Wait ! Get a price-drop alert for your dream flight
Leave your trip details and your contact info and we'll notify you when the price drops. Book smart, don't overpay for your flights.
The sound of drums echoes through Alfama’s labyrinthine alleys, but these aren’t the mournful notes of fado—they’re the pulsating heartbeat of Lisbon’s Carnival, a whirlwind week where the city throws off its winter coat and erupts in feathers, glitter, and borderline chaos.
While most associate Carnival with Rio’s samba schools, Lisbon’s version is a deliciously Portuguese hybrid: think 12th-century masked processions colliding with Brazilian-style blocos (street parties). The headline act? The "Cortejo dos Reis" (Kings’ Parade) in Parque das Nações, where giant puppets of historical figures—from Vasco da Gama to a sassy sardine—dance alongside 2,000 costumed performers. Local artisans spend months crafting these papier-mâché giants, some towering 15 feet tall.
But the real magic happens in the backstreets. In Mouraria, kids pelt each other with serpentinas (colorful paper streamers) while grandmothers toss confeitada (sugared almonds) from balconies. At LX Factory, a warehouse-turned-arts-district, a "Carnival Burlesque" show features aerialists dangling from the old industrial rafters. And yes, there’s plenty of ginjinha (sour cherry liquor) flowing—especially at the "Mascarados da Graça" party, where revelers in 18th-century wigs dance until dawn.
Insider Tip: The "Bairro Alto Silent Disco" (March 1) is the surreal climax—3,000 people dancing to wireless headphones while the neighborhood stays oddly quiet.
Don’t just witness the madness—join it with energy to spare. PrestigeFly.com Travel Agency can secure you a lie-flat seat on United’s new Newark-Lisbon route, plus VIP access to private Carnival balls. Ask about our "Carnival Costume Concierge"—we’ll have a hand-embroidered Dom João VI cloak waiting in your hotel.
