What is burned during Patras Carnival's closing ceremony?

At the closing ceremony of Patras Carnival, the Carnival King is burned.

The ritual traditionally involves burning the float or figure representing the Carnival King at the port of Patras. It marks the symbolic end of the festivities and the farewell to the carnival season. Modern closing ceremonies also feature concerts, dancing, announcements about the next carnival and extensive fireworks.

Patras Carnival is Greece’s largest carnival celebration. Its programme includes balls, parades, children’s events and the Hidden Treasure Hunt, alongside the Saturday night parade and the huge Sunday Grand Parade of floats and costumed groups.

The burning is sometimes misidentified as the destruction of the Great Parade float, but the symbolic object is specifically the Carnival King’s float or figure. The ceremony takes place on Sunday night at the harbour, traditionally near the St. Nikolaos Street pier. It combines an older farewell ritual with a large public entertainment event that is also broadcast on television.