CARNEVALE 2014 Venetian Macao Grab your feathered mask and let the festivities begin - it's time for The Venetian Macao's Carnevale di Venezia festival, two weeks of food, wine and fun. What will make this year's event different is the "Lords of Lightning" performance featuring Kino McDonald and Joshua Leighton-Trew, who battle it out on stage with four million volts of electricity at their disposal. Think light sabres, but made of pure, genuine electricity. The idea was concocted in 2011 when engineer Carlos Van Camp teamed up with McDonald and Leighton-Trew to choreograph an act combining their skills in martial arts, dance and circus performance. "We both need an excellent sense of balance to do this show, as we are standing high in the air on small metal podiums. We wear metal suits, which have proved to be very slippery while handling large equipment," explains Leighton-Trew, adding that receiving minor shocks has become part of the routine. As technical manager Jeb Hawkins puts it: "How many shows can say they throw four million volts between two people and live to tell the tale?" Visitors can also see juggling acts, mime shows and a rolling cast of acrobatic performers, while devouring Italian delicacies on the outdoor patio. Families are catered for with puppet shows and Venetian mask-making workshops. Elaborate masquerade parties date back to the 17th century, when the social classes were strictly segregated. But the Carnevale, which exists to celebrate the end of winter and the arrival of spring, adopted the idea of wearing masks to conceal the participants' identities. This way, people from every class were able to come together and celebrate without constraint. 48hours@scmp.com March 28 to April 13, 6pm-10pm (Monday-Thursday), 3pm-midnight (Friday-Sunday). Outdoor lagoon, The Venetian Macao, Taipa, Macau. Admission is free