Sotiral Filo, the Mayor of Korça, posted on social media highlights from the festival, featuring local residents dressed in animal skin costumes and acting out a particular storyline.

The Carnival Festival is held every January 6th in Polenë, one of the most beautiful and traditional villages of Korça.

Filo wrote, “This unique tradition, shared with several other Balkan countries, is rooted in ancient rituals. The ancient Carnival of Polenë stands as a valuable cultural heritage of Korça.”

The Carnival celebrations began in Korça before the 1940s, a period during which the cultural life in the city was vibrant. The Korça Carnival gained momentum after the establishment of cultural societies such as “Rinia Korçare,” among others. During this period, the festivities were accompanied by mandolins, guitars, and humorous songs. The celebration was paused around the 1960s but was revived after the 1990s.

Korça is one of the first cities to revive the tradition of carnivals by establishing the Carnival Association in 1992 as part of the Albanian National Carnival Association.

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