Skip to main content
HolidayList
🎉 festival

Uruguay Carnival

Sunday, February 15, 2026

— days to go

Uruguay Carnival (Carnaval de Uruguay) is the longest carnival celebration in the world, typically extending for over 40 days from late January through early March. Centered in the capital city of Montevideo and celebrated throughout the country, Uruguayan Carnival is a vibrant fusion of African, Indigenous, and European cultural traditions that reflects the nation's diverse heritage. Unlike the more widely known Brazilian Carnival, Uruguay's celebration is distinguished by its unique emphasis on musical theater competitions, particularly the desfile de llamadas (call parade) featuring candombe drumming, and the tablados, which are neighborhood stages where comparsas (performance groups) present elaborate musical and theatrical shows. Candombe, a musical style with deep African roots characterized by its distinctive three-drum rhythm, is the heartbeat of Uruguayan Carnival and has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The festival involves hundreds of thousands of participants across dozens of comparsas, murga groups, and humorists.

History

Uruguayan Carnival traces its origins to the colonial era when European settlers brought pre-Lenten festivities to the region. In the 18th and 19th centuries, African slaves and their descendants in Montevideo developed candombe, a musical and dance tradition that combined elements of various Bantu cultures from Central and West Africa. These traditions were expressed during Carnival celebrations, which provided one of the few permitted outlets for African cultural expression. Following Uruguay's independence, Carnival evolved into a more organized municipal celebration. The first tablados appeared in the 1870s, and by the early 20th century, the Carnival had developed its distinctive competition format. The desfile de llamadas became an official event in the 1950s. Periods of political repression under the civil-military dictatorship of 1973-1985 affected Carnival, but the celebration rebounded strongly after democracy was restored. In 2009, UNESCO recognized candombe as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, cementing the cultural significance of Uruguay's Carnival traditions.

How It's Celebrated

Uruguay Carnival celebrations feature the nightly Desfile de Llamadas, where hundreds of drummers, dancers, and performers parade through the streets of Montevideo's Barrio Sur and Palermo neighborhoods, playing candombe rhythms on tamboriles (barrel-shaped drums). The official Carnival contest takes place at the Teatro de Verano, where comparsas compete in categories including murga (satirical musical theater), revistas (variety shows), humoristas (comedy acts), and parodistas (parody performances). Throughout the country, tablados host live performances where families gather to watch traditional shows, eat locally made churros, asado, and drink cleric cocktails. The Rey Momo, or King Momo, is crowned as the symbolic ruler of the festivities. Each neighborhood stages its own smaller celebrations, and schools prepare children to participate in their local comparsas, ensuring that the tradition passes to the next generation.

Other Years

2021 Mon
15 Feb
2022 Tue
15 Feb
2023 Wed
15 Feb
2024 Thu
2/15
2025 Sat
2/15
2027 Mon
2/15
2028 Tue
2/15
2029 Thu
15 Feb

Countries

🇺🇾 UY

You Might Also Like

View all →
📅 holiday Feb 16

Carnival

The Carnival holiday in Uruguay comes each year in February or March, as in many other significantly Roman Catholic countries. The date varies, but it always immediately precedes Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of a 40-day Lenten fast leading up to Easter. In Uruguay, Carnival has as many African roots as European so that song and dance styles like “candombre” tend to dominate the contests and fill the streets of Montevideo for weeks on end. There are numerous parades, focused especially in the capital and largest city of Montevideo. Dancers and singers perform in the streets as well as in the Summer Theatre. Artists also compete, and there are makeshift stages called “tablados” in the streets where plays are performed. Uruguay’s Carnival has a very different “flavour” than that in Rio. It is focused more on culture and art than on mere entertainment, though of course there is plenty of both!

UY AO BO +4
📅 holiday Dec 25

Christmas Day

Christmas in New Caledonia is celebrated with a public holiday every 25 December, as it is in a majority of countries around the world. This Christian festivity commemorates the birth of Jesus, and is part of a 22-28 day season in the Christian calendar known as Advent. In 2026, Christmas falls on Friday 25 December. The holiday will be on Saturday 25 December in 2027. Christmas Day and the Christmas season are a busy time of year in New Caledonia. This is one of the main tourist seasons on the island with many from Australia, New Zealand, and France coming here while the kids are out of school. About half in New Caledonia are Catholic and often go to mass all night on the day before Christmas. They seek to welcome Christmas morning while joyfully remembering the day that Christ was born. Many Protestants and Evangelicals in New Caledonia go to church on Christmas Day or the Sunday nearest to Christmas to celebrate the birth of the Saviour. The capital city of Noumea is lit up like a Christmas tree for the holidays each year. The city centre is the brightest spot, including Coconut Palm Square, the capital complex, and the Noumea Museum. Both palm trees and buildings are decked out with multi-coloured lights for the occasion.

NC IN ZA +132
📅 holiday May 17

Constitution Day

Every 14 March is a public holiday in Andorra called “Constitution Day”. Constitution Day commemorates the day in 1993 when Andorra’s current constitution was approved by 74 percent of the voters in a referendum. In 2027, Constitution Day falls on Sunday 14 March. The holiday will be on Tuesday 14 March in 2028. The government of Andorra has determined that businesses close down on four national public holidays, and Constitution Day is among those four. However, there may be some exceptions at ski resorts and certain tourist centres. Also on Constitution Day, there will be special speeches delivered by the two “co-princes” of Andorra and other important government leaders. The country will be full of flying Andorran flags and a host of cultural events. And you can also attend the big fireworks display in the capital city and the various concerts that also are held there on 14 March.

AD TH PW +27
📅 holiday Jul 4

Independence Day

Mauritania became an independent nation by on 28 November 1960 by declaration of its “Constituent Assembly”. Independence Day is celebrated on this date each year to remember this important historic event. In 2026, Independence Day falls on Saturday 28 November. The holiday will be on Sunday 28 November in 2027. Although Berbers and other tribes had lived in the region for as long as anyone can remember, there was no “Mauritania” as such before the arrival of the French colonialists. They essentially created a new colony that incorporated the lands of numerous local tribes in the region into one “new country”. France colonised what is now Mauritania to block the expansion of Spanish Morocco and to create a “land bridge” between French Algeria and French West Africa. Their conquest of the area began at Adar and moved inland. After the French established a new constitution in 1958, they had hoped that Mauritania might remain within the “French Community” even if they opted for independence. But instead, the country fully left being under French influence by 1960. After independence, Morocco tried to oppose them or dominate them, but Mauritania successfully resisted.

MR AO SN +103