Carnival of Barranquilla

Carnival of Barranquilla takes place Feb 6 - 9, 2027 in Barranquilla, Colombia. The dress code is Light, colourful, breathable clothing you don't mind ruining - expect flour, foam and water in the crowd. Typical cost ranges from 300 to 1000 EUR per person.

Carnival of Barranquilla in Barranquilla, Colombia
Photograph by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, Public domain, via Wikimedia.

One of the world's largest carnivals and a UNESCO-recognised masterpiece of intangible heritage, blending African, Indigenous and European traditions in four days of costume parades, cumbia and street dance. It opens with the Batalla de Flores down the Via 40 and consumes the entire city. The 2027 edition falls February 6 - 9, ahead of Ash Wednesday.

When
Feb 6 - 9, 2027
Where
Barranquilla, Colombia
Dress code
Light, colourful, breathable clothing you don't mind ruining - expect flour, foam and water in the crowd
Cost
Typical cost ranges from 300 to 1000 EUR per person.
Weather
31 - 33C, hot and dry with strong Caribbean trade winds
When to book
Palco grandstand seats via official channels from late 2026; hotels sell out months ahead - book by Nov
Getting there
BAQ (Barranquilla), about 30 min to the Via 40 parade route
Where to stay
Hotel El Prado, Movich Buro 51, Hampton by Hilton Barranquilla
Official site
https://www.carnavaldebarranquilla.org

How to attend

Buy roadside palco (grandstand) seats for the Batalla de Flores and Gran Parada in advance through official carnival channels (roughly 20 - 90 EUR); street-level viewing is free but extremely dense. Accommodation is the choke point - book months out or stay in Santa Marta or Cartagena and day-trip.

Grandstand palco seats are sold through authorised carnival vendors only in the weeks before the February parades and the official site carries no ticket page; street-level viewing is free.

Insider tip

Buy shaded palco seats for Saturday's Batalla de Flores - the flagship parade - and embrace the flour-and-foam play rather than fighting it.

Get inside Carnival of Barranquilla

Booking matters here: palco grandstand seats via official channels from late 2026; hotels sell out months ahead - book by Nov. Members track that window, what it really costs, and 573 more events across the season.

Free while in beta. One email when your invitation is ready, nothing else.