Copenhagen Carnival

Name: Copenhagen Carnival
Start: 2025-05-22
End: 2025-05-24
Location: Copenhagen

Denmark’s Capital Transformed by Samba, Color, and the Biggest Street Festival in Scandinavia

2026/05/21 - 2026/05/23

Copenhagen Carnival is one of the largest carnivals in Northern Europe, held every May in the heart of Copenhagen. The festival features samba, Caribbean music, dance, and dazzling costume parades, drawing tens of thousands of visitors and participants from Denmark and abroad.

Every May, the Danish capital bursts into life with music, dance, and glittering costumes for Copenhagen Carnival. For three days, city parks, squares, and historic streets are filled with samba and Caribbean rhythms, and the smiles of people from all walks of life. Dance lovers, music fans, and families alike can jump into the parade and enjoy this joyful festival together.

Sequins and feathers shimmer, the scent of grilled food drifts through the air, and confetti rains down as thousands of dancers and drummers fill the city with energy. For one unforgettable weekend, Copenhagen becomes a giant carnival stage you’ll never forget.

Main Attractions

Grand Parade

The highlight of the festival is the Grand Parade. More than 2,000 dancers and musicians from around the world march through the city center, with samba schools, steel bands, and costume groups filling the streets with rhythm and smiles. The parade ends in Fælledparken, where the party continues with music, dancing, and food stalls.

Live Stages & Dance Zones

Special stages in Fælledparken and around the city host a variety of live performances—samba, reggae, salsa, Afrobeat, and more. Dance workshops welcome everyone from beginners to advanced dancers. The sounds of percussion, brass, and cheering fill the spring air.

Children’s Carnival

The Children’s Carnival area is popular with families, featuring a kids’ parade, costume contests, games, and workshops. Children can try drumming, make masks, and enjoy a colorful and safe space to participate in the fun.

Costumes and Decorations

Costumes are the soul of the carnival! Glittery bikinis, feathered wings, face paint, and elaborate headdresses light up the city. Floats are decorated with tropical flowers, ribbons, and balloons, while parks and squares are festooned with banners and flags. The tactile feel of sequins, the vividness of body paint, and the swirl of fabrics stimulate all the senses.

Traditional Food & Drink

Food stalls offer Brazilian churrasco, Caribbean jerk chicken, empanadas, and Danish favorites like hot dogs and pastries. Beer, caipirinhas, and fresh juices are popular, and the aromas of spices and grilling mingle in the spring breeze.

Cultural and Historical Background

Copenhagen Carnival began in 1982, started by local music and dance lovers inspired by the carnival cultures of Rio de Janeiro and the Caribbean. The first event was a small parade and live music gathering with just a few hundred participants, but quickly grew as immigrant communities and artists from Denmark and abroad joined in, making it an internationally diverse event.

By the 1990s, samba schools, Afro-Caribbean bands, and dance groups from across Europe joined, giving rise to a variety of programs including the Grand Parade, Children’s Carnival, and Night Parade. Through music, dance, and costumes, the festival became a place to celebrate “diversity and freedom of self-expression,” establishing itself as a summer tradition in Copenhagen.

Today, the festival draws over 100,000 spectators and more than 2,000 performers each year, with much of the organization run by volunteers. It is a citizen-driven event where the fusion of immigrant cultures and new forms of expression are born, and locals, tourists, and artists alike come together to enjoy “everyone’s carnival.”

Participant Voices

I visited as a tourist and was amazed by the diversity and friendliness. I jumped into a samba workshop and ended up dancing with people from all over the world!

Festival Dates

Copenhagen Carnival is held every May in central Copenhagen. Put on your best costume, join a dance workshop or parade, and let yourself be swept away by the rhythm and excitement of Denmark’s biggest street party.