About Carnaval de Oruro
Carnaval de Oruro is Bolivia's most spectacular folkloric festival, staged in the Andean mining city of Oruro at around 3,700 metres above sea level. Blending Catholic devotion to the Virgen del Socavón (the Virgin of the Mineshaft) with much older Andean rituals, it was proclaimed a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001. Its most famous element is the Diablada, or "dance of the devils," a dazzling procession of masked dancers depicting the triumph of good over evil.
The heart of the carnival is the Entrada, a roughly four-kilometre procession in which tens of thousands of costumed dancers and thousands of musicians perform almost without rest for up to twenty hours, watched by hundreds of thousands of visitors. Dozens of dance troupes parade the Diablada, Morenada, Caporales, Tinku and more, in elaborate embroidered costumes and intricate masks, winding toward the sanctuary of the Virgin to pay their devotion.
Carnaval de Oruro is tied to the Christian calendar: the grand Entrada falls on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, so its date shifts each year with Easter. The countdown above tracks the days until the next carnival — add it to your own page to follow the build-up to Bolivia's thundering devil dances.
Upcoming dates
| 2027 | Saturday, February 6, 2027next |
| 2028 | Saturday, February 26, 2028 |
| 2029 | Saturday, February 10, 2029 |
| 2030 | Saturday, March 2, 2030 |
| 2031 | Saturday, February 22, 2031 |
FAQ
When is Carnaval de Oruro?
The main Entrada procession is held on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, so the date moves each year with the Easter cycle, usually falling in February or early March.
Why is Carnaval de Oruro celebrated?
It honours the Virgen del Socavón, patron of miners, and fuses Catholic devotion with pre-Columbian Andean traditions. UNESCO recognised it as a Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage in 2001.
How is Carnaval de Oruro celebrated?
With the Entrada — a marathon procession of tens of thousands of costumed dancers and musicians performing the Diablada, Morenada, Caporales and other dances toward the Virgin's sanctuary, plus water and foam play.
What is the Diablada?
The Diablada, or "dance of the devils," is the carnival's emblematic dance: performers in horned masks and ornate costumes act out the battle between Archangel Michael and the seven deadly sins, ending in the triumph of good.