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Events & Carnival

Carnival and Salvador's festival calendar from a queer perspective, and why dates should be confirmed each year.

Percussionists of a bloco afro playing drums in front of a colonial wall in Salvador.
Percussion is not decoration in Salvador — it is a language. · Editorial placeholder image — replace with licensed photography.

Carnival in Salvador is street-based, enormous and openly queer in many of its blocos and parties. Beyond Carnival, the city's cultural calendar carries festivals, parties and performance seasons throughout the year. Dates, routes and programming change annually, so confirm them for your travel period before booking anything around them.

Queer venues open, move and close quickly, and a bar that was a landmark two years ago may not exist today. Every venue named on this site requires current validation before you rely on it.

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Percussionists of a bloco afro playing drums in front of a colonial wall in Salvador.
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Music & Carnival

Salvador is a music city every month of the year, not only in Carnival week.

Percussionists of a bloco afro playing drums in front of a colonial wall in Salvador.
Research in progress

Best time to visit

Carnival changes everything — prices, crowds and the city's rhythm.