Prime Minister Edi Rama shared moments from the event, which turned the city into a festive hub of creativity and spectacle.

A procession of illuminated floats and costumed performers moved through the streets, creating an open-air show for residents and visitors.

The façade of Shkodra’s City Hall also became part of the celebration, hosting a carefully curated projection mapping display that blended light, movement and imagery with the street parade.

The carnival festivities began on Feb. 9 and will continue through Sunday, Feb. 15. The programme includes artistic installations, allegorical floats, parades, animated and grotesque characters, and live concerts.

Shkodra’s carnival revives a long-standing local tradition of colourful festivities and music, drawing families, young people and tourists, while promoting the city as a cultural and tourism destination.

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Shkodra’s annual carnival electrifies the city, turning it into a, vibrant, open-air, celebration.

City hall’s facade was illuminated with a vivid, animated light show.

Earlier, Mayor of Shkodra Benet Beci said that thanks to the preparations of the last few weeks, this carnival will be a celebration that goes beyond the ordinary: a whole week of magic, colors and fantasy, where Shkodra city transforms into a carnival, its heartbeat shifting to a wilder rhythm.

The celebration will continue until Sunday, February 15. The square comes alive with, musical performances, whimsical parades and dazzling artistic floats. This will engage local residents while drawing visitors from outside the region.

Documented as early as 1860, the carnival tradition in Shkodra has evolved into one of the city’s most enduring cultural and urban cornerstones. The people of Shkodra have preserved the craftsmanship and creative spirit of the community for generations. Venetian masks are a cherished, living tradition and a vital part of cultural heritage. Representing centuries of history, these symbolic, hand-painted creations preserve the unique identity through timeless craftsmanship. /j.p/p.s./

It was a true celebration on the city’s streets with colors, music, masks and an extraordinary energy while Korça had many visitors.

Numerous troupes from Bulgaria, Poland, Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania gave fantastic performances and wore masks turning the boulevard into an open stage, where every step was rhythm and every face a work of art.

Hundreds of citizens and tourists joined in this unique atmosphere, where celebration and culture were combined in the most beautiful way.

Mayor of Korça Sotiraq Filo said that, “Korça started the summer with energy and vitality, showing once again that there are many reasons to visit the city”.

“Thank you to everyone who was part of this special evening. We will continue to work for an increasingly vibrant and welcoming city,” said Filo. /m.m/a.f/p.s./

Today, the Carnival celebration began early in the morning on the streets of Shkodra, while not only the local citizens of this city were present, but also people from all Albanian-speaking regions. After the parade of artistic characters, playing of the music, celebration and spectacle, the carnival concluded with burning of the scarecrow erected in the center of the city of Shkodra.

Mayor Benet Beci shared photos from the Carnival celebration in the social media, writing: “Shkodra, under enchanting carnival celebration.”

The festive atmosphere of the carnivals began on February 17 with performances by the city’s school children, transformed into different characters, and who brought delight to the residents who had come out in city’s streets with their performance.

Great parades, concerts and artistic performances accompanied the local residents of Shkodra as well as tourists from other cities or even abroad, throughout the seven days (February 17-23), preserving the rich cultural tradition and turning Shkodra into a true holiday destination. /r.e/p.s./

Since yesterday, in Shkodra there have begun the parades which add liveliness to the Rozafa Castle. There, among legends and ancient walls, the young people of the city have revealed their creativity.

Prime Minister Edi Rama shared in the social media images of a city that celebrates with colors, tradition and artistic spirit.

“A beautiful moment from Shkodra carnival”, Rama wrote.

Shkodra carnival parades started yesterday, February 17, and will continue until February 23.

The festive atmosphere began with the performances of the city’s school children playing different characters, adding spectacle and joy in the streets of the city.

During the seven days of the carnival, there will be magnificent parades, concerts and artistic performances, preserving the rich cultural tradition and turning Shkodra into a true holiday destination. /j.p/p.s./

Shkodra Municipality shared in the social media moments of this atmosphere that has brought a special spectacle to the city.

According to Shkodra Municipality, the festive atmosphere has started with performances of the city’s school children who have put on special clothes of different characters and produced spectacle and joy in the city’s streets.

Magnificent parades, concerts and artistic performances will be given in the city for seven days (February 17-23), preserving the rich cultural tradition and turning Shkodra into a true holiday destination.

