Curaçao Carnival
Curaçao Carnival is one of the longest and most spectacular in the Caribbean, a weeks-long season of music, colour and parades that builds through January and February to the Grand Parade.
Expect tumba music competitions, the dazzling Gran Marcha costumes, the Tivoli light parade and the symbolic burning of King Momo to close the season. If you visit in carnival season, book accommodation early and join the street celebrations — it is the island at its most joyful and communal. Dates shift with the calendar, so check the year's schedule.
Good to know
- Carnival runs roughly January to February — dates shift yearly.
- The Gran Marcha (Grand Parade) is the spectacular highlight.
- Book accommodation early; the city fills up.
Questions & answers
When is Curaçao Carnival?
It runs for several weeks from January into February, culminating in the Grand Parade and the burning of King Momo; exact dates change each year.
Majestic City Palace — a restored 1892 monument in Punda, steps from everything in this guide.