9 of the World’s Most Spectacular Carnivals

From the renowned Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro to the vibrant and boisterous Notting Hill Carnival in West London, these vibrant and boisterous street celebrations are sure to dispel the fog and get you moving.

1. Rio Carnival, Brazil

The Rio Carnival, the world's largest, most spectacular, and most well-known event, has come to represent the party culture of Rio and Brazil as a whole. Normally held five days prior to Lent, the celebration has been moved to late April this year. Rio will undoubtedly explode into a vibrant, musical frenzy.

In addition to the competition between more than 100 Samba Schools at the specially constructed Sambadrome, the city is also host to celebrations, parades, and musical performances in residential areas.

2. Notting Hill Carnival, United Kingdom

Every August Bank Holiday weekend, the Notting Hill Carnival, dubbed the largest street party in Europe, brings the vibrancy, sounds, and vibes of the Caribbean to West London.

Just like in Rio, the parade takes center stage, but the celebration stretches all the way along the route, long after the various drum groups and Samba schools have finished.

Enjoy succulent jerk chicken that has just come off of makeshift grills while shaking your booty to the sounds of calypso, soca, reggae, and dub. This is a celebration for all.

3. Oruro Carnival, Bolivia

The Oruro Carnival, which takes place annually on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, is a vibrant mash-up of native customs and appropriated Christian doctrine that ends with a huge procession that symbolizes virtue over evil.

Halfway between La Paz and the Altiplano, in the town of Oruro, is where the carnival is held. It was named a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.

As Tio Supay, the god of the underworld, squares off against Pachamama, Mother Earth, in the Dance of the Devils, prepare for fireworks, smoke, and chaos.

4. Binche Carnival, Belgium

One of the most well-known festivals in Belgium is the Carnival of Binche, which usually takes place in February. This festival was named a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO in 2003 because of its uniqueness and lengthy history.

Because of the significance of the carnival celebrations, Belgium dedicates an entire year to their preparation. There are hundreds of eerie, unblinking eyes staring out menacingly as sticks are shook and apples are thrown.

In order to ensure that drummers and musicians are prepared, the societies plan soumonces during the six Sundays leading up to Shrove Sunday. Guys spend a lot of money upholding the traditions because they are proud to be Gilles. 

Women are crucial because they manage the planning of the celebrations and travel with the Gilles. Those women are easily identified by the amusingly adorned hats they don, which change annually.

5. Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival is the largest in size, boldest, noisiest, and second only to the festival in Rio. The event has a sister city relationship with Rio de Janeiro as a result. The country's Ministry of Tourism designated it as a global tourism festival in 1980. It wants to be recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO.

Hundreds of dance and music groups parade through the capital's streets during what is known as the Corso.

One of the carnival's main events is the gala to choose the Carnival Queen. During this grand competition, every contender parades on a 1,200-square-meter stage decked out in glitzy attire, some of which weigh over a hundred kilograms. 

6. Cologne Carnival, Germany

This carnival, which is ostensibly a massive fancy dress extravaganza through the streets of Cologne, begins in November and continues through the winter until February.

Rose Monday, also known as Shrove Monday, is the main event. A massive assortment of floats make their way along Südstadt, in the southern part of Cologne, tossing candy and trinkets into the audience, many of whom are strangely dressed as clowns.

7. New Orleans Mardi Gras, USA

The New Orleans carnival, the most renowned in the country, is an endless symphony of jazz bands, late-night bar hopping, and extravagant parades honoring mythological figures like King Zulu and Bacchus.

Celebrated beginning with the Epiphany Feast on January 6 and lasting until Shrove Tuesday in February, Mardi Gras is well-known for the beaded necklaces that attendees toss from the French balconies that overlook the procession.

For many of the party guests, wearing the most necklaces is a source of pride.

8. Venice Carnival, Italy

Carnevale di Venezia is a February celebration that precedes Lent and begins with a procession through St. Mark's Square led by religious leaders.

Thousands of people dressed in intricate masks made of leather, glass, or porcelain are a sight to behold at one of the most well-known masked festivals in the world today, especially against the atmospheric backdrop of this grand old city.

9. Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Trinidad and Tobago

Originally intended as a protest against slavery, Trinidad and Tobago's carnival has grown to become one of the largest street celebrations in the Caribbean.

The official start time of 4am, when slaves could assemble covertly, is a nod to its historical significance. It's all a merry blur now, with lots of rum, soca, limbo, calypso, and steel bands.