1. Festivals around the World

2. Venice Carnival

3. Festivals are an organisation nightmare, but a fan’s annual dream and across the globe there are more festivals than you can shake a stick at. So for the avid traveller - or plain old festival addict - I have come up with what you should be checking out during the second week of February.

6. This festival is the high point of Venice’s social calender and is possibly the world’s most famous fancy dress party. This masked extravaganza gives festival-goers the chance to look like they have just walked off the set of Phantom Of The Opera as they swan about celebrating the onset of Spring. Any excuse for a party eh!?

7. The festivities begin on Friday with a parade through the city which is just the precursor to the official opening which takes place on Saturday when a masked procession leaves Piazza San Marco at around 4pm and trundles throughout the streets. Before Sunday plays homage to mock-military tournaments where the men get to pretend to be all masculine in a jousting contest.

10. It’s not until the following Friday that the festival reaches it’s real high point though, which is the Grand Masked Ball which takes place in a different location every year and is open to anyone clad in an outfit and mask. However, you have to stump up a hefty 200 Euros for a ticket

15. Made by kovács viola, Omerovi ć martin and purucki emese