Carnival 2018: The World's Best Places to Celebrate This Year

In many Roman Catholic countries, Carnival, that great excuse for a party before the solemnity of Lent, takes place in early February this year. Of course you don’t have to be Roman Catholic to attend; you just need to be in the mood for lots of merrymaking, music, dancing and colourful parades. If the winter weather has been making you feel gloomy, take a break and head to one of these great places to attend Carnival.

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1. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The mother of all Carnival celebrations is the Rio Carnival, where it’s all about samba and partying in balmy Southern summer weather. If you want to hide the evidence of winter’s comfort eating but still flaunt it like everyone else does in Rio, be sure to pack some stunning plus-size swimsuits.

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2. Salvador, Brazil

Rio may host the more famous one but Salvador is where you’ll find arguably the wildest Carnival celebrations in Brazil. The music that will get you shaking your booty is a unique Bahian blend of reggae, rock and African rhythms, known as axé. The Carnival of Salvador da Bahia runs from February 8 to 15.

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3. New Orleans, Louisiana

Mardi Gras is the French name for Fat Tuesday, the last day before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras in New Orleans, which falls on February 13 this year, is renowned for its raucousness. While joining in the fun, remember to try and keep your wits about you so you don’t do any of the most dangerous things you can do while travelling.

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4. Venice, Italy

Carnival, or Carnevale as it’s known in Venice, starts on January 27 and ends on February 13 this year. Carnival celebrations in what is one of the world’s most memorable proposal destinations are elegant and characterized by grand masked balls.

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5. Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of Spain’s Canary Islands, is home to a huge Carnival celebration that will take place from February 7 to 18. On February 14 the main event is the bizarre Funeral of the Sardine. It’s essential to book ahead but make sure you know which red flags to watch out for when reserving your hotel online.

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6. Viareggio, Italy

The Tuscan city of Viareggio’s Carnival starts on January 27 and ends on February 17. Everyone dresses in costume for the parades, where floats carry giant papier mâché figures, many depicting popular and not-so-popular personalities.

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7. Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago

Carnival is the main event on the Trinidad and Tobago social calendar, with the big festivities scheduled for February 12 and 13 in Port of Spain. Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival is famous for calypso and Soca music and costumes so spectacular they defy the imagination.

If you want to attend, you may want to know how to score last-minute deals without the stress.

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8. Binche, Belgium

Binche’s Carnival is known for the clownish figures called Gilles with their wax masks and colourful costumes. They dance, use sticks to ward off evil spirits and throw oranges at members of the audience. Getting an orange thrown at you is considered a symbol of good luck.

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9. Sitges, Spain

Sitges is a popular destination for LGBT travellers and its Carnival is an exercise in fabulousness. This year’s festivities will take place from February 6 to 14 and one of the highlights is the annual fancy-dress bed race. If you want to stay fabulous after the last sequin has been swept up from the streets, include a visit to nearby Barcelona, one of the best cities for fashion lovers.

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10. Oruro, Bolivia

Oruro’s Carnival is held from February 3 to 13 this year. It’s the most famous Carnival celebration in Bolivia and combines Roman Catholic traditions with pre-Columbian roots in colourful folk dances. There can be more than 28,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians participating in the main parade, which takes place over three days and three nights.

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11. Quebec City, Quebec

From January 26 to February 11, you can celebrate in one of the world’s most beautiful places and you don’t even need to take your passport. Quebec City’s Winter Carnival is marked by parades and a variety of activities, from hockey and skating to canoe racing across the ice and the highly original life-sized foosball.

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12. Montevideo, Uruguay

While samba also features in Montevideo’s Carnival, candombe is the main musical feature. There are also murga groups who use music and theatre to satirize political events of the day. This year’s Montevideo Carnival starts on January 25 and lasts for 40 days.

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13. Cadiz, Spain

Cadiz is host to one of the largest Carnival celebrations in mainland Spain. This year’s Carnival will be held from February 8 to 18 and, as always, will feature lots of music, witty costumes and political satire. Before you depart, remember to go through your travel checklist.

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14. Mazatlan, Mexico

The coastal city of Mazatlan in Mexico is a great alternative if you want something a little more family oriented and less touristy than the festivities in, say, Rio or even in Veracruz. Carnival here is held from February 8 to 13. Don't forget to check out our Mexico packing list before your trip.

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15. Ivrea, Italy

From February 8 to 13, Ivrea, in Italy’s Piedmont region, hosts a raucous Carnival that can get a little sticky. This is because the main event is the Battle of the Oranges, which is really a giant food fight involving more than 400 tons of oranges.

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16. Moscow, Russia

The Russian Orthodox version of Carnival is Maslenitsa, or Pancake Week. In Moscow the main festivities are held on Red Square and involve snow-based activities, bonfires, parades, theatre and blinis. Lots and lots of blinis. This year’s Maslenitsa is from February 12 to 18 and you can always combine it with a bucket-list trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

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17. Basel, Switzerland

In Basel, Carnival is called Fasnacht and it’s the biggest festival of its kind in Switzerland. It starts at 4 in the morning, this year on February 19, when all the city’s lights are turned off and the only illumination comes from the participants’ lanterns. The revelry lasts for exactly 72 hours. If you go to Basel for Fasnacht, be sure to have some stylish winter boots to keep your feet warm.

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18. Nice, France

Nice Carnival is held from February 17 to March 3 this year and will feature floats decorated according to the 2018 theme, King of Space. The Nice Carnival is famous for the "flower battles", where floats are decorated with flowers.

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19. Sydney, Australia

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras isn’t really a Carnival in the traditional sense but it does fall in Carnival season – from February 16 to March 4 this year – and features outrageous costumes, music and dancing and colourful parades. Getting there involves a long flight but with a little know-how you can fly in comfort, even on a budget.

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20. Toronto, Ontario

If you can’t make it to any of the exotic Carnival destinations this February, don’t despair. The Toronto Caribbean Carnival, also known as Caribana, will be held over five weeks in July and August and will once again be a celebration of Caribbean culture in true Carnival style.