The Bahamas' signature street festival — a carnival of music, elaborate costumes, and Goombay drumming held in Nassau at midnight on Boxing Day (Dec 26) and New Year's Day, one of the great cultural spectacles in the Caribbean.
Why It’s Worth Your Time
Junkanoo is the cultural soul of the Bahamas — a street parade of African origin that has evolved over three centuries into a spectacular competition of costumed groups ("shacks") competing for prizes with handmade papier-mâché and crepe paper costumes of extraordinary complexity. The main parades happen at midnight on Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year's Day on Bay Street in Nassau. Groups spend the entire year preparing their costumes and music. The drumming, cowbells, and brass section create a sound unique to the Bahamas. The crowds are enormous — arrive early for a viewing spot on the Bay Street bleachers.
What Stands Out
- African-origin street festival — 300+ years of Bahamian cultural tradition
- Costumes prepared year-round — extraordinary complexity
- Parades at midnight on Boxing Day and New Year's Day
- Bay Street Nassau — bleacher tickets available in advance
- The drumming and cowbell sound is unlike anything else in the Caribbean