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Featured Article

Travel around the world of carnivals: celebrations in colors and music

By Stephane Renard

Notting Hill Carnival

Music parades move through cities in Europe, America, and Africa during these festivals, where masks, costumes, and dances tell the story of each region.

A selection of about thirty well-known carnivals across France, Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, and Africa. These festive events take place in famous cities and neighborhoods, from main streets to sambodromes, including historic centers and seaside promenades. Each place offers a unique experience of parades and local celebrations.

In this article

30 places to discover — Don't miss the last!

Nice Carnival
Nice Carnival

Nice, France

The Carnival of Nice is one of France's major winter celebrations. The city fills with colorful processions where allegorical floats travel through the streets. The famous Promenade des Anglais becomes the stage for parade and music. People from around the world come together to celebrate this tradition. Dancers and performers wear glittering costumes and colored masks. The festival lasts about two weeks and transforms the entire city into a place full of joy and color.

Dunkirk Carnival
Dunkirk Carnival

Dunkerque, France

The Dunkerque Carnival is a celebration in northern France known for its games and street dances. People gather throughout the city to enjoy traditional activities and celebrate together. The streets fill with music and color as locals and visitors participate in games and dancing. It is a festival that reflects the local culture and the joy of gathering as a community.

House of the Granville Carnival
House of the Granville Carnival

Granville, France

The Carnival of Granville is a celebration in Normandy by the coast where colorful processions move through the town center. Decorated floats travel the streets while people in costumes and masks dance and sing. The festival brings the city to life with music filling the squares and color everywhere. It is an event that captures the spirit of this port town, where the sea and festivity come together.

LIMOUX Carnival "LAS COUDENOS"
LIMOUX Carnival "LAS COUDENOS"

Limoux, France

The Carnival of Limoux is one of France's oldest carnivals, stretching back centuries. Celebrations fill the medieval streets of this southern French town with balls and parades. Local traditions come alive as crowds gather along historic lanes to watch the processions and join the festivities that have defined this community for generations.

Carnaval de Mulhouse
Carnaval de Mulhouse

Mulhouse, France

Mulhouse Carnival is a festival in this Alsatian city that features allegorical floats and entertainment in the streets. It is part of a collection of about 30 major carnivals from around the world that celebrate with colors and music. These events take place in locations ranging from main avenues to historic centers, each showcasing local customs and celebration traditions from different cultures.

Tropical carnival
Tropical carnival

Paris, France

The Tropical Carnival of Paris is a colorful celebration of Caribbean and Antillean cultures in Paris. This festival brings the music, dances, and traditions of the islands to the French capital. People parade through the streets in bright costumes, bands play live music, and the air fills with the smell of tropical food and drinks. The festival connects Parisians and visitors in an atmosphere of joy and cultural exchange.

Martinique Carnival
Martinique Carnival

Fort-de-France, Martinique

The Martinique Carnival takes place in Fort-de-France and is a major Caribbean celebration featuring traditional music, elaborate costumes, and local dance forms. The city streets become the stage for parades where residents dance and sing in colorful outfits. This event is part of a global selection of about 30 renowned carnivals that showcase festivities in colors and music.

Guadeloupe Carnival
Guadeloupe Carnival

Pointe-a-Pitre, Guadeloupe

The Carnival of Guadeloupe brings color and music to the streets of Pointe-a-Pitre through festive parades. Residents and visitors gather to dance, celebrate, and experience the island's cultural traditions. The processions feature vibrant costumes and local music that reflect Caribbean life and heritage. This carnival creates a joyful atmosphere where people come together to mark an important moment in the island's calendar.

Venice Carnival
Venice Carnival

Venice, Italy

The Carnival of Venice is a historic Italian festival known worldwide for its Venetian masks and costumes. This celebration takes place in the lagoon city, where visitors and locals move through narrow streets and canals dressed in elaborate costumes. The festival blends tradition, history, and artistic craftsmanship, attracting people from around the world each year to participate in this lively celebration.

