Rio de Janeiro Carnaval
- Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Dates/Time: 4–5 days before Ash Wednesday
- Duration: ~5 days (plus pre- and post-events)
- Attendance: ~2–3 million people daily
- Main Type: Samba parades at Sambadrome + street parties (blocos)
- Established: Evolved from 18th-century colonial-era celebrations
- UNESCO: Not individually listed; samba culture recognized broadly
- Economic Impact: Estimated >USD 700 million for Rio’s economy
- Organizer: RioTur (city tourism) + samba school associations
- Venue: Sambadrome (capacity ~70,000) + citywide streets
- Unique Feature: World’s biggest street carnival
Book your experience
Carnevale di Venezia
- Location: Venice, Italy
- Dates/Time: ~2 weeks leading up to Ash Wednesday
- Duration: ~2 weeks
- Attendance: ~3 million total visitors
- Main Type: Masked balls, costume parades, street performances
- Established: Documented since the 12th century, modern form from Renaissance
- UNESCO: Venice (city) is UNESCO site; carnival itself not separately listed
- Economic Impact: Hundreds of millions of euros in tourism
- Organizer: City of Venice + event committees
- Venue: Piazza San Marco, various palazzi, canals
- Unique Feature: Ornate masks/costumes, “Flight of the Angel” tradition
Book your experience
Recife & olinda Carnaval
- Location: Recife and Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil
- Dates/Time: 4–5 days before Ash Wednesday
- Duration: ~5 days (with extended pre-carnival events)
- Attendance: ~1.5–2 million combined
- Main Type: Street carnival with frevo, maracatu, giant puppets
- Established: Colonial-era roots; Galo da Madrugada (1978)
- UNESCO: Frevo dance/music recognized in 2012
- Economic Impact: Tens of millions of USD locally
- Organizer: City governments + cultural groups
- Venue: Streets of downtown Recife and historic Olinda
- Unique Feature: Galo da Madrugada (massive Saturday street parade)
Book your experiencels
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras
- Location: Sydney, Australia
- Dates/Time: Mid-February to early March (peak: final weekend)
- Duration: ~2–3 weeks of events
- Attendance: 300,000–500,000 spectators; ~12,000 parade participants
- Main Type: Pride-focused parades, parties, cultural events
- Established: 1978 (originated as a protest march)
- UNESCO: Not listed; globally recognized Pride festival
- Economic Impact: Tens of millions of USD for local economy
- Organizer: Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras organization
- Venue: Oxford Street parade route, various parks/nightlife spots
- Unique Feature: Largest LGBTQIA+ celebration in the Southern Hemisphere
Book your experience
storico carnevale di ivrea
- Location: Ivrea, Piedmont, Italy
- Dates/Time: Culminates on Shrove Tuesday
- Duration: ~5 days of main events
- Attendance: Tens of thousands (significant local involvement)
- Main Type: Historical reenactment + “Battle of the Oranges”
- Established: Medieval origins; current form from 19th century
- UNESCO: Not listed
- Economic Impact: Millions of euros locally
- Organizer: Local municipality + community teams
- Venue: Streets and squares of Ivrea
- Unique Feature: Real orange-throwing battle
Book your experience
carnevale di viareggio
- Location: Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy
- Dates/Time: Late Jan/early Feb to early March (weekends)
- Duration: Multiple parade weekends (~4–5)
- Attendance: Hundreds of thousands total
- Main Type: Large papier-mâché floats, satirical themes
- Established: 1873
- UNESCO: Not listed
- Economic Impact: Significant boost to local tourism
- Organizer: Carnival Foundation + municipality
- Venue: Seaside promenade (La Passeggiata)
- Unique Feature: Famous for artistic, satirical floats
Book your experience
carnaval de nice
- Location: Nice, France
- Dates/Time: Mid-February to early March
- Duration: ~2 weeks
- Attendance: ~1 million visitors total
- Main Type: Daytime “Flower Parades,” nighttime illuminated floats
- Established: Documented since the 13th century, modern form from 19th century
- UNESCO: Not listed
- Economic Impact: Tens of millions of euros for the local economy
- Organizer: City of Nice + local tourism authorities
- Venue: Place Masséna, Promenade des Anglais
- Unique Feature: “Bataille de Fleurs” (Flower Battle) parades
Book your experience
carnaval de sitges
- Location: Sitges, Catalonia, Spain
- Dates/Time: Week before Ash Wednesday
- Duration: ~7 days
- Attendance: Up to 250,000 over the week
- Main Type: Street parades, parties, strong LGBTQ+ presence
- Established: 19th-century origins, expanded post-dictatorship
- UNESCO: Not listed
- Economic Impact: Significant local tourism boost
- Organizer: Sitges City Council + local groups
- Venue: Streets of Sitges, seafront promenade
- Unique Feature: Colorful, inclusive parades; nightlife scene
Book your experience
Sitges Tourism
Basler Fasnach
- Location: Basel, Switzerland
- Dates/Time: Monday after Ash Wednesday for 72 hours
- Duration: 3 days (“the three best days”)
- Attendance: Hundreds of thousands (tens of thousands of active participants)
- Main Type: Lantern parades (Morgestraich), marching bands (cliques)
- Established: Medieval references; current form 19th century
- UNESCO: Inscribed in 2017 (Intangible Cultural Heritage)
- Economic Impact: Substantial tourism benefit
- Organizer: Fasnacht Committee + local cliques
- Venue: Streets of Basel’s old town
- Unique Feature: 4 a.m. start in darkness (Morgestraich), illuminated lanterns
Book your experience
Mardi Gras in New Orleans
- Location: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Dates/Time: Carnival season from Jan 6 (Twelfth Night) to Fat Tuesday
- Duration: ~2 months overall; major parades in final 2 weeks
- Attendance: ~1–1.4 million visitors for peak carnival period
- Main Type: Krewe-organized parades, balls, street parties
- Established: 18th-century French colonial era (krewes from mid-19th century)
- UNESCO: Not listed
- Economic Impact: Estimated USD 1+ billion for local economy
- Organizer: Independent krewes + city support
- Venue: Uptown, Downtown routes; French Quarter for foot traffic
- Unique Feature: Bead/doubloon throws, king cakes, diverse krewe themes