Carnival 2027 in Latin America: The Complete Planning Guide
Carnival 2027 arrives early in the year, with the main celebrations running from late January through mid-February. If you're planning a Carnival trip — whether to Rio's Sambadrome, Barranquilla's street parties, Oruro's UNESCO-recognized processions, or Salvador's massive outdoor stages — now is the right time to start. The best accommodation, Sambadrome packages, and costume slots sell out six months to a year ahead.
Here's what you need to know.
2027 Carnival Dates at a Glance
Carnival dates are set by the Catholic liturgical calendar — they always end on Ash Wednesday (the start of Lent), working backward. In 2027, Ash Wednesday falls on February 10, placing the main Carnival celebrations in early February.
| Carnival | Dates | City/Country |
|---|---|---|
| Rio Carnival | February 5–13, 2027 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
| — Série Ouro (Gold Series parades) | February 5–6, 2027 | Sambadrome, Rio |
| — Grupo Especial (elite samba schools) | February 7–9, 2027 | Sambadrome, Rio |
| — Desfile das Campeãs (Champions) | February 13, 2027 | Sambadrome, Rio |
| Barranquilla Carnival | February 6–9, 2027 | Barranquilla, Colombia |
| Carnaval de Oruro | February 6–7, 2027 (main parades) | Oruro, Bolivia |
| Salvador Carnival | February 4–10, 2027 | Salvador, Bahia, Brazil |
| — Pre-Carnival (Furdunço and Fuzuê) | January 30–31, 2027 | Barra, Salvador |
Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2027
What's Happening and When
Rio Carnival 2027 runs February 5–13, organized around the Sambadrome on Rua Marquês de Sapucaí. The Grupo Especial — Rio's twelve top-tier samba schools — competes Sunday and Monday nights (February 7–8) and Tuesday night (February 9). The Champions Parade, where the winning school performs again in full glory, closes the official calendar on Saturday February 13.
The weekend before (February 5–6) hosts the Série Ouro parades, the second tier of competition and often a more accessible (and less expensive) introduction to the Sambadrome experience.
Outside the Sambadrome, street Carnival runs the entire two-week period. Blocos — street parade groups ranging from 500 to 500,000 people — throw parties across the city from late January onward. Rio has hundreds of registered blocos; the largest (Cordão da Bola Preta, Banda de Ipanema, Monobloco) attract tens of thousands and require no ticket.
The 2027 Parade Order
LIESA's draw in April 2026 set the running order for the twelve Grupo Especial schools, four a night:
| Night | Schools, in parade order |
|---|---|
| Sunday, February 7 | União de Maricá, Beija-Flor, Paraíso do Tuiuti, Vila Isabel |
| Monday, February 8 | Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, Unidos da Tijuca, Salgueiro, Imperatriz Leopoldinense |
| Tuesday, February 9 | Portela, Unidos do Viradouro, Grande Rio, Mangueira |
If you have a favorite school, this table decides which night to buy.
Sambadrome Tickets
Sambadrome tickets for the Grupo Especial nights are the most sought-after Carnival tickets in the world. A few realities:
- Sectors vary enormously. The arquibancadas (bleacher seats, Sectors 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) are cheaper and lively but exposed. The cadeiras (chairback seats) are more comfortable. Corporate boxes (camarotes) are the most expensive and best-equipped.
- Book early. Tickets for the 2027 Grupo Especial nights will be available via the Liga das Escolas de Samba (Liesa) website and authorized resellers. The most desirable sectors and camarotes start selling 6–12 months before the event.
- Pricing for 2027 is not out yet. Grandstand seats (arquibancadas) are the cheapest way in and private boxes (camarotes) the most expensive, by a wide margin. We don't publish prices: they change by sector and by sale phase.
- Resellers exist but carry risk. Only buy from official channels (Liesa, official Carnival packages) or reputable licensed resellers. Check the event page for the latest official ticketing details.
Joining a Samba School
One of the most memorable Carnival experiences is parading with a samba school rather than watching from the stands. Most of Rio's Grupo Especial schools sell costume slots (fantasias) to tourists and visitors. The process involves:
- Contacting the school directly or through a licensed Carnival package operator
- Attending (ideally) at least one ensaio técnico (technical rehearsal) to learn the samba and the parade route
- Picking up your fantasia in the days before your school's parade night
- Assembling with your school's community (ala) and parading for 90+ minutes through the Sambadrome
Prices for tourist fantasias vary widely by school and costume section, and each school sets its own. Contact individual schools' tourist divisions — most major schools have English-language contacts and dedicated tourist operations.