Viareggio Carnival
Viareggio Carnival

Viareggio, Italy

Viareggio's Carnival is a Tuscan festival that draws crowds to this Italian seaside town each year. Giant floats with elaborate figures parade through the streets, accompanied by musicians and dancers in colorful costumes. The event showcases skilled craftsmanship and local imagination. People gather along the route to experience the energy and color of the celebration. This carnival blends traditional Tuscan culture with contemporary entertainment.

Ivrea Carnival
Ivrea Carnival

Ivrea, Italy

The Carnival of Ivrea is a festival in Piedmont known for its distinctive tradition of groups throwing oranges at each other through the streets. This event takes place every year and draws visitors who want to participate in or watch this unusual battle. The streets of Ivrea become the setting for this colorful and lively celebration.

Cologne Carnival
Cologne Carnival

Cologne, Germany

The Cologne Carnival is a Rhineland celebration that fills the city each year. People dress in colorful costumes and celebrate with music, dancing and parades on the streets. There are balls held in large halls where people in masks dance and celebrate. The tradition goes back many centuries and is an important part of life in Cologne.

Basel Carnival
Basel Carnival

Basel, Switzerland

Basel's Fasnacht is one of Switzerland's most important carnival festivals and shapes the city's cultural life. The celebrations take place in the streets and squares of Basel, where music groups, masked performers, and colorful costumes define the scene. Allegorical figures move through the city, telling stories through music and satirical performances. Local residents actively participate, transforming Basel into a place of festivity and tradition.

Binche Carnival
Binche Carnival

Binche, Belgium

The Carnival of Binche is a Belgian celebration where traditional masked figures called Gilles parade through the city streets. This event draws visitors who want to experience local traditions and the festive energy of this celebration. The Gilles wear distinctive costumes and masks that have been part of this carnival for generations.

Aalst Carnival
Aalst Carnival

Aalst, Belgium

The Carnival of Aalst is a Belgian celebration known for its satirical floats and traditional parades. The festivities take place in the streets of this historic city, blending local traditions with humorous spectacle. Residents and visitors gather to enjoy music, dance, and creative costumes.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival

Tenerife, Spain

The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is one of the major celebrations in the Canary Islands. Colorful parades fill the streets with people in elaborate costumes dancing and moving to the music. Tropical rhythms play everywhere, inviting everyone to join in. The whole city comes alive during these days, with dancers, singers, and musicians performing throughout the streets. The festival draws visitors from around the world who come to experience the spectacle and the energy of this event.

Cadiz Carnival
Cadiz Carnival

Cadiz, Spain

The Carnival of Cadiz is an Andalusian celebration known for its humor, satirical songs, and parades. This carnival brings together traditional music and costumes, drawing visitors who want to experience the local culture and community spirit. The streets of the city become a stage for performers and artists to showcase their creativity.

Sitges Carnival
Sitges Carnival

Sitges, Spain

This Sitges carnival brings colorful parades and joyful celebration to a seaside Catalan town. Streets fill with processions, elaborate floats, and people in costumes. Dance events and costume contests draw locals and visitors together. The festival has its own Catalan character and transforms the city for several days.

Ovar Carnival
Ovar Carnival

Ovar, Portugal

The Ovar Carnival is a Portuguese celebration known for its colorful masks and local traditions. During this festival, the town comes alive as residents and visitors fill the streets, showcasing the distinctive costumes and customs of the region. This event offers a glimpse into Portuguese festive culture.

Rio carnival
Rio carnival

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro is one of the world's largest carnivals. The city transforms into a celebration of music, dance, and color. The Sambadrome is the centerpiece, where samba schools perform their elaborate shows. The streets fill with people wearing bright costumes. Samba music plays everywhere, and laughter fills the air. The entire city pulses with this festive energy.

