Carnival in Funchal is three parades and a city centre that stays busy in between. On Friday 5 February the children's and solidarity parades walk Avenida Arriaga to the Municipal Garden. On Saturday 6 February the allegoric parade takes Avenida do Mar at night: samba groups on floats, feathered headdresses and well over a thousand performers. On Tuesday 9 February, Carnival Tuesday, the Trapalhão follows in the afternoon, a slapstick parade of homemade costumes and local satire that plenty of the crowd dresses up for.
- CostFree from the pavement, for every parade. Grandstand seats along the Saturday route are paid and sold ahead, so buy one before you travel if you want to sit.
- WhereAvenida do Mar, the seafront road below the old town, for the Saturday and Tuesday parades. Avenida Arriaga, one street up, for the children on Friday.
- Getting thereOn foot. The route closes to traffic for each parade and parking in the centre is scarce all week, so leave the car wherever you are sleeping.
- Best timeSaturday 6 February is the one to plan a trip around. Without a grandstand seat, be on the seafront by late afternoon to stand at the barrier.
- With childrenFriday is theirs, and the Tuesday afternoon suits them too. The Saturday runs late and the crowd at the barrier is deep, so small children need a grandstand seat or shoulders.
The Saturday and the Tuesday are two different events that happen to share a road. Saturday is the show: rehearsed, choreographed and watched from a spot you claimed hours earlier. Tuesday is the island laughing at its own year, rougher and funnier, and the one where a visitor in a wig fits straight in. With a day to spare, pick Saturday; with the whole week, stay for both, because the days between are when the centre is easiest to walk around and eat in. The dates here are the tourist board's official programme, which can still be adjusted, so check it again before you book flights.
What people ask us about Carnival
When is the Madeira Carnival in 2027?
From 3 to 14 February 2027. The children's and solidarity parades are on Friday 5 February, the allegoric parade on Saturday 6 February and the Trapalhão on Tuesday 9 February.
Do I need a ticket to watch the parade?
No. Every parade is free to watch from the pavement. Seats in the grandstands along Avenida do Mar on the Saturday are paid, and they are worth buying ahead if you want to sit rather than stand for the whole evening.
Should I dress up?
For the Trapalhão on the Tuesday, yes: homemade costumes and satire are the point of it, and plenty of the crowd comes in fancy dress. On the Saturday the costumes are the performers', and the crowd mostly watches in ordinary clothes.
Where should I stay for Carnival?
In central Funchal, within walking distance of Avenida do Mar. The roads around the route close for the parades, and walking back after the Saturday is easier than finding a taxi. Book early, because Carnival week is one of the busiest in the city.