Accommodation and Logistics
Rio's hotel market during Carnival week is one of the most competitive in the world. Key points:
- Book accommodations for the Grupo Especial nights (February 7–9, 2027) as early as possible — 6–12 months ahead is realistic for Copacabana and Centro hotels.
- The Sambadrome is in Cidade Nova/Centro. Copacabana and Ipanema are the traditional tourist bases and require transport (taxi, rideshare, or the Samba Line bus) to the venue.
- Prices during Carnival peak typically run 3–5x normal rates. Airbnb is popular but supply around the Sambadrome and in central neighborhoods is limited.
- For bloco street parties, you don't need to stay near the Sambadrome — Ipanema and Leblon are well-positioned for South Zone blocos.
Barranquilla Carnival 2027
Dates: February 6–9, 2027
Colombia's Barranquilla Carnival is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — and the largest Carnival in the Americas outside of Brazil. Where Rio's celebration centers on the Sambadrome spectacle, Barranquilla is fundamentally a street party, with the action spilling through the city's north zone neighborhoods.
Key Events
- Gran Parada de Tradición y Folklore — the Sunday parade of traditional dances and costumes from across the Colombian Caribbean coast
- Gran Parada de Comparsas — the main competitive parade, with dozens of organized groups competing for titles
- Batalla de Flores — the Flower Battle, the most visually spectacular event of the festival, with floats and performers parading down Vía 40
- Entierro de Joselito Carnaval — the symbolic "burial of Carnival" on the final day
Barranquilla's Carnival is centered on its Afro-Colombian and mestizo cultural roots — cumbia, porro, mapalé, and Congo rhythms anchor the music. The celebration is culturally distinct from Rio and requires no costume or ticket to experience the street-level energy.
Accommodation: Barranquilla has adequate hotel supply, but the city fills during Carnival. Book at least 2–3 months in advance. Cartagena (90 minutes away) is sometimes used as a base, though the combination of Carnival travel and Cartagena's own high-season crowds creates pressure. The 2027 programme is published by the Carnaval de Barranquilla organisation in the weeks before; until then, plan around the dates, not the events.
Every confirmed 2027 date, from the Lectura del Bando on January 16 to Joselito on February 9, is in our Barranquilla Carnival 2027 guide.
Carnaval de Oruro 2027
Dates: main parades on Saturday, February 6 and Sunday, February 7, 2027
Oruro's Carnival is Bolivia's most important festival and one of the most spiritually significant Carnivals in the Americas. Recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, the celebration combines pre-Columbian Andean ritual with Catholic devotion in a way that has no equivalent elsewhere.
The central event is the Entrada del Carnaval — a procession of up to 28,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians walking 4 kilometers from the edge of the city to the Sanctuary of the Virgin del Socavón. The procession takes roughly 20 hours to complete. The central dances — Diablada (Devil Dance), Morenada, Caporales, and dozens more — each have their own costuming traditions, choreography, and cultural meaning.
Altitude: Oruro sits at approximately 3,700 meters above sea level. Altitude sickness (soroche) is a genuine risk. Plan to arrive at least 2–3 days early to acclimatize, drink coca tea, stay hydrated, and avoid alcohol on your first days.
Tickets: Viewing stands (tribunas) along the procession route are available for purchase. Prices vary by location and how close to the Virgin's sanctuary you want to be. Seats are usually released a few months before the event.
Getting there: Oruro is accessible by bus or train from La Paz (approximately 3–4 hours). During Carnival, buses and trains fill quickly; book transport as early as you can. Most visitors use La Paz as their base and make a day-or-more trip to Oruro for the main procession.
Salvador Carnival 2027
Dates: February 4–10, 2027 — Thursday through Ash Wednesday, when the Arrastão closes the circuits.
Salvador Carnival is the world's largest open-air street party, drawing an estimated 2–3 million participants over its run. The event is fundamentally different from Rio's Sambadrome format: the trios elétricos (massive sound trucks with live bands performing on top) move slowly through the city's streets while crowds follow in designated areas called pipocas (free, general admission) or camarotes (enclosed ticketed areas with food and drinks).
Axé music — the energetic, percussive genre born in Salvador in the 1980s — dominates, alongside pagode, forró, and sertanejo acts. The historic Pelourinho neighborhood hosts its own parallel Carnival programming, generally free and focused on traditional Afro-Brazilian music.
Before the main days comes the pre-Carnival, in Barra: Furdunço on Saturday, January 30, and Fuzuê on Sunday, January 31. Both are street parades organized by the Prefeitura de Salvador through SALTUR, and neither has a ticket page.