Salvador Carnival
Salvador Carnival

Bahia, Brazil

The Carnival of Salvador is a Brazilian celebration filled with Afro-Brazilian music and colorful parades. This festival in Bahia brings together African and Brazilian traditions through joyful processions and street celebrations. People dance to rhythms that reflect the cultural blend of the region.

Carnival of Recife and Olinda
Carnival of Recife and Olinda

Recife and Olinda, Brazil

The carnival of Recife and Olinda brings together the local traditions of Pernambuco in a celebration that flows between two cities. The parades move through historic centers and main avenues, where music and dance fill the streets with color. This event reflects the cultural identity of the region through traditional rhythms and forms of expression that have shaped local life for generations.

Barranquilla Carnival
Barranquilla Carnival

Barranquilla, Colombia

The Barranquilla Carnival is a major Colombian celebration that fills the city each year with parades, Caribbean music and dances. The festivities draw visitors who gather in the streets of Barranquilla to experience local traditions, colorful costumes and the rhythmic energy of the region. This event reflects the cultural identity of Colombia's Caribbean coast.

Oruro Carnival
Oruro Carnival

Oruro, Bolivia

The Carnaval d'Oruro is a celebration high in the Bolivian mountains with parades, traditional dances, and folk costumes. The festival brings together Andean culture and Catholic traditions. People in colorful costumes dance through the streets. Musicians play traditional instruments. Dancers tell stories from local history. The event happens every year and draws visitors from all over.

Montevideo Carnival
Montevideo Carnival

Montevideo, Uruguay

The Carnival of Montevideo is a Uruguayan celebration with colorful parades and urban festivities. This event takes place in the capital city and brings people together who enjoy music, dancing, and bright costumes on the streets. The celebrations span several weeks and fill the city with energy and joy. Neighborhoods organize their own groups and present their creations on the main avenues.

New Orleans Carnival
New Orleans Carnival

New Orleans, United States

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is the city's most famous carnival celebration, drawing visitors from around the world. Colorful parades make their way through the streets, with elaborate floats passing crowds of excited spectators. The celebration blends Creole traditions with French influences, rooted in the city's history. Visitors experience the vibrant culture of New Orleans at its most intense, with music, dancing, and street performances throughout the festival period.

Quebec Carnival
Quebec Carnival

Quebec, Canada

The Carnival of Quebec is a winter celebration that brings the Canadian city to life with parades, ice sculptures, and festive gatherings. During the coldest months, locals and visitors fill the streets to enjoy music, costumes, and snow-carved figures that decorate the downtown area. The event transforms the city into a place where people come together to celebrate, dance, and experience the unique way Quebec embraces its winter season. The carnival creates a sense of shared celebration that runs through the entire community.

Carnival of Trinidad and Tobago
Carnival of Trinidad and Tobago

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

The Carnival of Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain is one of the Caribbean's most energetic festivals. Calypso music, steel bands, and colorful parades come together here. The streets fill with dancers in elaborate costumes moving to rhythmic sounds. This celebration is part of a global selection of carnivals that take place in cities and historic centers around the world.

Caravela Mindelo
Caravela Mindelo

Mindelo, Cape Verde

The Carnival of Mindelo brings color and sound to this port city on Sao Vicente island. Local musicians and dancers take to the streets in costumes and floats that reflect Cape Verdean traditions. The celebration weaves together African and Portuguese influences in a coastal setting. Walking through Mindelo during the carnival, you hear live music, see colorful parades, and feel the energy of a community celebrating together.

Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival

London, United Kingdom

The Notting Hill Carnival is a vibrant celebration in West London that honors Caribbean culture. Colorful processions move through the neighborhood's streets, accompanied by music and dancers in elaborate costumes. The festival draws people from across the city who immerse themselves in the energy and joy of this celebration. The streets fill with sounds, colors, and the aroma of Caribbean food.

The best time to explore these carnivals depends on the region: plan your trip in winter for the festivals in the north, in February for those in South America, and in summer for the islands of the Caribbean. Check the exact calendar as dates change each year according to the religious calendar.

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