Buon 2023 Fremantle Carnevale a tutti!

All right-thinking Freo folk will be pleased to hear Fremantle Carnevale 2023 is returning with a fun-filled event on the afternoon and evening of Sunday 19 February.

A big party will happen in the evening from 5 pm at the Fremantle Fibonacci Centre – The Fib and will feature Junkadelic Brass Band and Prima Donna. You’ll need to get your tickets for this event soon. Piano accordion diva Nikki D’Agostino will also delight The Fib crowd.

Before The Fib extravaganza, however, there is the must-attend, whether as a masked rambler or an innocent bystander, the Masked Mystery Ramble through the streets of the People’s Republic of Fremantle beginning at 3.30 pm from from Walyalup Koort. Even if you can’t get to The Fib at 6, be in Freo at 3.30.

To give you some of the flavour of the Ramble, here’s our report on the 2022 Fremantle Carnevale Replete with pics.

The theme for the event changes each year, depending on who is most worthy of lampooning.the Theme for this year’s annual festival of masquerade, satire and misrule is ‘Carnevale Fossil Foolery’.

Here’s a couple pics of Kings of Carnevale from years gone by.

Although it has previously been argued that male public figures such as Donald Trump, Wilson Tuckey, Alan Jones, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Twiggy Forrest, and the former Mayor of the City of Cockburn Stephen Lee are better equipped to meet the strict Carnevale foolishness benchmarks necessary for presiding as King of Carnevale over the festivities, the Fremantle Carnevale Authority has recently introduced a Carnevale gender equity policy which will allow for a mystery Queen of Carnevale to be appointed for the first time this year.

In 2011, Dr Brad Pettit the former Mayor of Freo, now MLC for The Greens in the State Parliament, was also dealt with, though not as a king. In his role as Mayor as he submitted himself to castration by the Revolting Women of Fremantle following the Cologne Carnival tradition (Weiberfastnacht) dating back to the 1880s as a feminist protest against the male domination of Carnevale. Every year now “wild” women storm the city halls, seize power and cut men’s ties and are allowed to kiss any man who passes their way.

Carnevale revellers are traditionally masked, so participants are urged to maximise their Carnevale pleasure by disguising themselves in their finest Carnevale mask and costume in order to be eligible for the 2023 Freo Carnevale costume prize.

Here’s some costumes Carnevale folk from other places have worn that really up the ante.

You can make or acquire your own outfits. Indeed you are encouraged to. However, Op shop costumes and masks will be supplied to keen early birds at Walyalup Koort from 3.30pm, though numbers are limited!

If you’d like to start preparing early, including making your own masks and helping to prepare an effigy of The Queen, then you are also invited to the 2023 Fremantle Carnevale Art workshop at The Fib with artist Susan Flavell this Saturday 10-1pm and/or on Sunday 1-4pm. Hinata Cafe will be open each day from 8 am – 2 pm.

To explain just what Carnevale is all about, our Editor, Michael Barker, caught up with two members of the Board of the Fremantle Carnevale Authority – Scarlecchina and Dr Dodgy Steve – to discuss the origins and significance of Carnevale, its Fremantle manifestation, what shenanigans we can expect this year, and to see if there are any hints as to the identity of this year’s Queen of Carnevale.

Don’t miss the podcast below!

Buon Carnevale a tutti!

WHILE YOU’RE HERE –