Venice carnival season starts with water parade

Venice: Thousands of people from all over the world visited Venice on Saturday as the Italian city kicked off its carnival season with the traditional opening water parade on the Cannaregio Canal.

This year's moon-themed floating parade pays homage to dreamers and travellers all over the world and featured a giant moon balloon carrying a caravel - a small sailing ship dating back to the 15th century.

Footage showed various dance, acrobatic and fire performances onboard small boats and rafts, all aimed to create the world in a post-apocalyptic style, leading spectators to think of Venice and its memories and dreams.

The Seconda Materia Artistic Group, founded by cyberpunk sculptor To.Ma and acrobat Silvia Proietti, based the show on an imaginary trip from Venice to the moon.

Visitors from all over the world lined the banks of the canal to see the opening performance, however many missed out on the spectacle due to overcrowding of spots around the canal.

The water parade will continue on Sunday, with the second part, as a procession of masked gondolas, lead by the famous "pantegana" (a giant water rat), the symbol of the Venetian Carnival.

This year's Venice carnival runs from 16 February to March 5, a public party lasting for weeks leading up to the Roman Catholic period of Lent.