Trinidad Carnival 2020 will be one of the biggest street parties in the world. Carnival has been replicated throughout the Caribbean and as far as Toronto, New York, Miami and Notting Hill. Carnival originated during slavery, when the slaves who were banned from attending their masters elaborate balls and parties, decided to host their own costumed parties.
Trinidad Carnival has come a long way since its early stages and has evolved into an all-inclusive event which is one of the most attended carnivals in the world, generating millions of dollars for Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad Carnival 2020 Dates
There are many activities that will take place leading up to the carnival but the main events will take place from February 24th – February 25th 2020, which are carnival Monday and Tuesday.
Carnival starts each year on the 26th December and ends on “Ash Wednesday”. The Carnival dates change each year, as it depends on the Catholic calendar. For example, Carnival Monday in 2019 was March 4th however; in 2020, it is February 24th.The masquerades/parades take place on Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday. The 3 days prior to those are referred to as Carnival Sunday, Carnival Saturday and Fantastic Friday.
This article is a basic planning guide to offer you some tips on how to plan your trip to Trinidad and have a safe and enjoyable Trinidad Carnival 2020.
Booking Your Flight
Our honest advice is to book your flight as early as possible, typically flight fares to Port of Spain during the week of carnival are very expensive. The best time for you to fly in to enjoy the prime time of the Carnival season is one week prior to Carnival Monday. Of course, if you can get there earlier, then you’ll experience even more festivities.
Hotel Accommodation
In planning your trip to Trinidad and Tobago we advise that you choose your accommodation as early as possible. Prices tend to spike due to the demand for rooms around carnival time. Many individuals also pre-book their accommodations before they leave the previous year and these factors may make it difficult to find space in hotels near or in Port of Spain. Therefore from as early as possible sort out your accommodations. Some popular hotels you can stay at are the Hilton Hotel, Courtyard by Marriot and the Kapok Hotel.
Transportation
If you plan on fully taking part in carnival then you will be moving around a lot. Hiring taxis can become expensive especially if you are outside of Port of Spain and a distance from the events. The best thing to do is rent a car for the duration of your time there. We would also recommend renting your vehicle in advance. However, if this is not possible many hotels offer a shuttle service.
Parties/Fetes to Attend
A stated earlier in this article there are many events to attend during carnival with many offering a variety of elements for everyone. It greatly depends on what your tastes are that would decipher which events you should go to but we suggest going to a mixture of events to get a taste of everything. Here is a list of the different types of events you can attend;
- “Cooler Fetes”: In these fetes you can enter the party with your own cooler with drinks. Your drinks must be in plastic bottles and cans only. These fetes make sense from both a financial and logistical standpoint. You will save money as you carry your own drinks and you don’t have to stand in large crowds at the bar waiting to get alcohol. However, if you don’t want to bring a cooler food and drinks are always on sale.
- All-Inclusive Fetes: These in our opinion are some of the best fetes to go to. The ticket price includes access to the party, food & drinks. Although these events are sometimes a bit pricey you get your monies worth in food, premium drinks and the parties are incredible.
- Boat Rides/Cruises: These cruises will take you along the shores of Port of Spain and/or Chaguaramas.
- Breakfast Parties: Usually start at 4am and ends around 11am. Breakfast and drinks are included in the price.
Trinidad Carnival 2020 Events & Fetes List
January 26, Sunday
2 AM – Focus Cooler Fete – Purchase Tickets
3 AM – Festival of Colour – Victoria Avenue, Port of Spain
3 AM – Paynt Assylum – Peters Place, Plymouth, Tobago
4 AM – Beaucoup Bacchannal Breakfast – Estate 101, Maraval – Purchase Tickets
4 PM – Straight Outta Belmont – Carnival Cooler – Purchase Tickets
January 31, Monday
6 PM – Chaux with Yuh Cooler – 6th Avenue, Barataria
7 PM – GT-Sea – Colours of Carnival – Harbour Master, Port of Spain – Purchase Tickets
8 PM – Mad Ants – Professional Center, Port of Spain – Purchase Tickets
9 PM – CORE Cooler Experience – Central Trinidad, Port of Spain – Purchase Tickets
February 1st, Saturday
1 AM – Yuh Siding – Festival of Music – TBA, Port of Spain
6 AM – Soca Brain Kooler – Chaguanas North Secondary School, Chaguanas
7 PM – Lacaray – The Bacchanal Boat Ride – Ocean Pelican, Saint George
9 PM – Liquid Cooler Fete – Constantine Park, Tunapuna
February 2nd, Sunday
2 AM – ON Cooler Fete – Purchase Tickets
2 AM – The Uprising – O2 Park, Chaguaramas
3 AM – iUP Soca X Sunrise Carnival – Five Islands Amusement Park, Chaguaramas
2 PM – Pre P11MP – Sunset Cooler Cruise – Harbour Master, Port-of-Spain – Purchase Tickets
2 PM – Wine on Rum Street – TBA, Port-of-Spain – Purchase Tickets
4 PM – Holy Name Convent – Phoenix II – Cooler Fete – Purchase Tickets
February 8th, Saturday
2 PM – Beach House on the Hill – San Fernando Hill, San Fernando – Purchase Tickets
8 PM – Alternative Comedy Festival – National Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain
8 PM – Bacchanalia – Bacchanal Road LED – TBA, Port of Spain
8 PM – BlockO – Purchase Tickets
February 14th, Firday
3 PM – Lookout – Bayview Bar, Maracas Bay – Purchase Tickets
7 PM – Ultra Violet Blacklight Cooler Cruise – Purchase Tickets
10 PM – Carnival Cups – Government Campus Plaza – Purchase Tickets
February 18th, Tuesday
Pree Dawn – Purchase Tickets
Vale Vibe Cooler Fete – Purchase Tickets
February 19th, Wednesday
Duck Work DDI – Purchase Tickets
Punchy Wednesday – Purchase Tickets
February 20, Thursday
A.M.BEACH – Purchase Tickets
Farmhouse – Purchase Tickets
FOF Carnival – Purchase Tickets
Tropical LUAU Carnival – Purchase Tickets
Beach House: Cooler Inclusive Fete – Purchase Tickets
Where ever you decide to go to I would advise you to purchase you tickets early because these events sell out fast.
