Top Carnival Destinations in the World

Carnival, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday; whatever you choose to call it, the last day before the start

of Lent, the 40 days of repentance is famous to bring out the wild side of millions of people all

over the world. In fact, in many countries, locals are known to spend over a month taking to the

streets, parading, donning Venetian masks, and partying late into the wee hours of the morning.

Venice, Rio and New Orleans are just some of the many popular destinations in the world that

tempt you to put your masks for masquerade balls and have some sinful fun!

• Mardi Gras - New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Thousands of tourists and locals are able to have ball of a time in New Orleans, when the city is

known to loosen is reins a little and douse itself with limitless strings of beads, festive costumes

and eye catching floats. The city is known to host some of the most spectacular parades starting 2

weeks prior to Mardi Gras.

• Carnival of Binche – Binche, Beglium

In Binche, it is considered to be great honor for a man to be selected to join the Gilles on Shrove

Tuesday each year. Gilles are essential clown like performances who wear plumed hats, wax

masks and colorful costumes. They are known to start dancing around the city during the wee

hours of the morning and continue doing so late into the night.

• Trinidad and Tobago Carnival

This region comes with a rich and vibrant history with French roots. The Carnival is considered

to be one of the most important celebrations of the year. The Monday and Tuesday right before

Ash Wednesday is the time when thousands of locals flock the streets to show off their elaborate

costumes that may have taken months to finish. Complete with traditional Venetian masks and a

range of events such as a competition for the title of ‘the Band of the Year’ and the ‘Calypso

Monarch’, visiting this Caribbean treasure during Carnival is a experience worth having.

• Carnival of Brazil – Rio de Jeneiro, Brazil

There is absolutely no Carnival celebration in the world that can compete with the atmosphere

that is created in Rio de Jeneiro during the festivals. Brazilians are known to takes their weeks

before Lent extremely seriously. This means that you get a chance to witness some of the largest

and most elaborate parades. Just 2 years ago, it was estimated that 5 million people attended the

Carnival in Brazil. For some high-octane partying, Rio de Jeneiro is the place to be.

• Mardi Gras – Sydney, Australia

A rather underrated Carnival destination, the city makes the most of this festival to support the

LGBT community. The evening parade down Oxford and Flinders streets are worth watching.

You must also make time to attend the drag races on Bondi Beach, the sunset cruise and the

harbor-side dance party.

Other unlikely contenders but equally exciting Carnival destinations include the Notting Hill

Carnival, London; the Quebec Winter Carnival, Quebec City and the Carnival celebrations in

Montevideo, Uruguay.