For more on Salvador's year-round event scene: Salvador Bahia Events Guide.
Comparing the Options
| Rio | Barranquilla | Oruro | Salvador | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scale | Massive (2M+) | Large (regional) | Large (200K+) | Massive (2–3M) |
| Format | Sambadrome spectacle + street blocos | Street parades | Sacred procession | Open-air street party |
| Best for | Spectacle, samba culture | Afro-Colombian culture | Spiritual/cultural depth | Music, energy, cost |
| Cost level | High (Sambadrome tickets + premium hotels) | Moderate | Moderate | Low–moderate |
| Altitude concern | None | None | High (3,700m) | None |
| Book how far ahead | 6–12 months | 2–3 months | 3–4 months | 2–4 months |
For a deeper comparison of LATAM Carnival traditions: Carnival in Latin America: The Full Comparison.
Where the Parties and Boxes Are Sold
The parade is one ticket. The boxes, blocos and festival programmes around it are others, each with its own seller, and ticket types often differ by night. Find the listing below, then check with the official seller what each ticket includes and which nights it covers.
Rio de Janeiro: Sambadrome camarotes
Camarotes are boxes sold separately from the parade ticket itself. Every listing below sits at the Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí, with tickets through Ticketmaster Brasil.
| Camarote | Dates on the listing |
|---|---|
| Camarote Folia Tropical | Jan 23–Feb 13 |
| Camarote Rio | Jan 30–Feb 13 |
| Camarote Allegria | Jan 30–Feb 13 |
| Camarote Aura | Jan 31–Feb 13 |
| Camarote Lounge Carioca | Feb 5–13 |
| Camisa 10 | Feb 5–13 |
| Camarote Mar | Feb 5–13 |
| Camarote Portela | Feb 5–13 |
| Camarote Bateria Nota 10 | Feb 5–13 |
| Camarote Explode Coração | Feb 5–13 |
| Camarote Lounge Viradouro | Feb 5–13 |
| Camarote Atmosfera | Feb 5–13 |
| Camarote Nº1 | Feb 7–13 |
Bateria Nota 10, Explode Coração, Lounge Viradouro and Atmosfera each run on six nights: February 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 13. Bateria Nota 10 is in Sector 3, Explode Coração and Lounge Viradouro in Sector 4 (Lounge Viradouro covers frisas 19 to 29, rows A to D) and Atmosfera in Sector 8.
A date range on a listing is not a promise of access on every night. Confirm the nights with the official seller.
Away from the Sambadrome, Bloco da Anitta 2027: Rio de Janeiro is on Friday, February 12, in Centro, with tickets through Carnaval da Anitta. The bloco also has a Salvador edition on February 5, listed under Salvador below.
The closing night has its own listing: Desfile das Campeãs, February 13, Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí, tickets through Ticketmaster Brasil.
São Paulo: the Anhembi parades
São Paulo's elite schools parade before Rio's, at the Sambódromo do Anhembi, with tickets through Clube do Ingresso.
- Feb 5: Desfile do Grupo Especial, first night
- Feb 6: Desfile do Grupo Especial, second night
- Feb 7: Desfile do Grupo de Acesso I
- Feb 13: Carnaval de São Paulo 2027: 13 de fevereiro
The Grupo de Acesso II parade on January 30 and the open technical rehearsals from December complete the calendar. Both are covered in our Brazil guide, in Portuguese.
Salvador: Circuito Barra-Ondina
Eleven listings sit on the Circuito Barra-Ondina, here in date order. Eight are sold through Central do Carnaval; the other three name their own seller on the line.
- Bloco da Quinta (Bell Marques): Feb 4, 3 pm.
- Camarote Club: Feb 4–9, at the Clube Espanhol.
- Camarote Salvador: Feb 4–9, tickets through FunPlace.
- Bloco da Anitta 2027: Salvador: Feb 5, tickets through Carnaval da Anitta.
- Bloco Vem com o Gigante (Léo Santana): Feb 5–6.
- Bloco Vumbora! (Bell Marques): Feb 5–6.
- Camarote Glamour: Feb 5–9, at the Clube Espanhol.
- Bloco Coruja 2027: Feb 6–8, tickets through Ticket Maker.
- Bloco Olodum: Feb 7.
- Bloco Camaleão: Feb 7–9.
- Bloco Largadinho (Claudia Leitte): Feb 9.
A camarote is the enclosed, ticketed area described above. A bloco is the roped-off section that follows a single act. Check with the official seller what each ticket includes.
