The first calendar tracking Carnaval across Latin America and Latin Europe in one place — Rio, Salvador, Recife/Olinda, Veracruz, Mazatlán, Barranquilla, Oruro, Panama, Gualeguaychú, and Encarnación alongside Venice, Viareggio, Ivrea, Nice, Cádiz, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Valletta, and Portugal’s Podence, Sesimbra, and Torres Vedras — plus Québec City’s winter carnival. Sorted by start date, with each listing linked to an official or municipal source. Where we have a city guide, the location links through to it.
Planning note: most carnivals cluster around Ash Wednesday, but not all — some run weeks earlier or later (Putignano starts the day after Christmas, Cento and Fano run consecutive Sundays into late February, Tenerife peaks after Ash Wednesday, Québec City is a winter carnival built around Bonhomme rather than Lent). Time it right and you can realistically catch several on one trip. Dates move every year with Ash Wednesday, and a few town-level programs for 2027 aren’t officially confirmed yet — noted wherever that’s the case. Confirm on the official event page before booking flights or hotels.
November 2026
Carnaval de San Miguel
San Miguel, El Salvador
El Salvador's biggest popular festival, closing out more than a month of patron-saint celebrations in the "Pearl of the Orient" with parades, queens, and live music.
Attendees: 2M+ (recent editions)
December 2026
Carnevale di Putignano
Putignano, Puglia, Italy
One of Europe's oldest carnivals, dating to 1394, rooted in a farming-town tradition of satirical poetry (the "Festa delle Propaggini") alongside its famous papier-mâché float parades.
January 2027
Carnaval de Gualeguaychú
Gualeguaychú, Entre Ríos, Argentina
Argentina's biggest carnival, staged almost every Saturday from January through March at a purpose-built Corsódromo, in a style clearly influenced by Brazilian carnival.
Carnaval Encarnaceno
Encarnación, Paraguay
Known as "the Brazil of Paraguay," the country's largest carnival fills a purpose-built sambódromo on Encarnación's waterfront — its 2026/27 season marks the milestone 100th edition.
Carnevale di Acireale
Acireale, Sicily, Italy
Widely considered Sicily's most beautiful carnival, famous for elaborate flower-covered floats parading against the town's Baroque architecture.
Carnaval de Cádiz
Cádiz, Spain
Famous for its chirigotas — satirical singing troupes that roast politics and current events — competing at the Gran Teatro Falla and spilling into the streets.
Carnevale di Viareggio
Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy
Famous for towering papier-mâché floats — some up to 20 meters tall — satirizing politics and pop culture along the Tuscan coast.
Venice Carnival
Venice, Italy
The world's most famous masked carnival — elaborate historical costumes, masquerade balls, and the Flight of the Angel over St. Mark's Square.
Carnevale di Cento
Cento, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Italy's only carnival officially twinned with Rio's — expect Brazilian-style floats and dancers alongside Italian carnival tradition.
Carnevale di Fano
Fano, Marche, Italy
Italy's oldest documented carnival, running since 1347, famous for showering crowds with sweets and sugared almonds thrown from the floats.
February 2027
Carnaval de Veracruz
Veracruz, Mexico
Mexico's oldest official carnival, dating to 1866, with tropical rhythms, a symbolic "burning of bad humor," and a Gulf Coast waterfront parade.
Carnaval de Torres Vedras
Torres Vedras, Portugal
Known as "the most Portuguese Carnival in Portugal" — sharp political satire, the matrafonas cross-dressing tradition, and entirely homemade floats, recognized as National Immaterial Cultural Heritage.
Carnaval Internacional de Mazatlán
Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
One of the world's largest carnivals and the third-biggest in Mexico, famous for the Combate Naval fireworks battle staged over the Pacific.
Carnevale di Ivrea (Battle of the Oranges)
Ivrea, Piedmont, Italy
A historical reenactment turned food fight — thousands of orange-throwers battle it out in the streets, commemorating a medieval revolt against a tyrant.
Salvador Carnival (Bahian Carnival)
Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Brazil's biggest street carnival, powered by trio elétrico sound trucks and Afro-Bahian music filling the streets of Salvador for a week straight.
Caretos de Podence
Podence, Trás-os-Montes, Portugal
A UNESCO-listed pagan tradition — young men in fringed woolen suits and devilish masks (Caretos) run through the village shaking cowbells at unmarried women.
Carnaval de Québec (Québec Winter Carnival)
Québec City, Québec, Canada
The world's largest winter carnival: Bonhomme's ice palace, snow sculptures, two night parades, and the ice-canoe race on the St. Lawrence.
Carnaval de Sesimbra
Sesimbra, Portugal
A five-day seaside carnival with samba-school and Afro-axé group parades along Sesimbra's waterfront.
Il-Karnival ta' Malta (Valletta Carnival)
Valletta, Malta
Malta's national carnival — triumphal floats, grotesque masks (maskeruni), and choreographed dance companies filling Valletta and Floriana, a tradition going back to the Knights of St John.
Rio Carnival
Sambadrome, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The world's largest Carnival — samba schools compete for the title at the Sambadrome while street blocos take over the entire city.
Attendees: 6M+ (2025 street carnival)
Barranquilla Carnival
Barranquilla, Colombia
Colombia's biggest carnival and a UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage, blending Indigenous, African, and Spanish traditions in the Battle of the Flowers parade.
Carnaval de Chitré
Chitré, Herrera, Panama
Opens Carnival week with the traditional Pechugón and fills the streets with nightly culecos (water parties).
Carnaval de Las Tablas
Las Tablas, Los Santos, Panama
Panama's most famous carnival, built on the century-old rivalry between two neighborhoods, Calle Arriba and Calle Abajo, culminating in the ceremonial Topón Tableño.
Carnaval de Panamá (Panama City)
Panama City, Panama
The capital's carnival takes over the Cinta Costera waterfront with queens, floats, and water celebrations, organized by Panama's national Tourism Authority.
Carnaval de Recife e Olinda
Recife & Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil
Pernambuco's carnival runs on frevo and maracatu music and giant papier-mâché puppets, headlined by Recife's Galo da Madrugada — one of the largest carnival street gatherings on record.
Oruro Carnival (La Diablada)
Oruro, Bolivia
A UNESCO-listed pilgrimage carnival built around La Diablada (the Dance of the Devils), with over 50 folkloric ensembles honoring the Virgin of Socavón.
Attendees: ~20,000 dancers, ~30,000 musicians across 52 ensembles (2026 edition)
Carnaval de Nice
Nice, France
The largest carnival in France, with flower battles along the Promenade des Anglais and illuminated night parades.
Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
One of the largest carnivals in the world, second in scale only to Rio, with an elaborate Carnival Queen gala and street parties known as Los Corsos.
Last updated: 2026-09-19. Curated from official event pages and tourism boards.
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