Blacks and Whites' Carnival

When: 2 - 7 January each year.

Where: Pasto, Colombia.

Cost: Mostly free and public; special events and grandstand seating may require tickets.

Don’t miss: The Day of the Whites powder-throwing and the parades featuring giant-headed masks (cabezones) and lively comparsas.

Pasto, Colombia’s Blacks and Whites’ Carnival is a week-long street festival with deep colonial and multicultural roots that celebrates social diversity through music, masks, dance and playful reversal of norms; it is recognised by UNESCO for its intangible cultural value.

Parades and citywide celebrations mix massive papier-mache cabezones, floats and costumed comparsas with spontaneous foam, talc and paint skirmishes in the historic centre and main avenues. Expect loud brass bands, traditional songs and neighbourhood processions that take place across plazas, streets and parks rather than inside a single venue.

Pasto, Colombia stages the carnival every year from 2 to 7 January, organised around Epiphany (6 January), which remains the festival’s cultural anchor. The programme builds across the week with opening ceremonies, community parades, the symbolic Days of the Blacks and the Whites, and a crescendo of street parties around Epiphany.

Peak street activity and biggest parades occur mid-festival, so plan to be in town for at least the central three to four days to see the main events.

Fly internationally to Bogota (El Dorado International Airport) and connect to a domestic flight to Pasto’s Antonio Nariño Airport (PSO); buses are available from other Colombian cities for longer overland journeys. Arrive at least a day or two before the festival begins to secure accommodation and recover from altitude (Pasto sits above 2,400 metres).

• In Pasto and throughout Colombia be prepared to be covered in talc, foam or water: wear old clothes, sturdy shoes and goggles if you want eye protection.
• Carry a small dry bag for valuables and a plastic zip bag for your phone; pickpocketing can increase in crowded parades.
• Respect the festival’s history - the Days of the Blacks and Whites have sensitive cultural meanings, so avoid caricature or offensive behaviour and ask before photographing individuals up close.
• If you have respiratory issues, take precautions: talc and spray foam are commonly used and can irritate lungs; bring a mask and necessary medication.
• Book accommodation and domestic flights several months ahead; choose lodging a short walk from the historic centre and agree on a meet-up point with your group because phone signals can be unreliable in crowds.