Carnival in Salvador

Carnival in Salvador, the capital of Bahia, is a street carnival. Instead of a stadium parade, music is played from trios elétricos, trucks fitted with a stage and sound system, that move slowly along the city's official circuits with crowds following on foot. Salvador City Hall's programme lists blocos de corda (groups that parade inside a roped-off area), trios "pipoca" that play for anyone on the street, blocos afro, afoxés and independent groups, across official and alternative circuits.

The circuits

The city names three traditional circuits: Dodô, along the seafront from Barra to Ondina; Osmar, through Campo Grande in the city centre; and Batatinha, in the Pelourinho and the Centro Histórico. The Bahia state government lists seven official circuits in all: Dodô, Osmar, Batatinha, Riachão, Mestre Bimba, Circuito das Águas and Mãe Hilda Jitolu.

Culture in the Centro Histórico

The Bahia state culture department funds a separate programme for the Pelourinho, Carnaval do Pelô, with stages, parades and cultural performances in the historic centre, and the Ouro Negro programme, which supports Bahia's blocos afro, afoxés and other Afro-Brazilian carnival groups.

This edition

The 2026 Carnival ran from 12 to 17 February 2026, opening on the Osmar circuit on the Thursday. For 2027, the city has confirmed the pre-Carnival weekend: the Furdunço on Saturday 30 January and the Fuzuê on Sunday 31 January 2027. The official six days are expected from Thursday 4 to Tuesday 9 February 2027, but City Hall had not published the dates or programme on an official site when this page was checked. If you are comparing carnivals, see our Rio Carnival page.

• Circuito Dodô (Barra–Ondina): the seafront circuit from Barra to Ondina, one of the three traditional circuits named by Salvador City Hall.
• Circuito Osmar (Campo Grande): the city-centre circuit, where the 2026 Carnival opened on Thursday 12 February.
• Circuito Batatinha (Pelourinho): the historic-centre circuit, alongside the state's Carnaval do Pelô stages and parades.
• Trios without ropes: the city sponsors trios sem cordas ("pipoca") so people can follow the big shows on the street freely.
• Pre-Carnival weekend: the Furdunço on Saturday 30 January and the Fuzuê on Sunday 31 January 2027, the weekend before Carnival.

• Barra and Ondina: on the Dodô circuit, so you can walk to the seafront parades; in 2026 the city's free Buzu da Folia line C011 (Lapa–Garibaldi) ran for people leaving the Dodô circuit.
• Centro and Campo Grande: on the Osmar circuit, near the Lapa metro and bus station, where the city's free Carnival bus lines started in 2026.
• Pelourinho and Centro Histórico: on the Batatinha circuit, with the Carnaval do Pelô programme close by.
• Further out, near the metro: quieter areas along metro Line 1 (Lapa–Águas Claras) or Line 2 (Acesso Norte–Aeroporto), which runs to the airport.

Flying in: Salvador Bahia Airport (SSA) is the city's airport. Its destination list includes Lisbon, Madrid and Paris but no UK airports, so from the UK you will need to change, either in Europe or at a Brazilian hub such as São Paulo. The FCDO says British passport holders can visit Brazil without a visa for up to 90 days for tourism; your passport must be valid for at least six months after you arrive.

Airport to the city: the airport says the metro's Aeroporto station is a short walk from the arrivals terminal, with a shuttle between the terminal and the station run by the metro operator. Metro Line 2 runs from Aeroporto to Acesso Norte, where it meets Line 1 to Lapa in the city centre. The metro normally runs every day from 05:00 to midnight. Buses leave from a stop in the arrivals area, and there are taxis and app cars.

Getting around during Carnival: the circuits are closed to traffic while the parades run. In 2026, Transalvador installed fixed road barriers around the Barra–Ondina circuit from midday on Wednesday 11 February, the day before Carnival opened. The city ran the free Buzu da Folia lines C010 (Lapa–Calabar) and C011 (Lapa–Garibaldi) 24 hours a day from midday on the opening Thursday to midday on Ash Wednesday. The 2027 transport plan had not been published by 2 November 2026; check Salvador's mobility department (Semob) nearer the time.

See our Salvador de Bahia guide and Brazil guide.

Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights.

Following the trios on the street is free: Salvador City Hall sponsors trios sem cordas ("pipoca") so people can follow the shows freely, and its programme also lists free stages. Blocos de corda, which parade inside a roped area, and camarotes (viewing boxes along the circuits) are run by private organisers and sold separately. The official 2027 programme had not been published by 2 November 2026; it appears on the city's Carnival site.

Timing: the official circuits run for six days, Thursday to Carnival Tuesday, and the city publishes the order and times of each parade on its Carnival site before the festival. The programme can change, so check it each day.

Weather: February is hot and humid. INMET, Brazil's national weather service, gives Salvador a mean daily maximum of 30°C and a mean daily minimum of 23.9°C in February, with about 121 mm of rain over 17 rain days (1961–1990 averages, published by the World Meteorological Organization). Bring sun protection and drink plenty of water.

Phones and valuables: the FCDO says thieves target mobile phones, particularly between 4pm and 9pm. Carry as little as possible, and keep your phone and cash out of sight in the crowd.

Drinks: the FCDO advises buying your own drinks and keeping them in sight.

Local food: acarajé, a fritter of black-eyed peas fried in dendê (palm) oil, sold from the trays of the baianas de acarajé. Iphan, Brazil's national heritage institute, registered their craft as national heritage in 2005, and Bahia's tourism department calls them a symbol of tourism in Salvador.

For the 2026 Carnival, Salvador City Hall ran free Camarotes Acessíveis (accessible viewing areas) for disabled people and people aged 60 and over, each with a companion. They were in Campo Grande (older people only), Praça da Piedade (disabled people only) and Ondina (both), with free registration online or in person, for up to two days per person. Details for 2027 had not been published by 2 November 2026; check the Camarote Acessível site.

FCDO advice: the FCDO's Brazil safety and security advice says criminals target large-scale celebrations in Brazil, such as the Carnival in major cities. Pickpocketing is common, and robberies are common in many cities, particularly on buses. If you are robbed, do not resist. If you feel uncomfortable in a large crowd, leave the area.

The FCDO also advises not going on to city beaches after dark and avoiding all favelas, including favela tours. The only parts of Brazil the FCDO advises against travelling to are river areas in Amazonas State, far from Salvador.

• Before you go, read the UK government's FCDO travel advice for Brazil (entry requirements, safety and local laws).
• Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights and live alerts.