THE Venice Carnival 2022 kicked off in the Italian lagoon city on Saturday, under limited anti-COVID measures that will allow the audience to experience a hybrid program of virtual and physical events.

This year, the festival goes under the theme Remember the Future. It is the first time the city can again hold its historic carnival in presence — although partially — after the pandemic broke out in Italy in 2020. For local authorities, it was seen as an important signal of recovery.

“We badly wanted to hold this carnival to send a message of hope, and especially to children,” Venice mayor Luigi Brugnaro stated.

“It will be a widespread carnival, with many shows taking place in different areas of the city, in addition to events and competition [held] in streaming.”

The carnival will run until March 1 under the artistic direction of Massimo Checchetto, set designer of Venice La Fenice Theater. Scheduled initiatives — both the street performances and the events broadcast live on social media — will involve the ancient heart of the city, the Venetian mainland, and the islands scattered around the lagoon.

Taking place under pandemic, however, some of the most traditional and typical events of the carnival had to be canceled for safety reasons. Specifically, people will not yet be able to enjoy the “Venetian festival” in Rio di Cannaregio canal, usually held on Saturday evening, or the water parade across the Grand Canal on Sunday morning.

Equally canceled were the flight of the Angel, the flight of the Eagle, and the flight of the Lion, all of which usually draw large gatherings of people, nor the allegorical parades in Venice Lido, Marghera, Pellestrina, Burano, and other places.

The schedule includes concerts, music performances, puppetry for children, acrobatics and clowning, most of which will be staged during this and the next weekends, and in the so-called “fat week” between Feb. 24 and March 1. (Xinhua)