Carnival Monday 2027 — How Many Days Until Carnival Monday?
About Carnival Monday
Carnival Monday in Trinidad and Tobago is the first of two days of Carnival celebrations, falling on the Monday before Ash Wednesday. It marks the beginning of the grand street festival that is widely regarded as one of the greatest carnivals in the world.
On Carnival Monday, the streets of Port of Spain and other towns come alive with J'ouvert (pronounced "joo-vay") in the early pre-dawn hours — a mud, paint, and oil-smeared street party that unofficially kicks off the festivities. As the day progresses, masquerade bands ("mas bands") begin their presentations, with tens of thousands of costumed revellers dancing through the streets to soca music.
Carnival Monday costumes are often more casual or "Monday wear" compared to the more elaborate Tuesday presentations. Steel pan orchestras, soca trucks, and DJs provide the soundtrack. Carnival is a profound expression of Trinidadian and Tobagonian culture, creativity, and freedom.
- Carnival Monday falls the Monday before Ash Wednesday, making its date change each year
- J'ouvert — a pre-dawn street party — traditionally begins Carnival Monday in the early hours
- J'ouvert participants cover themselves in mud, paint, or oil as part of the tradition
- Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival is considered one of the world's premier street festivals
- Carnival Monday costume presentations are typically more informal than the elaborate Tuesday costumes