The Veracruz Carnival, one of Mexico’s most iconic and vibrant festivals, begins today, ushering in a week of music, parades and cultural celebration despite significant changes prompted by recent heavy rains.
Festivities are beginning Thursday at 5:30 p.m. with the Children’s Parade along the waterfront in the city of Veracruz, followed by the symbolic Burning of Bad Humor at 8:30 p.m. in the city’s Zócalo, aka Plaza de las Armas.
The highly anticipated event, which marked its 100th anniversary last year, always opens with the burning of a figure symbolizing misfortune, “to eliminate negativity and welcome the celebration with renewed joy and a positive attitude.”
The Veracruz Carnival is said to be the second largest in Mexico behind Mazatlán.
Running through July 2, this year’s version will see major adjustments after authorities moved all large-scale concerts from the open-air Malecón Macroplaza in Veracruz city to the World Trade Center about 10 kilometers away in Boca del Río.
“For security and logistical reasons, the stage set up in the Malecón’s Macroplaza began to be removed Tuesday morning,” Mayor Patricia Lobeira announced this week. “Now, large-scale events will be moved to the [World Trade Center], a covered space that will allow the festivities to continue despite the weather,” Mayor Patricia Lobeira announced.
After today, all parades will start at 5:00 p.m. — one hour earlier than originally planned — to avoid evening storms.
The coastal region of Veracruz, including the city of Veracruz, has experienced significantly above-average rainfall for June — including more than 300 millimeters (about 12 inches) of rain over a recent seven-day period, making it one of the wettest areas in Mexico in that span.
Friday’s schedule includes the coronation of Queen Adriana Fonseca and the Royal Court, followed by the festival’s first concert, by Juan Luis Guerra at the World Trade Center. Guerra, a Dominican renowned for popularizing merengue and bachata worldwide, has three Grammy Awards and 28 Latin Grammys, making him one of the most awarded and best-selling Latin artists of all time.
The other major concerts will be performed by Latin pop and reggaeton star Manuel Turizo of Colombia on Saturday, and Los Ángeles Azules, a Mexican musical group known for its romantic cumbia songs on Sunday.
Admission to the concerts is free, but with a capacity of 10,640 at the World Trade Center, only those with access wristbands will be admitted, according to the mayor.
But then again, he added, “Even if you don’t have a wristband, you can get in; they’re free concerts.”
Starting on Saturday, there will be four major parades over four days.
The list of grand marshals includes Peruvian-Italian reality star and former footballer Nicola Porcella, Mexican influencer Paolita Suárez, and Venezuelan actor and singer Daniel Elbittar.
The charismatic Porcella achieved widespread fame in Latin America as “El Novio de México” due to his participation and second-place finish on the hit reality show “La casa de los famosos México.”
There will also be music and entertainment at alternate venues such as Zamora Park and Álvaro Obregón Park before the festival concludes on Wednesday with the annual “Burial of Juan Carnaval.”
The Veracruz Carnival, which went virtual during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, claims an “uninterrupted” annual history that now dates back 101 years.
In 2022, the festival was switched to the early summer from its traditional dates in February — 40 days before Semana Santa, the week leading up to Easter — to generate better attendance.
City officials, business leaders and organizers have voiced support for a return to February, which is expected to occur in 2026.
With reports from Imagen del Veracruz, El Sol de México and UnoTV
