Each year, cities around the globe burst into color, music and dance as Carnival season arrives. From the ancient masks of Venice to the thumping steelpan rhythms of Port of Spain, each Carnival offers its own magic. We selected these Carnivals for their global reputation, cultural significance and unique experiences. Travel sources and experts consistently rank them among the best. For example, many lists cite Rio, Venice, Trinidad and New Orleans as top-tier Carnivals worldwide. They also represent different continents, musical styles and histories.
We included UNESCO-inscribed Oruro (Bolivia) and Uruguay’s Montevideo (noted for its marathon celebration) for cultural depth. Notting Hill Carnival (London) was chosen as Europe’s largest street festival. Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain) and Cologne (Germany) highlight major European traditions; Nice (France) is the Riviera’s unique flower parade. We mix “largest” (Rio’s ~5 million attendees) with culturally distinctive (Oruro, Montevideo) and party-friendly (Trinidad, New Orleans) events. In short, these 10 cover the globe, each offering a different flavor of Carnival.
| Carnival | Dates (2026) | Duration | Cost Level | Party Intensity | Family Friendly | Accessibility |
| Venice, Italy | Feb 7–17, 2026 | 11 days | $$$$ | High (elaborate | Medium-High (some | Moderate |
| (plus pre-events Jan31) | mask balls) | daytime & family events) | ||||
| Port of Spain, T&T | Feb 16–17, 2026 | 2 days (Mon, Tue) | $$ | Very High (24h all-night revelry) | Low (adults-only vibe) | Moderate |
| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Feb 13–21, 2026 | ~6 days | $$$ | Very High (street blocs, | Medium (some family-friendly | Moderate |
| samba parades) | parade days, but many adult events) | |||||
| New Orleans, USA | Jan 6–Feb 17, 2026 | 43 days | $$ | High (weekly parades) | High (Sunday family parades) | Easy |
| (Carnival season) | (Mardi Gras on Feb 17) | |||||
| Notting Hill, UK | Aug 29–31, 2026 | 3 days | $$ | High (street party) | High (Sunday kids’ day) | Easy |
| Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain | Jan 31–Feb 22, 2026 | 23 days | $$ | High (24/7 street party) | High (daytime parades) | Moderate |
| Oruro, Bolivia | Feb 9–18, 2026 | 10 days | $ | High (ritual processions) | Medium (cultural focus) | Difficult |
| Cologne, Germany | Feb 12–17, 2026 | 6 days | $$ | High (beer, humor, parades) | High (kid-friendly morning parade) | Easy |
| Nice, France | Feb 11–Mar 1, 2026 | 19 days | $$$$ | High (themed parades) | High (flower battles, day & night) | Easy |
| Montevideo, Uruguay | Jan 22–Mar 1, 2026 | ~39 days | $ | Medium (candombe drumming) | High (local shows & family atmosphere) | Moderate |
Table: Carnival dates and characteristics. Costs are relative ($ low, $$$$ high). Intensity refers to party/activity level. Family Friendly is based on daytime/kids events.
Venice’s Renaissance-era Carnival is renowned for its lavish masks and costumes. Every February, St. Mark’s Square, canals and palaces become a stage for pageantry. Historically, Venice’s Carnival dates back to 1162 (a victory celebration) and blossomed in the 17th–18th centuries. It was banned in 1797 and revived only in 1979; today about 3 million visitors attend annually. Expect gallant gondoliers, baroque gowns, and Il Volo dell’Angelo (Flight of the Angel) off the bell tower.
Trinidad’s Carnival in Port of Spain is the ultimate Caribbean party. Held Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Feb 16–17, 2026), it’s famous for outrageous costumes, pulsating Soca and calypso music, and 24-hour revelry. This festival traces its roots to late 18th-century French settlers and African traditions. Enslaved Africans had their own secret celebrations (Canboulay), which evolved into today’s exuberant mas (masquerade) culture.
Rio’s Carnival is often called “the biggest party on Earth.” It’s a dazzling five-day explosion of color, music and samba. Traditionally culminating on Mardi Gras, the 2026 Rio Carnival runs Feb 13–21. Samba, born in Rio’s Afro-Brazilian communities, defines the festival. Over a hundred samba schools compete in the famous Sambadrome parades, each presenting an elaborate theme with floats, dancers in sequins and giant puppets. Nightly street blocos (block parties) erupt with free dancing through neighborhoods across the city.
Rio Carnival: Samba schools parade at the Sambadrome, Rio’s iconic grandstand venue for Carnival. Rio’s Carnival is a “dazzling, five-day extravaganza of parades, music, and street parties”. The Sambadrome parades (with 13 major samba schools in 2025) are the centerpiece, each float telling a colorful story through dance and costumes. Samba, rooted in Rio’s Afro-Brazilian culture, was introduced to Carnival in the early 1900s and now underpins the city’s festival. If choosing one party for sheer scale and rhythm, most travel guides point to Rio.
