Sway examines how Caribbean culture and carnival is celebrated, from Trinidad to Tokyo

By Simona Siad

What can you say about the most famous carnival in the world?  The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held 40 days before Easter. Rio di Janeiro’s famous Sambadrome parade and Salvador’s street parties have helped to make Brazil famous.

In February, the city of Rio shuts down for the month with “blocos” (block parties), where locals and tourists drink beer, dance and sing along to famous carnival songs. The major event of Rio’s carnival is the parade at the world-renowned Sambadrome exhibition place, where samba schools compete for the title of best school. Barely-clad samba dancers adorn colourful floats and the parade lasts all night.

Looking for even more culture? Salvador, in the northern coastal State of Bahia, is a city that hosts a more African-influenced carnival. Street parties last all month, with thousands of people drumming, drinking and dancing the month away. Many famous recording artists visit Salvador during carnival month. This year, Beyoncé and Madonna both had shows during the festivities.

Sway recognizes that it did not, and could not, cover all of the amazing carnivals that exist in the Caribbean and around the world. Please comment below and tell us which global carnival is your favourite and why.