Choosing a Carnival Band
For anyone that is unfamiliar with carnival you have to join a band if you want to play mas. There are a variety of bands to choose from with many offering a premium experience and some of the more popular bands can have as many as 3000 masqueraders. Choosing which band to register with also has a lot to do with your budget. Bands usually hold ‘Band Launches’ where they present their costumes to the public between the months of July and September. Then, costumes & prices are detailed on each band’s respective website or social media.You can check out our page here to see some of the carnival bands for Trinidad Carnival 2020 at https://islandzest.com/carnival-costumes/
The question you may be asking yourself is what type of carnival costume should I choose? Well there are three types of Female costumes to choose from:
Backline costumes: These are usually the more toned down versions of the costumes. This is the simpler type of costume, with less feathers, smaller headpiece. This is usually the cheapest costume in a band costing between US$600-US$900.
Midline costumes: This is an option some bands offer, which is the middle ground between frontline and backline. The price also reflects this middle ground as they cost anywhere between US$750-$1,1200.
Frontline costumes: These are more lavish costumes, with much bigger headpieces and/or extravagant wings/big bunch of feathers. On average the price tag is US$1,400 or more.
Male Costumes: These usually include short pants, t-shirt, accessories/jewelry. Some bands include wings and a headpiece while in others it is optional. Price tag is from US$600 upwards.
Many bands have websites setup where you can view and purchase your costumes before arriving in the island. You will usually get your costume a couple weeks before carnival depending on the band.
Trinidad Carnival 2020 Bands
Here is a list of some of the bands you can sign up with for Trinidad Carnival 2020;
Jouvert
Trinidad Carnival 2020 J’ouvert
The name J’ouvert originates from the French jour ouvert, meaning day break or morning. J’ouvert marks the official start of the two day carnival celebrations in Trinidad & Tobago. It usually officially commences at 4:00 a.m. on Carnival Monday and ends around 8 a.m., however, this time depends on the J’ouvert band. Most importantly, if you are going to J’ouvert go expecting to get dirty, revelers are usually doused with paint, powder, water, mud you name it, while dancing behind the truck playing music or live steel pan music. J’ouvert is a lot of fun but we advise if you plan on playing mas later during the day for Carnival Monday you hold back on the drinking because those festivities start shortly afterwards.
Some of the J’ouvert bands you can consider registering with for Trinidad Carnival 2020 are;
Dirty Dozens – https://www.facebook.com/dtydozenjouvert/
Red Ants – https://www.facebook.com/redantscarnival/
Caesar’s Army — https://www.facebook.com/caesarsarmy/
Get in Shape
This is one thing that cannot be stressed enough fitness! All body types are accepted around carnival so the look of your body is not the issue. Your fitness level and stamina is what will be tested around carnival. Carnival is non-stop partying, being in a band Carnival Monday and Tuesday can be taxing on the body. Besides that the route is long and you will be partying, drinking and dancing. Not to mention all the parties and fetes you will attend on your stay in Trinidad.
Therefore we would advise you stay in shape as you will want fully take advantage of all carnival has to offer and have the full experience. At least 3-4 months before you go to carnival find a way to either hit the gym or do your own exercise routine.
We have put together an article on ‘How to get fit for Carnival‘ that shows you all the steps needed to get in shape. Please do not under estimate the amount of energy and stamina you will need for Trinidad Carnival 2020.
Security
Trinidad and Tobago is a beautiful country with friendly and kind people, however, it is not exempt from crime. Therefore we would advise while having fun and playing mas in the country keep some safety precautions in mind.
- Keep the amount of cash you carry on you to a minimum
- Don’t wear flashy or expensive jewelry
- Travel in groups to and from events
- Avoid having wallets or large purses
- Stay aware of your surroundings and persons who may be watching you.
Finally we hope that you have a blast for Trinidad Carnival 2020, it is definitely one of the best street parties in the world. Stay safe and stay tuned for more updates on carnival.
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I Will like to get carnival calender 2019,thanks
Hi Kize, we should have the full list of events and dates next month. The list will be emailed to you.