Venice is the Italian city famously associated with a New Year’s Eve midnight concert in St. Mark’s Square.
Venice’s central celebration has been linked with concerts and the Capodanno in Piazza San Marco program. St. Mark’s Square, or Piazza San Marco, provides the historic setting, with performances and a midnight gathering in one of Europe’s most recognizable public spaces.
Venice has also promoted a symbolic midnight kiss in St. Mark’s Square as part of its New Year festivities. The kiss is presented as a collective gesture of love and peace, although the exact program and crowd arrangements can change from year to year.
The celebration should not be confused with Venice Carnival, which usually takes place weeks later and is associated with masks and pre-Lenten festivities. “Capodanno” simply means New Year in Italian. Venice’s canals, basilica, and square are the clues that distinguish this New Year event from celebrations in other Italian cities.