Recife and Olinda: the Galo route, Boa Viagem and the blocos
Four listings, all with tickets through Bilheteria Digital.
- Bloco de Seu Antonio 2027: Saturday, January 23, 2 pm, at the Arena Boa Viagem in Recife.
- Camarote Seu Antonio no Galo 2027: Saturday, February 6, 9 am, on Avenida Dantas Barreto, along the route of the Galo da Madrugada.
- Bloco A Casa de Vô 2027: Feb 6–9, on Rua 27 de Janeiro, Carmo, in Olinda.
- Carnaval Boa Viagem 2027: Feb 7–9, at the Arena Boa Viagem in Recife, the eighth edition.
Confirm days, times and what each ticket includes with the official seller.
Porto Seguro: Carnaporto
Carnaporto 2027 runs February 10–12 at Arena Axé Moi, just after the four main Carnival days, with tickets through Axé Moi.
Porto Alegre: the Grupo Ouro parade
The Carnaval de Porto Alegre 2027: Desfile das Escolas de Samba, Grupo Ouro falls on February 20 at the Complexo Cultural do Porto Seco. The listing comes from the Prefeitura de Porto Alegre; check with the official source how to get in.
Natal: Carnatal 2026
The season opens early: Carnatal 2026 runs December 4–6, 2026, at Arena das Dunas, with tickets through Evenyx.
Barranquilla, Colombia: the carnival weeks
Six dated listings follow the season from the proclamation to the Monday parade, and each names the Fundación Carnaval de Barranquilla as the seller. Confirm venues and times with the foundation.
- Jan 16: Lectura del Bando
- Jan 29: La Guacherna
- Feb 4–7: Baila la Calle
- Feb 6: Batalla de Flores
- Feb 7: Gran Parada de Tradición
- Feb 8: Gran Parada de Comparsas
The full day-by-day, with the royal court and planning tips, is in our Barranquilla Carnival 2027 guide.
Mazatlán, Mexico: Carnaval Internacional
Carnaval Internacional de Mazatlán 2027 runs February 4–9 at Paseo Olas Altas and other venues. The listing comes from the Instituto Municipal de Cultura, Turismo y Arte de Mazatlán.
FAQ
When exactly is Carnival 2027? Rio Carnival 2027 runs February 5–13, with the elite Grupo Especial samba school parades on February 7, 8, and 9. Barranquilla Carnival is February 6–9. Oruro's main processions are on February 6–7, and Salvador's Carnival runs February 4–10.
How early should I book Rio Carnival 2027? Sambadrome tickets and Copacabana-area hotels can sell out 6–12 months in advance. If you want a specific samba school costume (fantasia), contact schools from mid-2026. General street Carnival (blocos) requires no advance booking, but accommodation still fills fast.
Is Barranquilla Carnival safe for tourists? Barranquilla is a large Colombian city; standard urban precautions apply. During Carnival, the city is extremely busy and festive. Most tourists report positive experiences at Barranquilla Carnival, though pickpocketing in dense crowds is a risk anywhere. Keep valuables secured and check current travel advisories before your trip.
Can I go to both Rio and Barranquilla? In theory, yes — Barranquilla Carnival starts February 6 and Rio's big nights are February 7–9. Logistically it's tight (you'd need to fly from Barranquilla to Rio mid-week). A more realistic combination is spending the first weekend in Barranquilla and flying to Rio for the Grupo Especial nights.
Do I need to speak Portuguese/Spanish for Carnival? Rio attracts enormous numbers of international visitors and most tourist-facing operations (hotels, restaurants, Sambadrome ticket booths, samba school tourist offices) have English-speaking staff. Barranquilla and Oruro are less internationally oriented — some Spanish helps significantly in both cities.
Summary
Carnival 2027's confirmed dates: Rio February 5–13 (Grupo Especial Feb 7–9); Barranquilla February 6–9; Oruro's main parades February 6–7; Salvador February 4–10, with its pre-Carnival parades on January 30–31. All four major LATAM Carnivals — Rio, Barranquilla, Oruro, Salvador — are distinctly different in character, cost, and logistics. Start planning now: Sambadrome tickets, samba school costumes, and Rio accommodation for the elite parade nights sell out the fastest. Oruro and Barranquilla can be arranged closer in, but 3–4 months ahead is still safer than last-minute.
Going to Rio for New Year's Eve too? Copacabana's Réveillon comes five weeks before Carnival: New Year's Eve in Rio 2027.
Plan your Carnival 2027 trip with events.lat.