Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
- Location: Trinidad And Tobago, Port Of Spain
- Date: Feb 15 – Feb 23 2023
- Hotel & Flight: Book Now
When is the 2023 Trinidad and Tobago Carnival?
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is a two day celebration that is held annually on the Monday and Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.
Carnival Monday will take place on February 20, 2023 and Carnival Tuesday will occur on February 21, 2023.
The week before carnival is called carnival week and that’s when the bulk of the fetes are held. Carnival Wednesday to Carnival Sunday is when the best and most popular fetes are on. Although there are many carnival celebrations happening for months prior with the first fetes occurring as early as the day after Christmas.
What is the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival?
What is Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago? Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is said by some to be the greatest street parade in the world! Although the people of Rio may argue with that statement it is certainly the biggest and best of all the Caribbean carnivals.
Thousands of people around the world head to Trinidad and Tobago’s capital city, the Port of Spain to celebrate carnival every year.
How Do They Celebrate Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago?
What is carnival in Trinidad and Tobago? Trinidad and Tobago Carnival kicks off early Monday morning before sunrise, or late Sunday night if you didn’t go to bed, with J’Ouvert which is a sunrise parade.
Monday and Tuesday of carnival are just two days of craziness. Trinidadians are party animals and will spend carnival drinking, dancing and socializing all day and all night long. The carnival is famous for being a sunny rum soaked celebration.
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is full of vibrant colorful parades and costumes which is the highlight of carnival. It is also known for showcasing its different styles of Caribbean music like soca and steelpan bands. There are also plenty of pre and post carnival events and parties.
What is Playing Mas?
When it comes to celebrating carnival in Trinidad and Tobago you can either just be a spectator and watch the parades, or you can join in! When you choose to join in it is called playing mas.
For those not familiar with Carnival in the Caribbean if you want to play mas you have to join a masquerade band. It isn’t possible to just show up in a beautiful home-made costume and join the parade. You must select a mas band you want to be part of, wear their costumes and dance through the streets with your chosen band.
To have the best time at carnival in Trinidad and Tobago don’t just be a spectator! Absolutely find a mas band that you want to be part of, then sign up and join the party!
Choosing a Mas Band Trinidad and Tobago
How to choose a Mad Band for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival? Well, that’s a difficult decision because you have so many good options. Maybe you will select your band based on their costumes with some groups wearing very sexy costumes, and other are more conservative.
Some Mas Bands are all inclusive and you will not just get your costumes but also food and drinks, bathrooms, security, medical services, and whatever else you may need to make your carnival experience easier. A lot of the more popular bands sell out early, so reserve as soon as you can.
Here are the 2023 Trinidad Carnival Mas Bands:
- Bliss Carnival – ‘Wild’
- Carnival Rogue –‘Rogue Bot’ theme
- Legacy Carnival – ‘A Tik Tok Affair’ theme
- Lost Tribe – ‘202WE’
- Harts Carnival – ‘Island Breeze’
- Paparazzi Carnival – ‘Breakaway Beats’ theme
- Pure Carnival
- Tribe Carnival – ‘A new dawn’ theme
- Ronnie and Caro – ‘This is Paradise’ theme
- Utopia Mas – ‘Mas Kya Dun’ theme
- Yuma Vibe – ‘Awakened Treasure’ theme
What are the most popular Mas Bands?
Many tourists will choose to play mas with some of the larger, all-inclusive bands. Tribe, Harts and Bliss are probably the three most popular mas bands. These three bands have the most uptown and tourist participants.
If you are looking for a more authentic band then join Legacy or Ronnie and Caro which have a great reputation, are safe and offer many of the same conveniences as the other two.
Here are some of the best and most popular mas bands at Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.
- Tribe: This is the largest and most established mas band at Trinidad and Tobago Carnival. They sell out every year and they are all-inclusive.
- Harts: Another all-inclusive mas band who were the first to put beads on a bikini. They are also very popular and will actually allow you to customize your costume.
- Bliss: One of the top 3 most popular bands. They always sell out.
- Paparazzi Carnival: This group is for the 30-50 age group and has a more chill vibe
- Ronnie and Caro: This mas band will usually take out the winning title for best costume presentation.
- The Lost Tribe:This mas band prides itself on going all out. In fact, they actually won second place for Best Band of the year, the very first time they paraded.
- Carnival Rogue: This is a new mas band and they are aiming to give an alternative and fresh perspective on the carnival.
It should be noted that Tribe tends to be an exclusive band. Most of the registration for the band occurs through committee members. Spots only go to the open market if a section is still available after that process.
Many other popular bands fill up quickly too. But you can use the website Fine ah Band to purchase a costume from someone who is no longer able to make it to carnival and is selling this. The website also sells sold out fete tickets too.
