Trinidad and Tobago Festivals and Celebrations

How the dates are set, and why this page gives none.

The National Carnival Commission records that Carnival here is celebrated before the commencement of the Lenten season, and that in 1943 Carnival on the street was restricted to the Monday and Tuesday. Those are the Monday and Tuesday immediately before Ash Wednesday, which moves with Easter.

So the answer to when is a rule, not a date, and the rule never goes out of date. The Commission publishes an official calendar each year and links a longer-range guide. This cluster tried to read a date from those pages and could not: the calendar page extracts to site navigation with no dates in it. Rather than print a date from somewhere unsourced, this page prints the rule and points you at the body that sets it.

The two-day Carnival is younger than you think.

The Commission's own account is that in early celebration by the masses, activities were held over the three days preceding Ash Wednesday, and that the restriction to Monday and Tuesday came in 1943, in the face of decades of criticism from the upper class and objections about the desecration of the Sabbath. It adds that Carnival celebrations were banned for the duration of World War II.

The familiar shape of the festival is therefore twentieth-century administration rather than ancient custom, and it was imposed on a celebration that had been three days long.

Canboulay.

The Commission records that the French from 1783 for half a century developed a Carnival that ran from Christmas to Ash Wednesday and consisted of dinners, balls, concerts and hunting parties. Africans started to participate in the festivities from 1833 after the Emancipation Bill was passed, and brought Canboulay to its festivities.

The detail that changes the picture is what happened to its date. Canboulay was first played on August 1st, Emancipation Day, and subsequently took place after midnight on Dimanche Gras, the Sunday before Carnival. A commemoration of emancipation was folded into the pre-Lenten calendar. Understanding that is understanding why J'Ouvert begins in darkness.

The steelpan.

This is the part a visitor should know before they stand in front of a band. The Commission dates the development from 1935-1945, when the Tamboo Bamboo and metal bands underwent a radical transformation. Tamboo Bamboo was percussion made from pieces of bamboo cut to different lengths so that a variety of pitches could be obtained, played with a call and answer chant.

Then, around 1935 some of these bands began using metal containers as substitutes for the bamboo instruments, and the accidental discovery was made that a change of pitch occurred when surfaces of these metal containers were hammered and stretched. From that came the first pan or ping pong, with sufficient notes to carry a simple melody. At the end of the war the rival bands of Port of Spain ghettos took to the streets to celebrate V.E. and V.J days.

An entire instrument family, invented in a decade, by people with no access to instruments. That is the thing to hold in mind in a panyard.

Calypso.

Called a poor man's newspaper in times when literacy was not wide spread, and traced to African traditions of improvised songs of self-praise and scorn for others. The first professional wave, the Old Brigade, included Growling Tiger, Lord Beginner, Atilla the Hun, the Roaring Lion and Lord Pretender. By 1945 a Young Brigade rose to meet demand for more entertaining songs, including Lord Kitchener and Mighty Spoiler.

Read that description again: a newspaper. Calypso carried commentary, gossip and political criticism in a society where much of the audience could not read one. That is a different art form from the one a tourist show presents.

The rest of the year.

Carnival is not the whole calendar. Divali fills streets and yards with deyas; Hosay carries tadjahs through towns and in places to the sea; Emancipation Day on August 1st is the date Canboulay was first played on and is marked in its own right. A visitor who cannot come at Carnival has not missed the country.

Going safely.

The official advice is that robberies and opportunistic crime may occur during the carnival period, and asks visitors at large events to take sensible precautions, avoid displaying valuables, practice caution in crowds and have a clear plan to return home safely after attending any events. Decide the route home before you go out.

If you would like a trip built around Carnival, a panyard season or one of the other observances, tell us which.

Sources

• National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago: the national Carnival authority history pages: that Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is celebrated before the commencement of the Lenten season; that from 1783 for half a century the French developed their Carnival, a season of festivities extending from Christmas to Ash Wednesday consisting of dinners, balls, concerts and hunting parties; that Africans started to participate from 1833 after the Emancipation Bill was passed and brought Canboulay to the festivities; that Canboulay was first played on August 1st, Emancipation Day, but subsequently took place after midnight on Dimanche Gras, the Sunday before Carnival; that in early celebration by the masses activities were held over the three days preceding Ash Wednesday, but that in 1943 Carnival on the street was restricted to the Monday and Tuesday and celebrations were banned for the duration of the Second World War; that the steelband developed from 1935 to 1945 as Tamboo Bamboo and metal bands were transformed, that around 1935 some bands began using metal containers in place of bamboo, that the accidental discovery was made that a change of pitch occurred when the surfaces were hammered and stretched, and that the first pan or ping pong appeared with enough notes to carry a simple melody; and that calypso, called a poor man's newspaper in times when literacy was not widespread, traces its roots to African traditions of improvised songs, with the name variously attributed to kaiso, a Hausa word for bravo, the French carrousseaux, the Spanish calliso and the Carib carieto. Accessed 21 September 2026.
• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Trinidad and Tobago travel advice, safety and security: that there is a high level of violent crime including gang-related attacks and shootings and that instances of homicides and armed robberies are common; the named areas in which to be cautious, including downtown Port of Spain east of Charlotte Street, Carenage, Sea Lots, Belmont, Laventille, Morvant, Barataria, Cocorite and the interior of the Queens Park Savannah; that a significant portion of violent crime is gang-related and the listed precautions, including avoiding walking at night, keeping valuables out of sight in a moving vehicle, and using well-lit ATMs during daylight; that criminals have used drugs, deception and sexual solicitation including via dating apps to facilitate robbery and sexual assault; that robberies and opportunistic crime may occur during the carnival period; that providers of recreational and adventure tourism may not meet UK safety standards; that it is an offense for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing or bring any into the country; that possession of up to 30g of cannabis or 5g of cannabis resin has been decriminalised, that smoking cannabis in public spaces or while operating a vehicle is not allowed, and that being stopped with those amounts can bring a fine of up to 50,000 Trinidad and Tobago dollars; that in March 2025 consensual same-sex activity was reinstated as a crime punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, that it is also illegal for LGBT+ foreign nationals to enter the country, and that neither of these laws has been enforced in recent times; that entering private property without permission can bring a fine of up to 750,000 Trinidad and Tobago Dollars or imprisonment for up to 25 years and that legal occupants may use defensive and even deadly force against trespassers; that a UK photocard driving license may be used for up to 90 days and that an international driving permit is needed beyond that; that driving standards are mixed, that high-speed accidents on the main highways often result in fatalities, that some roads are narrow, winding and unlit and that pedestrians often walk on the roads; that Trinidad and Tobago is rarely affected by hurricanes but can have severe storms; that earthquakes are a risk and that the last serious earthquake was in 2018; and that travelers should monitor the alert level of Kick em Jenny, an underwater volcano located off the coast of Grenada and about 200km from Trinidad, which erupts every few years. Accessed 21 September 2026.