Yes, we have CARNIVAL in Madeira Island!

Carnival in Madeira offers you a variety of activities to choose from, with the option of integrating them as a simple spectator or as an active participant, festivities taking place between 19 February and 1 March.

 

In Madeira, the carnival season lives in a constant festive atmosphere. In both official and more spontaneous initiatives, rooted in the Madeiran tradition, joy and good mood prevail in the streets, in entertainment establishments and in private homes.

 

Find out more about what to expect from Madeira Carnival Parties!

 

Saturday - February 22

On Saturday night, the colorful and lively parade takes thousands of tourists and residents to central Funchal to watch. This is the main attraction of Madeira Carnival Parties. There are more than a thousand revelers in flashy costumes and a dozen exquisitely decorated floats.

Music opens the procession: the colorful joy and rhythm of the costumed troupe has the gift of contagion. They all parade with enthusiasm to the sound of selected songs, with choreographies trained throughout the year, making their joy overflowing to the public.

 

Tuesday - February 25th

The Carnival Parade, held on Tuesday of Carnival, represents the procession that was previously done, spontaneously, in Rua da Carreira. Participation is open to everyone, domestic and foreign, and can be done individually or in groups. The creativity of the participants has no limits and ranges from social and political satire, to traditional paintings, to the simple disguise of characterization. Whether you watch or participate in this procession, you can undoubtedly share moments of humor and interaction with the public.

 

Other initiatives that make up the poster:

 

Feast of Compadres - February 15th and 16th

Carnival celebrations begin with the "Feast of Compadres", which takes place in Santana. This traditional festivity is part of the rituals of winter to spring and regeneration of the local community. The action takes place in a clear antagonism between male and female local residents, manifest in the making of dolls and dolls with a satirical character. The purpose of the celebration is the trial of "compadre" and the trial of "comadre", during which social criticism is made of the events and actions of individuals and community institutions during the year. In the end, both "compadre" and "comadre" are burned as punishment. In this way, the community regenerates and relieves social tensions, preparing it for a new cycle, which begins with spring.

 

Street Animation - February 19th to March 1st

From the Wednesday before Carnival Day, Funchal´s downtown, especially the central plaque of Avenida Arriaga, is spread by the magic of Carnival, and becomes the center of countless street entertainment initiatives. They include carnival music, shows, streets and various performances, contributing to the awakening of the holiday spirit of tourists and residents.

 

Carnival "Assaults"

Traditional manifestation of the Madeira Carnival are the so-called "assaults", which take place during the time before the Carnival. These were performed by masked groups who "robbed" the house of friends and acquaintances, in order to eat the delicacies of the time: the traditional "dreams" and "malassadas". These raids always ended in parties in private homes. This form of conviviality is still being done, albeit in small numbers, having been replaced by the combined "Assaults". These are marked in advance and now it is the robbers who bring the delicacies to the gatherings.

 

Theme Parties

The nightlife units also offer, before the Carnival period, several theme nights, such as "Hippie Night" and "Transvestite Night", inviting their guests to have fun disguised in a mask of this theme.

 

Solidarity Carnival

The downtown area is again presented with another initiative of animation that strives for originality and creativity. With a contagious energy, hundreds of revelers from the Funchal Community Development Association parade along Arriaga Avenue to the Municipal Garden, where a show is held.

 

Children´s Carnival

During this time, parents and children strive to make the masks that they then bring to school. On the morning of Friday before Carnival, about a thousand small revelers from various schools and nurseries in Funchal parade undercover through the center of the city (Avenida Arriaga) in a carnival atmosphere.

 

Price: Free

 

Source: Visitmadeira.pt