The Caribbean's biggest party is back. Four days of the Batalla de Flores, the Grand Parades, music, and folk tradition — plus the entire pre-Carnaval lineup, starting with the Guacherna. Here are the dates, the schedule, and everything new this year.
Time left
Carnaval de Barranquilla 2027 runs Saturday, February 6 – Tuesday, February 9, 2027 in Barranquilla, Colombia. That's the four days right before Ash Wednesday (February 10). Pre-Carnaval kicks off weeks earlier with the Guacherna, whose traditional estimated date is Friday, January 29, 2027.
Dates
February 6 – 9, 2027
Where
Barranquilla · Vía 40
2027 hallmark
A Carnaval of solidarity
Recognition
UNESCO Heritage
spectators at Carnaval 2026
UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
days of parades, dance, and music
folk groups and costumes registered
Those were the words of Katia Nule, Barranquilla's first lady, on the day the Queen was named, in response to the earthquake that struck the country in August. Carnaval S.A.S. has put solidarity with the affected communities at the heart of the festival. At her first public appearance, Queen Salwa Maloof Habib put it this way: “I want you to know that this Carnaval 2027 is for everyone”.
Carnaval S.A.S.'s board named her on August 21, 2026. She is 24, from Barranquilla, a graduate in International Relations and director of the Clínica Internacional La Misericordia. She has led the Fulamic Foundation since 2016 and dances with the La Misma Vaina cumbiamba. Her reign centres on inclusion and on solidarity with those hit by August's earthquake: “I want all of us to be equal all 365 days of the year”, she said when named. Rey Momo and the Children's Carnaval royalty have not been named yet.
Saturday, February 6 – Tuesday, February 9, 2027. The hour-by-hour schedule will be published closer to the date.
The opening and most iconic parade of Carnaval. Flower-covered floats, dances and comparsas along Vía 40, with the Queen opening the biggest party in the Caribbean. In 2026 it featured 73 folk groups, 180 costumes, 18 floats and around 14,000 dancers.
The heart of Carnaval, with no floats — just traditional dances and live music. Cumbia, mapalé, Congo, Garabato, and Son de Negro. This is the day to understand where the party comes from.
Creativity with no limits: comparsas in dazzling costumes of feathers, sequins, and color. At night, the Festival de Orquestas lights up the stage with the best of tropical music.
Carnaval's most emotional farewell. The 'widows' mourn Joselito, through laughter, the symbol of every reveler who partied until the very end. A goodbye full of humor and the promise to return.
The party doesn't start on February 6 — weeks earlier, the city already lights up with pre-Carnaval. Here's the full calendar, from the Guacherna to Ash Wednesday.
Estimated: Friday, January 29, 2027
The night parade that opens pre-Carnaval: lanterns, cumbiamba (a communal cumbia dance), and tamboras, the traditional Caribbean drums, processing down Carrera 44. It was born in 1974, the brainchild of songwriter Esthercita Forero. By tradition it falls on the Friday eight days before Carnaval Saturday; the official 2027 date hasn't been announced yet.
| Event | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Lectura del Bando (official opening) | To be announced | To be confirmed |
| The Guacherna (pre-Carnaval kickoff) | Friday, January 29, 2027* | Estimated |
| Batalla de Flores in Santo Tomás | To be announced | To be confirmed |
| Carnaval de los Niños | To be announced | To be confirmed |
| Batalla de Flores | Saturday, February 6, 2027 | Confirmed |
| Gran Parada de Tradición y Folclor | Sunday, February 7, 2027 | Confirmed |
| Gran Parada de Comparsas y Fantasía | Monday, February 8, 2027 | Confirmed |
| The Burial of Joselito Carnaval | Tuesday, February 9, 2027 | Confirmed |
| Ash Wednesday (end of Carnaval) | Wednesday, February 10, 2027 | Confirmed |
* The Guacherna's traditional estimated date (the Friday 8 days before Carnaval Saturday), pending official confirmation from Carnaval S.A.S.
The act that decrees the start of Carnaval. The mayor hands the keys of the city to the Queen, who reads the proclamation and declares the season open, in a show with hundreds of performers at the Estadio Romelio Martínez.
In 2026 it was held on Saturday 17 January, with over 700 performers and room for 18,000 people. The 2027 date has not been announced yet.
Atlántico's own Batalla de Flores, held in Santo Tomás the day after the Guacherna. It brings the department's towns together in a parade of comparsas, dances and cumbiambas, alongside the Intermunicipal and Departmental Pageant.
An intermunicipal Carnaval since 1977 and a departmental one since 1995 (Ordinance 00060 of the Atlántico Assembly). Law 1353 of 2009 declared the Departmental Carnaval and the Intermunicipal Pageant of Santo Tomás National Cultural Heritage. The 2026 edition, its 49th, gathered some 3,000 performers, 130 folk groups and 18 town queens. No confirmed date for 2027 yet.
Marimondas, Garabatos, Congos, and Toritos: centuries of African, Indigenous, and European tradition come alive in every parade.
Born in Barranquilla
The only costume originating in the city, unlike the Congo or the Garabato: long nose, elephant ears and clothes worn inside out, mocking officials and the elite of the early 20th century.
Ciénaga (Magdalena) · rooted in Barranquilla
The eternal fight between life and death: dancers wield wooden machetes and red capes to celebrate joy's victory over the end.
African heritage
Flower headdresses, wooden machetes, and warrior-like moves that honor the ancestors — one of Carnaval's oldest dances.
Caribbean tradition
Strength and bravado turned into dance: the Torito runs through the streets in its wood-and-fabric frame, getting everyone moving.
Barranquilla
The freedom to be anyone you want, unrecognized, under a colorful hooded robe. Pure Carnaval spirit.
Santa Lucía · Canal del Dique
Pure Africa on the Caribbean coast: dancers painted black, channeling an ancestral force born on the riverbanks of southern Atlántico.
The stands along Vía 40 give you the best view of the Batalla de Flores and the Grand Parades, with numbered, shaded seating. They usually sell as multi-day packages, and the best ones sell out weeks in advance.
Official 2027 stand sales haven't opened yet. Buy only through official Carnaval channels or tour operators registered with Colombia's National Tourism Registry (RNT), and be wary of anyone already offering stands in advance. 2027 prices and sales points will be announced closer to the date.
Batalla de Flores
The Marimonda
Gran Parada de Tradición
Gran Parada de Fantasía
Reina del CarnavalThe Garabato
The GuachernaThe Carnaval ToritoThe complete guide to last year's edition: day-by-day schedule, characters, stands, budgets, and the Ruta de la Tradición through Atlántico's towns.
