Experiencing a Caribbean Carnival should at least be done once in your lifetime. Consider yourself lucky if you can experience it multiple times in different places.
Carnival is something you have to experience for yourself. From dancing to Soca and Calypso to dressing up in intricate and stunning costumes, Caribbean Carnival is an experience unlike anything in the world that is a fantastic blend of history, traditions, music, and dance.
Discover the top Carnival celebrations in the Caribbean and all the dates and locations you need to prepare for the 2025 Carnival season.
Trinidad And Tobago Carnival
- Location: Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
- Date: March 3-4, 2025
Known as the birthplace of Caribbean Carnival, Trinidad and Tobago is the largest and most famous carnival in the Caribbean. People travel from all over the world to experience the soca beats, the ornamented costumes, and street parades.
Carnival begins with “J’ouvert,” the early morning celebration where people first cover themselves in mud, paint, and oil. Then, the streets are filled with colors as people dressed in their costumes with feathers, beads, and sequins take over the streets.
Nos Karnaval – Curaçao Carnival
- Location: Willemstad
- Date: February 28-March 5, 2025
Curaçao’s Carnival, known as Nos Karnaval, is one of the longest in the Caribbean. In a country that boasts some of the Caribbean’s most vibrant art, culture, and architecture, there’s no better place to participate in a Caribbean Carnival than in Curaçao. The celebration includes dancing to Salsa, Soca, and Calypso, parading in costumes, steel pan music, Caribbean food, and cultural immersion.
The entire season lasts six weeks, but the most decorated celebrations are the Gran Marcha and Marcha di Despedida. The first parade of the season is the Carnival Horse Parade, which takes place on horseback through downtown Willemstad. Gran Marcha is the procession of costumed dancers and performers that takes place on Sunday, March 2, commencing at 11 a.m. The farewell Carnival, Marcha di Despedida, happens on March 4, the eve of Ash Wednesday.
Bahamas Carnival
- Location: Nassau
- Date: June 5 – June 9, 2025
Not to be confused with the Bahamian Junkanoos, Carnival in the Bahamas is fairly new in the Caribbean and was created in 2015. It’s a celebration in Nassau that has become an increasingly popular spectacular. Inspired by other Carnivals in the region, Carnival in the Bahamas incorporates Bahamian flair, culture, music, art, dance, and Junkanoo traditions. Held in June, the event draws in thousands of people each year.
Aruba Carnival
- Location: Oranjestad, Aruba
- Date: March 1-2, 2025
Aruba has one of the longest-running carnival seasons, starting in January and ending in March. According to Visit Aruba, 2025’s celebration officially kicks off on Nov. 11 and ends on March 2.
The long celebration commences with the Torch parade and ends with the burning of Momo. With so many festivities to choose from, some of the most important events are the Children’s Parade in Noord, Jouvert Morning in San Nicolas, Aruba’s Grand Carnival, Parade San Nicholas, Aruba’s Gran Carnival, and Burning Momo.
Carnaval de Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Location: Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Date: February 21 – March 4, 2025
Puerto Rico’s Carnaval de Ponce is an annual week-long celebration. Similar to New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebration, it’s filled with parades, decorated floats, costumes, music, and more. What’s great about Puerto Rico’s celebration is you don’t need a passport to experience the excitement.
Save The Date: 2025 Caribbean Carnival Dates To Know
Jamaica Carnival
- Location: Kingston, Jamaica
- Date: April 23-29, 2025
- Official Website: here
Saint Maarten – St. Martin Carnival
- Location: St. Maarten (St. Martin)
- Date: April 16, 2025
- Official Website: here
Carriacou Carnival, Grenada
- Location: Carriacou
- Date: February 3-4, 2025
- Official Website: here
The Dominican Republic Carnival
- Location: La Vega and Santiago, Dominican Republic
- Date: February 12, 2025
- Official Website: here
Carnaval de San Pedro, Belize
- Location: San Pedro, Belize
- Date: February 23, 2025
- Official Website: here
Guyana Mashramani
- Location: Georgetown, Guyana
- Date: February 23, 2025
- Official Website: here
Martinique Carnival
- Location: Saint-Pierre, Martinique
- Date: February 26 – March 4
- Official Website: here
Guadeloupe Carnival
- Location: Islandwide on Guadeloupe
- Date: March 2-5, 2025
- Official Website: here
Mas Domnik, Dominica Carnival
- Location: Islandwide on Dominica
- Date: March 3-4, 2025
- Official Website: here
St. Thomas Carnival, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Location: St. Thomas
- Date: April 27, 2025
- Official Website: here
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Carnival
- Location: St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Date: July 2- 9, 2025
- Tourism Website: here
Saint Lucia Carnival
- Location: Castries, St. Lucia
- Date: July 17-23, 2025
- Official Website: here
Nevis Culturama
- Location: Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Date: July 24 – August 5, 2025
- Official Website: here
Antigua and Barbuda Carnival
- Location: St. John, Antigua and Barbuda
- Date: July 25 – August 5, 2025
- Official Website: here
Bonaire Carnival (Karnaval)
- Location: Saba
- Date: Mid-February 2025 – March 4, 2025
- Official Website: here
Barbados Crop Over
- Location: Bridgetown, Barbados
- Date: July 30 – August 5, 2025
- Official Website: here
Emancipation Festival – British Virgin Islands
- Location: Tortola
- Date: August 4 – 6, 2025
- Official website: here
Spicemas – Grenada
- Location: Carriacou, Grenada
- Date: August 1 – August 12, 2025
- Official website: here
