Uruguay tours – Private city tours of Montevideo, Colonia & Punta del Este
When you want to experience the best of Uruguay’s most emblematic cities—with a guide genuinely excited to personalise the tour just for you.
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You are in luck because Uruguay has the world’s longest carnival –or carnaval as it is called in Spanish. It goes on for forty (forty!) nights. So if you land in Montevideo any time from late January to the beginning of March, you are going to experience some authentic Uruguayan carnival.
Here are the 2023 Montevideo carnival dates.
Tickets for the Carnival Parade and the Llamadas go on sale usually around mid December. They are typically bought in any Abitab store in Uruguay up until 5pm the day before the event. Tickets are cheap – around 10 USD. You need to be in Uruguay to buy the ticket. But don’t worry, they don’t typically sell out. You can buy tickets for the bigger tablados in Abitab and during the day at the venue box office.
That’s right. Uruguay also has a two-day public holiday known as Carnival. But actual carnival lasts for way longer than that as you have already read.
And if your guidebook says that, you need a BETTER guidebook. One written by someone who actually lives in Uruguay rather than an author who parachutes in for a few weeks. The Guru’Guay Guide to Montevideo is in paperback on Amazon or you can get it for your tablet, phone or kindle from the Guru’Guay Store (thanks for supporting us!)
Cover photo by Guru’Guay
[Article first published on February 9 2018]
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Uruguay tours – Private city tours of Montevideo, Colonia & Punta del Este
When you want to experience the best of Uruguay’s most emblematic cities—with a guide genuinely excited to personalise the tour just for you.
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13 Responses
Hi we are in Montevideo this Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd Feb (2020) and the following week 28th 29th. Could you tell us the best shows to book and if there are any parades please.
Hi Irene Greetings from the Guru! There’s always a great show in the Velodrome in Parque Batlle (pronounced BY-zhay). Here’s the reservation info (turn on Google translate). Alternatively, as you are in Montevideo on Friday or Saturday nights especially if it looks like rain, the tablado to go to is at the Carnival Museum in the Old City. If you arrive at either location at 7.30pm you will be able to buy your tickets — choose the more expensive ‘platea’ tickets to be as close to the stage as possible — before the lines get long. You can also buy tickets at the box office during the afternoon. Enjoy! It looks like carnival will be going on until at least the first week of March this year. — Karen
We are trying to figure out the carnaval dates in Montevideo for 2019? We are planning a trip January/February 2019. Is there a one week celebration during carnaval
Hi Shannon, I would recommend you plan to come for the Llamadas. All the best Karen
Karen,
What are the dates of carnaval in 2019? Thank you
Hi Shannon, thanks for prompting me on this. Here are the 2019 Montevideo carnival dates! — Karen
Thanks Karen you were so much help
Pleasure, Shannon! Stay in touch via the Guru’Guay Facebook page when you are here!
I saw the llamadas live in 2006, amazing doesn’t describe it! Five hours dancing on the street (while some people just sat); cannot forget this event. Never ever. To be recommended, just as the Guru’ said 🙂
Wish I knew when the Llamadas was in 2017 because that’s when I’m going…it looks amazing!
Yes! Calculate that it is likely to be on Thursday and Friday of the first weeks in February. Or you could always come on January 6 for San Baltasar.
Thank you for your reply. I will plan accordingly!
Hi, thanks for your article. I found it very helpful!
We will be in Montevideo for just one night (26 Jan) and would love to attend a tablado (I have heard the Teatro de Verano is a good spot?).
However, because we will not arrive at Uruguay until the same day, we will not be able to buy the tickets in advance… Do you think we will be able to buy the tickets at the venue on the day? Any other way around it?
Thanks again and best regards,