While holiday visitors still linger, Venice is wrapped in the glow of Epiphany. Winter markets remain open into January with seasonal treats and warming drinks, and winter sales begin on the first Saturday of the year. It's the perfect time for a little shopping after taking in the city's top sights during this delightfully off-season period.
1 January 2026
One of Venice's most elegant traditions, the New Year's Concert at Teatro La Fenice welcomes the year with a program of classical masterpieces performed in one of the world's most beautiful opera houses. The concert is renowned for its festive finale, featuring choral renditions of beloved Italian works. Tickets are highly sought after, so plan well in advance if you wish to begin the year surrounded by the splendor of this iconic Venetian setting.
6 January 2026
Epiphany marks the end of the official Christmas season in Italy and carries deep religious meaning as the day the Three Wise Men arrived to see the baby Jesus. The celebration in Venice has an extra touch of magic thanks to the clock tower in Saint Mark's Square, which springs to life to mark the 12th day of Christmas. Each hour, the intricate mechanical figures of the holy procession pass before the Madonna and Child set into the façade. If you happen to be a bit further back when the clock strikes, take the opportunity to glance up to the very top to spot the two bronze shepherds laboring to strike the bell.
6 January 2026
Closely linked to Epiphany yet loved especially by children, the Feast of La Befana celebrates the kindly old woman of Italian folklore who visits on the eve of Epiphany, leaving sweets or small gifts for good children and coal or sticks for the naughty ones. Her story, with roots in pre-Christian traditions, intertwines with the Christmas tale as a figure invited by the Three Wise Men to join their pilgrimage to bring gifts. In Venice, her arrival is honored in a uniquely Venetian way: the Regata delle Befane. Senior members of the city's oldest rowing association take to the Grand Canal in full Befana costumes, racing toward a giant stocking hung from the Rialto Bridge. Usually beginning around 9:30am, the festive morning features live music, traditional holiday sweets, mulled wine and hot chocolate for spectators lining the canal.
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