Carnival of Barranquilla
The Carnival of Barranquilla is the most important celebration in Barranquilla. Through this celebration the dances and tradition come to life uniting each and everyone involved. The dancer becomes the spectator and the spectator becomes a dancer.Everyone participates and lives the joy of the Carnival!
It takes place for four days preceding Ash Wednesday. During the carnival the city of Barranquilla’s normal activities are paralyzed because the city gets busy with street dances, musical and masquerade parades. Barranquilla’s Carnival is known for being second in size to Rio de Janeiro’s.
This Carnival has its origins in a Carnival that came to America from Spain in the 19th Century. Today, tradition takes place in form of dances, music, and art. The Carnival of Barranquilla is unique because of its cultural diversity. The mix of cultural heritage from Spain and cultural references from the Caribbean Colombia combine to make this celebration the best show on earth.
The Carnival of Barranquilla was proclaimed by UNESCO, in November 2003, as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.