Countries all over the world celebrate carnival and the Algarve is no exception. At this time of the year, Portuguese people go all-out to revel in street parties, masked balls and dances.

Loulé holds the oldest Carnival festivities in Portugal as the town has celebrated it for more than 110 years ! It is a vibrant and exciting display of colours, with many people dressing up in costumes.

This year’s theme “Once Upon a Time in… Louléwood” is all about hilarity around the Hollywood, celebrities and famous movie heroes and villains. The 2020 festivities will count with 14 floats, adorned with 1 million flowers, many local groups, some beautifully-costumed samba groups, dancers with painted bodies, entertainers, giant puppets and many more surprises. The parade of huge and colourful floats and locals groups starts at 3 pm daily.

Between 80,000 and 100,000 people are expected to visit Loulé next week for the celebrations. The Carnival takes place from 23 to 25 February 2020. Get your costume and be part of the celebrations!