The Biggest Carnival in Northern Europe, Aalborg!

Aalborg is Denmark’s fourth largest city and home to the biggest carnival festival in Northern Europe. Filled with vibes of different cultures, food & drinks and a joyous atmosphere for an entire week, it is definitely a must-visit! 

This year, the festival will take place from the 18th until the 26th of May 2019 and will end with the "grande parade".

 The Aalborg carnival originates from 1983, when it only had a handful of participants. Today the carnival hosts around 60,000 participants in the grand parade which takes place on the final day, as well as more than 100,000 visitors and spectators from all corners of the world. The carnival represents the celebration of life, freedom of expression, as well as the creation of cultural awareness by sharing unique costumes.

The theme of this year’s Aalborg carnival is “the 4 seasons”; the festive occasion, which takes place in May of this year, also includes the international parade on the 17th of May and the kids' carnival on the 18th of May. The festival is brought to a close with the grande parade on the 26th of May, in which everyone can take part. The grande parade roams through the streets of Aalborg and leads on to Kildeparken, where the most exciting parts of the festival take place. The park is filled with magical colours, vibrant music and an exciting atmosphere. During the festival week, the park is transformed into a party area dedicated to all types of music, with  numerous bars and different themes. In other words, you can choose to have a drink with a pirate or any other "dreamy character" from the festival!

The most interesting part is the International Carnival Parade, where entertainers perform various carnival traditions from different regions of the world gather. The entire city has a unique carnival spirit, where streets are filled with performers, children activities and an occasion to be part of a festive crowd and creative costumes. The international parade starts at 18.00 o’clock at John F. Kennedy Plads and heads towards Gabels Torv.  It lasts up until approximately 21.00 o’clock.  

Younger generations also have a share in their carnival party, where approximately 5000 children dress up and walk the streets of the parade until they reach Kildeparken, where of course the party continues. The park is probably the most exciting part of the festival for kids, as it turns into this fairy-tale-like location, full of joyful activities, magical moments, and an opportunity to meet other costumed characters. 

There are various kinds of tickets that can be purchased; the most popular for example is for 250 DKK, which also includes the ‘free/open bar’, as well as the parade attendance. Don't wait any longer and book your tickets on time!