See the best costumes and masks at the Venice carnival

Описание: (16 Feb 2026)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Venice, Italy - 15 February 2025
1. Various of masks, constumes
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2. SOUNDBITE (English) Horst Raack, costume designer from Germany and winner of the category “Best Mask 2026”:
“I’m very happy that we received and get the first prize, and, you can never know if you can get it, it was a lot of work, when I started seven years ago to collect material and for the last three years I worked on this costumes. And, this is also about, to see all the different cultures. You see I’m from Germany, we are representing it in Italy, but all else is about Asia, about Orient, about India. So my feelings are that every culture, every nation is equal and that is my expression.”
3. Various of masks, constumes
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4. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Maria Lipari, costume maker from Italy and winner of the category “Most original dress”:
“So I make the costumes, it takes 7-8 months to make this type of costumes. Maybe we won because they (the jury) saw that there was a lot of work, that were particular elements. For this, I think we won for this.”
5. Various of Maria Lipari and her partner on stage
6. Masked people passing through Venice city centre
7. Venice canal with gondolas passing by

STORYLINE:
Welcome to Venice, where the streets are full of people dressed in extravagant costumes and masks.

From the start of the carnival on the 31st of January, hundreds of people participate to win a place in the contest that decides which is the festival's 'best mask'.

The finalists gather here in St Mark's Square hoping their creativity will be recognised.

With Italy hosting the Winter Olympics it's no surprise that this year's main theme is inspired by the games.

Massimo Checchetto is the art director of the 2026 edition of the Venice Carnival:
"This year to celebrate the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics we created this theme dedicated to the Olympus, searching for the origins of the games then passing into the games that were played during the Venetian carnival, the famous “Forze d’Ercole” (Forces of Hercules) or the rope pull or rowing, etc etc. To then arrive at the modern era and pay homage to sport and the myths of the game.”

In the past the Venetian carnival also included sports event with traditional activities such as rope pulling and rowing.

The grand prize is for best mask, meaning masquerade, so referring to the whole ensemble not just the carnival mask.

This year the prize was won by German costume designer Horst Raack and his team.

Raack took his inspiration from Asia and his masquerade designs feature elephants, parasols and peacocks. The series of costumes are collectively called "The court of the white elephant".

A team member wearing a white elephant mask accepted the trophy on Raack's behalf.

"So my feelings are that every culture, every nation is equal and that is my expression,” explains Raack.

Other more minor prizes included the “Most original” prize won by Maria Lipari, a costume maker from Sicily.

Lipari was inspired by the marine environment and made a set of two costumes representing sea elements such as shells and corals. “It takes 7-8 months to make this type of costumes.” says Lipari, “Maybe we won because they (the jury) saw that there was a lot of work, that were particular elements.”

The “Best-themed” costume went to Giulia Moraschi, a costume maker from Venice who mixed perfectly the 18th century Venetian costume tradition and the Olympic theme of the 2026 edition, incorporating a version of the Olympic torch with her costume.







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