Join one of the world’s most important celebrations, surrounded by thousands of people, entertainment, culture and Andean traditions.
Carnival of Oruro is a mix of Spanish and indigenous religious traditions that starts each year with a ceremony to worship Our Lady of Socavón.
This year, the carnival takes place between February 23 and March 4, with the first four days in March being the most important and also the days that attract the most visitors. The famous “Convite al Tío” and the celebration of the “Challa” are held on Friday, March 1, then on Saturday, March 2, there’s the Great Pilgrimage to the Socavón and on Sunday, the Entrance to the Corso. However, the traditional celebrations called convites begin a few weeks before the carnival.
Oruro receives thousands of visitors during the festivities, so we strongly recommend booking your accommodation in advance in some of the most central and welcoming parts of the city, such as Hotel Eden by BlueBay*****, which is a great place to enjoy the festival and different sports activities.
What is the carnival route this year?
The Carnival of Oruro route in 2019 starts on Calle Bolívar, just like in previous years, and will pass through Calle Pagador, Aroma until 6 de Agosto, then Calle Bolívar and continue on to La Plata, Adolfo Mier and Presidente Montes, Bolívar to La Petot, Adolfo Mier, Avenida Cívica Sanjinés Vincentti, Junín and finish up at the Socavón Sanctuary.
The famous parade takes place on the streets of Oruro and passes through Plaza 10 de Febrero. Stands are erected in different parts of the city, where you can sit down and enjoy the show for a small fee. This is money well spent as the carnival parade circuit is more than 40 blocks in length.
Thousands of dancers, artists and musicians parade along the streets to the rhythm of typical dances such as the Diablada, Suri Sicuris, Waka Waka, Morenada and Caporales, among others, and the parade and celebrations are broadcast throughout the country on television.
The Carnival of Oruro finishes with a procession where thousands of musicians and dancers worship Our Lady, have fun and celebrate in style for more than 15 hours.