Mardi Gras in New Orleans is the grand finale of a long Carnival season. The season kicks off on Jan 6 (Epiphany) and peaks on Fat Tuesday, Feb 17, 2026. New Orleans’ version is famed for its krewe parades: costumed clubs that float down major streets, throwing strands of beads, “throws” and trinkets to revelers. The city’s Creole and French heritage blend into a uniquely American Carnival marked by jazz, gumbo and Southern hospitality.
Notting Hill Carnival – Europe’s largest street festival – transforms a corner of London into a Caribbean fiesta every August Bank Holiday (Aug 29–31, 2026). Inspired by Trinidadian Carnival, it began as a Caribbean community celebration in 1966. Today 1–2 million people flood West London’s streets for two days of calypso, soca and reggae music, flamboyant costumes, steel drums and jerk chicken. As one source notes: “For an entire weekend, the Caribbean is transported to London”.
Notting Hill Carnival: Europe’s largest street party, celebrating Caribbean culture in London. Each August Bank Holiday, millions line the streets of West London to dance to calypso, soca and reggae while steelpan bands play. Notting Hill is “officially Europe’s biggest street party” – a family-friendly, free celebration (two million attendees) of vibrant costumes and food. Sunday is Children’s Day; Monday is the grand parade of masqueraders.
Tenerife’s capital Carnival is often called the “Carnival of Carnivals.” Held from late January through mid-February (Jan 31–Feb 22, 2026), it claims to be second only to Rio. Expect 24/7 street parties in the Canary Islands sun. The modern Carnival dates to the 18th century, though festivities likely have pre-Christian roots in local pagan midwinter rituals. Today the city explodes with parades, concerts and costume competitions.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival: “the second largest carnival after Rio”. For three weeks each winter, the island’s capital overflows with costumed revelers. Parades wind through town and nightly concerts draw crowds into the plazas. Canary Islanders even stage a playful “burial of the sardine” parade to mark the end of festivities. Locals claim Santa Cruz rivals Rio, and while that’s arguable, it certainly ranks among the grandest carnivals.
Oruro’s Carnival is a sacred folk festival recognized by UNESCO. In Bolivia’s high-altitude city (3,700m), Carnival spans about 10 days (Feb 9–18, 2026). It blends indigenous Andean rituals with Catholicism – famously honoring Pachamama (Mother Earth) and the Virgin of Socavón. The highlight is an all-night procession (entrada) of thousands of dancers and musicians in folkloric costumes.
Oruro Carnival: an Andean parade of folkloric dances. Dozens of dance troupes, led by the famous Diablada (devils dance), wind through the city in a legendary procession. UNESCO notes that more than 28,000 dancers and musicians participate, in a ritual that lasts over 20 hours. Oruro’s Carnival is Bolivia’s cultural treasure – quite unlike anywhere else.
Cologne’s “Fifth Season” is a raucous German street carnival with medieval roots. It officially runs from 11 Nov each year, but the five main days of fun occur the week before Ash Wednesday (Weiberfastnacht on Feb 12 through Veilchendienstag on Feb 17, 2026). Cologneers don whimsical hats (pink Jecken) and celebrate with beer, brass bands and a heavy dose of humor.
Nice’s French Riviera carnival is a two-week spectacle each February (Feb 11–Mar 1, 2026). It’s the largest carnival in France, known for elaborate floats adorned with flowers and nightly parades. The Nice Carnival dates to medieval times and revolves around whimsical themes (in 2026: “Vive la Reine” – live the Queen). Every evening features colorful parades through the streets of Promenade des Anglais.
Nice Carnival: France’s largest Carnival. For two weeks each winter, the city of Nice holds themed daytime and night parades. Over 100,000 fresh flowers are thrown to the crowd during the famed Flower Parades. Nightly, illuminated floats and costumed teams parade down the Promenade, while grand fireworks cap the festivities. Nice’s Carnival is less raucous than Rio, but no less spectacular, with a distinctly French elegance.
Montevideo hosts the world’s longest Carnival: about 40 nights of festivities. It starts late January (Thu Jan 22, 2026 is inauguration) and runs through February into early March. Unlike flashy parades of Rio or London’s street party, Montevideo’s is intimate and locally rooted. Expect nightly “tablados” (theater booths) and colorful Llamadas drumming parades in Afro-Uruguayan neighborhoods. The focus is on community rather than tourism.
Every Carnival has its own personality. Use this quick guide to match your trip style:
Use this matrix to decide – but remember, any Carnival you pick will be unforgettable in its own way.
