Apokries (Greek Carnival Season) 2026

Apokries (Greek Carnival Season) 2026 in Crete runs from Sunday, February 1 to Sunday, February 22, 2026, with Tsiknopempti (the famous smoky Thursday of grilling and feasting) on February 12, 2026. On the island of Crete, Apokries is at its most iconic in Rethymno, where Venetian old-town scenery meets weeks of costumes, floats, and high-spirited local traditions.

Apokries 2026 Crete overview

Apokries is Greece’s pre-Lenten Carnival season, celebrated with costumes, street parties, community gatherings, and food traditions that build toward the fasting period of Lent. In Crete, the season is especially beloved, and travel sources frequently point to Rethymno (Rethymnon) as the island’s most famous Carnival destination because it blends local Cretan culture with the town’s Venetian heritage.

For travelers, Apokries 2026 in Crete is one of the best winter reasons to visit the island. You get culture, music, and community energy without the summer crowds, and you get to see Cretan towns in a season when locals are out celebrating rather than simply working through peak tourist demand. Instead of beach-only travel, you can build your itinerary around Old Town evenings, tavernas, and costume events in historic squares.

Verified Apokries 2026 dates (nationwide, applies to Crete)

A Greece holiday guide lists Apokries 2026 as running from Sunday February 1st to Sunday February 22nd. The same source lists Tsiknopempti on February 12th, 2026, which is an important cultural milestone for anyone visiting Crete for food, nightlife, and that “everyone is out” Carnival vibe.

Odynovo Tours also confirms the 2026 Carnival season running from February 1 to February 22, reinforcing the travel-planning window for Apokries in Crete. While individual Cretan towns may schedule their biggest parades and finales on different days within that window, these dates anchor the season in a way that’s helpful for flights and accommodation planning.

Why Crete is special during Apokries

Crete has a strong identity year-round, and Apokries taps into that local confidence. Many Greek Carnival traditions are shared nationwide, but Cretan celebrations often feel more community-driven and more tied to neighborhood life in towns and villages. One Apokries guide highlights that Rethymno’s Carnival is rising in popularity because it mixes Venetian heritage with local Greek traditions and involves surrounding villages as well.

Another Greek-islands Carnival guide describes how preparations in Rethymno begin early, with handmade costumes and huge floats, and notes how the Old Town transforms with people dancing through narrow streets during Carnival. That “Old Town setting” is a major advantage in Crete: you’re not watching Carnival against a generic backdrop, you’re watching it unfold through historical streets and squares that already feel cinematic.

Rethymno Carnival: Crete’s headline Apokries experience

If you ask where to experience Apokries in Crete, Rethymno is the name that appears again and again in travel guides. Sources describe Rethymno’s Carnival as a standout because it mixes Venetian heritage with local traditions, and because it builds over weeks rather than being only a one-day parade. The Greek-islands Carnival guide also notes that Rethymno includes imaginative handmade costumes and huge colorful floats, and that the Old Town becomes a fairytale-like setting during celebrations.

It’s important to keep the facts clean: a full official Rethymno Carnival 2026 program with exact parade date, route, and ticketed events was not found in the sources captured here, so those details cannot be confirmed in this article. What is confirmed is that Apokries 2026 dates apply nationwide and that Rethymno is widely recognized in sources as Crete’s most popular Carnival location.

Apokries traditions visitors can enjoy in Crete

Even without a town-by-town schedule, Apokries has recognizable rhythms and traditions that travelers can plan around.

Tsiknopempti (Smoke Thursday) food tradition

Tsiknopempti is listed as February 12, 2026, and it’s a key night for eating grilled meat before Lent. A February travel guide explains Tsiknopempti as the second Thursday of the festival and describes the final week as “Cheese Week,” a transitional period toward Lent. In Crete, this often translates into packed tavernas, street-level celebration energy, and a perfect excuse to book a classic Cretan dinner experience.

Costumes, parties, and street life

General Carnival coverage describes Apokries as a time for vibrant parades, festive celebrations, and unique local traditions across Greece. In Crete, the best way to experience that is to spend evenings in old-town areas, where the streets themselves act like a festival venue, especially in places like Rethymno.

Village participation

One Apokries guide notes that surrounding villages are also included in Rethymno’s Carnival celebrations and references local customs being reenacted. For visitors who want a deeper cultural trip, this is a reminder that Crete’s Carnival experience can extend beyond the main town into smaller communities.

Local landmarks and island travel ideas (Crete edition)

To keep the experience grounded in place, base your Apokries trip in a town with a walkable old center. Rethymno is repeatedly described as a central Carnival hub, and its Old Town setting is part of why the celebrations feel so atmospheric. If you’re staying in Heraklion or Chania, you can still enjoy Apokries season, but the most “postcard” Carnival mood is often strongest in Rethymno’s historic streets.

Build a Cretan winter itinerary that mixes festival time with island exploration:

• Daytime: coastal walks, cafés, and scenic drives, since winter is calmer.
• Evening: old-town dining and Carnival street atmosphere during Apokries weeks.
• Key date: plan one night out around Tsiknopempti on February 12.

Practical travel tips for Apokries 2026 in Crete

Apokries is popular with locals, so book accommodation early if you’re targeting weekends within February 1–22, 2026, especially if you want to stay in a central old-town area. Since program details can be municipal and released later, plan your trip around the verified season window and then confirm local events closer to travel.

Helpful packing and planning checklist:

• Bring layers for cool evenings, especially near the sea.
• Pack a simple costume or accessory, since Carnival participation is part of the experience.
• If your priority is food culture, prioritize February 12 for Tsiknopempti.
• Check the municipality calendars for Rethymno and other towns closer to the date for parade routes and official program updates (not verified here).

Pricing and admission

Apokries is a season rather than a single ticketed event, and no official Crete-wide admission fee applies to the Carnival period itself. Because town-specific 2026 programs and ticketed events were not captured here, specific pricing for stands, parties, or concerts cannot be verified in this response. In practice, travelers should budget for accommodation, transport between towns, meals, and optional ticketed nightlife depending on local listings and venues.

Experience Apokries 2026 in Crete

Apokries 2026 in Crete is the kind of winter island celebration that turns a trip into a story: costumes in the Old Town, smoky grills on Tsiknopempti (February 12), and a cultural season running from February 1 to February 22, 2026. Base yourself in a town like Rethymno that’s known for Carnival atmosphere, wander the Venetian streets, and let the island’s music, food, and community spirit guide your days. Pick your dates within the Apokries window, follow the sound of celebration through Crete’s towns, and explore the island when it’s at its most local and lively.

Verified Information at glance

Event Name: Apokries (Greek Carnival Season)

Event Category: Carnival season (pre-Lenten celebrations across Greece

Confirmed National Dates (2026): Sunday, February 1 to Sunday, February 22, 2026

Confirmed Key Date (2026): Tsiknopempti (Smoke Thursday) on February 12, 2026

Island Focus: Crete, Greece

Key Cretan Carnival hub (commonly cited): Rethymno/Rethymnon Carnival (program and exact 2026 parade dates not confirmed in sources captured here)

Typical activities (general): Costumes, parades, parties, and food-centered celebrations

Pricing: No Crete-specific ticket pricing confirmed in cited sources