Rabadan & Carnivals in Ticino!

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About Rabadan & Carnivals in Ticino!

Not only Rabadan: many are the Carnivals in the entire Canton warming up the cold winter days. In Locarno, the "Stranociada" is an appointment not to be missed on Friday night, where the old town is invaded by masks, little tents, Guggen, music and pure fun until early in the morning. The Nebiopoli Carnival in Chiasso is the most important Roman-rite carnival in the Sottoceneri region, and its peculiarity is the absence of a 'king': in fact, the hand-over of power during the carnival goes to a Prime Minister, who transforms the town into the 'Nebiopoli Free Republic'. During the 'republican week', masked groups and Guggen transform the streets of the centre into a place where fun rules. The peak of the celebrations is Shrove Tuesday's Nebiopoli masked parade, featuring large numbers of floats, groups, bands and Guggenmusik.
In many different locations throughout the Canton, celebrations take place only at the end of the Carnival week, following the Ambrosian rite. Biasca, Brissago and Tesserete can pride themselves with some of the busiest Carnivals, with their Saturday parades featuring masked groups, floats and Guggen music bands. The large masked feasts in public spaces and in marquees all over the town centres start on Thursday night, with games, free risotto for everybody, many 'coriandoli' (coloured confetti papers) and bands performing live music. A wild world of colour, masks and sounds, finally winding down only on Sunday morning.

For more than 140 years, during 'Rabadan' week Bellinzona has transformed itself into a capital of wild fun. The Roman rite Carnival starts on Thursday with the handover of the town keys to King Rabadan; after that, the feast begins. The main scheduled events are the three masked parades along the main street of the town centre: on Friday, the highly entertaining Kids' Parade, with children from the primary schools and pre-schools in the Bellinzona area. On Saturday, there is the cheerful musical exhibition of Guggen bands from both Ticino and other Cantons of Switzerland, performing a unique evening show in Piazza Collegiata where they all share in a long-lasting, multi-coloured musical event. On Sunday, the traditional 'Grande Corteo Mascherato' (Big Masked Parade), features thousands of characters performing a satirical parade complete with music, floats and masked groups, in the finest tradition of the King Rabadan Carnival. The Bellinzona Carnival features many other smaller events: the best-mask competition, theatre shows, risotto for everyone and of course, the tug of war. Unmissable, in the evenings, the 'Città del Carnevale' (Carnival Town), with dozens of 'tendine' (little tents) and places to eat, drink and dance until the first light of morning, all perpetuating the carnival spirit of Bellinzona, which loses itself once again in the history of its castles.