About Junkanoo (Boxing Day Parade)
Junkanoo is the national street parade of the Bahamas, staged twice each season: in the small hours of Boxing Day, December 26, and again on New Year's Day. Groups take to Bay Street in Nassau around two in the morning and rush until well after sunrise, judged on music, costume and choreography. The countdown above tracks the days until the Boxing Day parade.
The sound is unmistakable — goatskin drums heated over open fires to tighten the skins, cowbells, whistles and a brass section, all moving as one wall of noise. The costumes are built over months from cardboard and thousands of strips of crepe paper, some of them taller than the people wearing them, and the big groups — the Valley Boys, Saxons Superstars, One Family, Roots — compete for a title that matters intensely across the islands.
The tradition traces back to the days of slavery, when enslaved people were given a few days off around Christmas and used them to gather, drum and parade in costume and mask. The name is usually linked to John Canoe, a West African leader remembered in the Caribbean. Smaller Junkanoo parades run in Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and the Family Islands, and a summer edition draws visitors in July.
Upcoming dates
| 2026 | Saturday, December 26, 2026next |
| 2027 | Sunday, December 26, 2027 |
| 2028 | Tuesday, December 26, 2028 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, December 26, 2029 |
| 2030 | Thursday, December 26, 2030 |
FAQ
When is Junkanoo?
The main parades are in the early hours of Boxing Day, December 26, and again on New Year's Day, starting around 2am and running past sunrise on Bay Street in Nassau.
What is Junkanoo?
A Bahamian street parade of music, dance and costume, judged as a competition between organised groups and rooted in the Christmas gatherings of enslaved people.
What instruments are used?
Goatskin drums tuned over open fires, cowbells, whistles and horns — no amplification, just several hundred people playing at once.
Where can I watch Junkanoo?
Bay Street in Nassau has the biggest parade and ticketed bleacher seating. Smaller parades run on Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and other Family Islands.