Carnaval 2026
By Charlotte Stace
Barcelona Carnaval 2026 is the city’s week-long permission slip to go a bit feral before Lent. Since Roman times, Carnaval marks the time just before Lent starts where people, if they desire, can enjoy one last chance to eat, drink and be merry, before their 40 days of fasting begin. And Barcelona does it well - think outrageous costumes, street parties, music, dancing, and the sense that normal rules don’t apply.
Some key highlights of the festivities include: Fat Thursday (food, feasting and the first parties), the arrival of Queen Belluga who comes to kick things off, and, of course, the classic taronjada orange fest. Aside from this, there’ll be concerts, costume contests, exhibitions, masked dances, dress-up workshops, and neighbourhood events that turn different districts into their own mini carnivals.
It all comes to a close with the Burial of the Sardine on Ash Wednesday: a mock funeral march that signals the end of the madness and the start of Lent.