6 of the World’s Best Carnival Celebrations
Let loose and join the party at the most epic pre-Lenten festivals on the planet.
Elaborate costumes, loud music, over-the-top parades, and nonstop parties — Carnival is all about excess, as revelers indulge before a period of fasting and restraint during Lent. With roots in ancient pagan traditions that heralded the end of winter, Carnival is today tied to the Christian calendar and marks the days leading up to Shrove Tuesday. Here are six of the wildest, loudest, and most unforgettable Carnival celebrations around the globe.
Rio de Janeiro
Brazil
Nowadays, Carnival is near-synonymous with Rio de Janeiro’s outlandish celebration. A lifetime bucket-list event for many of the 5 million people who attend each year, this is the party to end all parties. Colorful, noisy, and joyous, samba parades are the highlight of the multi-day event, during which crowds pack into the specially built Sambadrome to watch a procession of giant floats and elaborately costumed dancers strut their stuff in celebration of Brazilian music and culture. Beyond the samba line, hundreds of Carnival balls and street parties (known as blocos) take place throughout Rio de Janeiro, each with their own unique flavor and dress code.
Insider tip: Advance tickets to the nightly parades are strongly encouraged, and transfer packages can help you navigate the dense crowds.
Venice
Italy
Famous for its elaborate masquerade balls, the “Carnivale di Venezia” puts a sumptuous spin on the Carnival tradition. Costumed revelers recreate the decadent atmosphere of 18th-century Venice, filling St. Mark’s Square with swishing gowns, adorned wigs, gentlemen’s cloaks, and handcrafted Venetian masks that are sold throughout the city. Nightly balls featuring dinner and dancing have regal dress codes and price tags to match, but anyone can join in the festivities at public parades or costumed pub crawls at Venice’s bacari, or wine bars.
Insider tip: Enjoy the elegance of Carnival year-round with a Venetian mask-making workshop or an Italian opera concert at a historic palazzo.
Want more top carnival destinations? Head to Viator for the full article.
Author: Madigan Talmage-Bowers
Madigan Talmage-Bowers is a writer based in Denver, Colorado. She has also lived in Italy, San Francisco, and New York City, where she studied media theory at the New School. She loves introducing her kids to ancient history, local art, hiking trails, and new foods on adventures around the globe.
