Spectacular water show opens Venice Carnival

VENICE - The Carnival of Venice, which each year draws thousands of revelers dressed in masks and period costume, got under way in the iconic Italian city on Saturday with a stunning show staged on its famous canals.

The show, celebrating "the beauty, the sea and the vanity," according to organizers, provided the grand opening for one of the world's most celebrated carnivals which will run this year until February 28.

Some of the performers, sporting blue butterfly wings, appeared to be suspended in the air as gondoliers carried torches below.

Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the Venice Carnival on February 11, 2017. REUTERS/Tony Gentile

REUTERS/Tony Gentile

An actor performs as he sails along the Cannaregio Canal for the Carnival Regatta during the Venice Carnival on February 11, 2017 in Venice. Marco Bertorello/AFP

Marco Bertorello/AFP

"It's fabulous," enthused Monica, a young American from Tennessee, who came to the event, complete with mask and cape.

The second part of the festival on the water will take place on Sunday with a flotilla of unique carnival boats.

The Venice carnival is thought to have started in 1162. Abandoned for decades, it was resurrected in 1980. — Agence France-Presse