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The highlight of this week will be the Brazilian Carnival, a tradition known around the world.

The unique energy and culture of Brazil starts with a poetic night on June 21, at the Metropol Theater, in Tirana. The evening of June 24 has been reserved for the string orchestra concert by the well-known ensemble “Camerata Balcanica”, at the Cultural Center of the Orthodox Cathedral in the capital. This group consists of 10 young and talented classical music artists from the Western Balkans, who will bring to the stage an extraordinary musical experience with a repertoire that will include works by well-known Brazilian composers, offering a harmonious blend of classical sounds and traditional Brazilian motifs.

For all filmmakers and fans of cinema, the Brazilian film “Behind the Sun” will be played at the Millennium Cinema on June 25. The 2001 production, directed by Walter Salles and inspired by the novel “Broken April” by Ismail Kadare, deals with the life of a poor family in rural Brazil, which faces internal conflicts and numerous challenges in an effort to survive and maintain hope.

Even June 27 and June 28 dates have been reserved for two other interesting Brazilian films. Bossa Nova, a romantic comedy that tells the story of a group of people in Rio de Janeiro, who bond through love and passion for music, will undoubtedly bring an exciting night to the Agimi Art Center on June 27.

While on June 28, the Brazilian film “Two Sons of Francisco” will be released, an exciting and inspiring drama that tells the true life story of twelve-year-olds from a poor village in Brazil who follow their dream of making a career in the world of music.

The most enthusiastically awaited are the Brazilian carnivals that will be organized on the evening of June 29, in the Lungomare of Vlora under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation.

In an unprecedented display, this cultural manifestation will bring the rhythm, warmth and colors of Brazil to the heart of the coast. The Brazilian Carnival will bring to the public a wonderful performance, including talented Brazilian percussionists, ballerinas and professional dancers of the “Capoeira” discipline, who will draw us into the rhythmic world of the carnival with their movements./p.s./

The parade of carnival bands, which also saw participation of six foreign bands, also marked the opening of the tourist season in the city known for its rich cultural heritage and mountain tourism.

Korça has an early tradition of Carnival festival over the centuries and this tradition has turned into one of most sensational festivals in the city.

The participating carnival bands marched along Korça’s boulevard with colourful costumes that portrayed fairy-tale, mythical and real-life, movie and theatre characters in a fantastic atmosphere that drew the attention of local and foreign tourists alike.

Korça Mayor Sotiraq Filo said that the “the festival of masks and colorful costumes brought the most beautiful and magical atmosphere to the squares and alleys of the southeastern city and was enjoyed by many local and foreign tourists over this weekend.”

Carnival bands composed mainly of young people marched along the streets of the south-eastern city and this edition features also masked ball and traditional Korça serenades.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama shared today in the social media moments from the festive atmosphere in the northern city, while the iconic building of the municipality of Shkodra is illuminated with video mapping for carnival.

“Shkodra today”, wrote Rama, while sharing the festive images.

“Streets of Shkodra under Carnival” foresees a busy agenda of activities starting from today until February 25.

Shkodra is the city that celebrated the Carnival earlier. The first celebrations date back to the second half of the 19th century, precisely in 1860, creating a solid tradition that continued until 1946, when, due to the communist regime, it was forbidden to celebrate the carnival. But, the tradition was restored years later, after the 90-ies. /m.m/p.s./

On March 4, the “Carnivals” will return to the place of origin, conveying the same delight at the “Andon Zako Çajupi” theater hall.

The operetta “Carnivals” was staged for the first time on February 5, 1978. A work of the national repertoire is regarded as one of the most precious of its kind. The subtle humor of the characters and the elegant way of living of Korça people are interwoven. The operetta has left an important trace on the memory of the artistic and social culture of our society.

This time the “Carnivals” came under the direction and special care of Inva Mula, as a tribute to her father Avni Mula, who is the composer of the piece, as well as Luigj Gurakuqi, the librettist.

The event of the 30s of the last century is based on a scenography with graphic images, which shows the work by means of a fragmentary projection in motion, inspired by the great photographer, born in the city of Korça Gjon Mili.

The show presents the house of Nicholas and the cobbled streets of the city; the rich families of the city, in contrast to their poor spirit and finally a decorated salon to announce the engagement of Afroviti./p.s./