watch Rijeka Hand Its Keys to the Masks
Carnival in Rijeka does not begin with a parade; it begins with a surrender. On Korzo, the city's long main promenade, the carnival flag is raised and the city key is symbolically handed over to the masks, traditionally on 17 January, the feast of St. Anthony. In 2027, the Carnival Queen Pageant and the handover of the keys to the Carnival master, Meštar Toni, fall on 22 January. From that moment until Ash Wednesday, the city belongs to the costumed. Masking here is not a recent invention: the first written record of it dates to 1449, when the City Council banned masks to stop people mocking the authorities. Rijeka has run organised modern parades since 1982 and is a member of the European Association of Carnival Cities.
Claim Your Spot on Korzo for the International Parade
In 2027 the International Carnival Parade falls on Sunday, 7 February, the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The route is circular: it starts at the waterfront at Putnička obala, runs through the Delta zone, and finishes on Korzo in front of City Hall. The parade traditionally starts around noon and lasts several hours. Expect more than a hundred carnival groups — costumed troupes and themed floats from Croatia and across Europe — with roughly 100,000 spectators packed along the route. The 2026 edition drew over 11,000 masked participants in about 100 groups.
- Viewing from Korzo and the surrounding streets is free. Arrive several hours early; raised vantage points give you a better line over the crowd.
- Numbered-seat stands face the main stage opposite the route. Seats are limited and sold online or at the Tourist Information Centre on Korzo.
- February weather on the Kvarner is cool and changeable. Dress warmly, and consider coming in costume yourself — it is encouraged.
- Accommodation in the city fills up; book at least six months ahead. Rijeka is reachable by train from Zagreb in about four hours, or by bus, and about 1.5 hours by motorway from Zagreb.
Wait for the Zvončari — and Stay for the Burning of Pust
The bell ringers are the sound of this carnival. Men from the Kvarner hinterland villages, the Kastav and Halubje regions among them, wear sheepskins with large cowbells at the waist and animal masks with protruding red tongues. They dance to drive away winter and evil spirits and to call for spring — a custom with pre-Christian roots, inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, and part of the Rijeka Carnival since 1982. They usually appear toward the end of the parade, so do not leave early.
The finale is the trial and burning of Pust, the puppet blamed for the past year's misfortunes. A mock court — judge, prosecutor, defender and a "widow" — delivers the verdict, and Pust is publicly burned, often also sunk in the sea in front of the city, before the key is returned to Rijeka. The puppet goes up in the harbour.
Fill the Weeks Between the Parades
The two headline parades are only part of a programme that runs for weeks. Watch for concerts, exhibitions, carnival parties and balls across the city, along with children's games and the selection of the carnival queen. The Carnival Charity Ball takes place at the Governor's Palace. The Children's Carnival Parade, on 30 January 2027, brings costumed children from kindergartens and schools across Croatia and neighbouring countries onto Korzo — free to watch, like the International Parade. Tickets for select special events, such as carnival balls and indoor events, are sold through the official Rijeka Tourist Board ticket shop.
Eat, Wander, and Take the Kvarner Beyond the City
Between events, walk Korzo and the surrounding streets, where the crowds, the market stalls and the costumed groups gather through the carnival weeks. Rijeka is Croatia's largest port and the transport hub of the Kvarner, which makes it an easy base for the days around the parades. Opatija, the coastal resort with its Lungomare seaside walk, is close by. Kastav, a hilltop viewpoint town, is the cradle of the bell-ringer tradition you will have watched. And Trsat, with its sanctuary and old fortress, looks out over Kvarner Bay.
Dates shift each year with the church calendar, so before you book, check the official Tourist Board of the City of Rijeka website for the confirmed per-event schedule — then set your alarm for an early train, claim your place on Korzo, and let the bells find you.