Your feather headdress will be quite the conversation starter when passing through airport security this February. And you’ll be the envy of every TSA agent when they learn you are headed to one of the Caribbean’s biggest street parties.
Carnival in Trinidad is celebrated on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday every year, with parades, music and an extravagant number of sequins.
The official festivities kick off at 4 AM on Monday, February 24, with the J’Ouvert street party. For the next two days, you will join thousands of masqueraders in vibrant costumes (some weighing over 100 pounds!) dancing to the islands’ beloved soca, steelpan and calypso music.
More Festivities to Catch
Never ones to limit a good time, the islanders of Trinidad and Tobago start the party early. When planning your visit, make sure you arrive the weekend preceding Carnival to catch Panorama, one of the world’s most prestigious steel band competitions. The steel pan is, after all, the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. On the Saturday before Carnival, Queen’s Park Savannah welcomes the musicians in four categories: Large, Medium and Small Conventional Steel bands and Single Pan Bands. Regardless of the winners, the infectious beats will be the soundtrack to your Carnival experience.
The party continues at Queen’s Park Savannah on Sunday for Dimanche Gras, the competition to crown the King and Queen of Carnival. The non-stop festivities last deep into the night—on the streets, in the homes and in the islands’ bars and clubs … for the next 48 hours!
Need a rest after the Carnival celebrations? The Squire can help. Read why Trinidad and Tobago are the islands “Where Culture Meets Relaxation”
For more Carnival information visit GoTrinidadandTobago.com