Latin American Carnival

A Latin American carnival in the heart of Rome

The Latin American Carnival is the largest celebration of the Latin American communities residing in the capital. Born from the initiative of REDCLA (Network of Latin American communities in Rome), the event has established itself over the years as one of the most attended multicultural gatherings in the Municipality of Rome and the entire Lazio region. This is not merely a folkloric re-enactment: it is the way thousands of residents of Latin American origin share their culture with the city, transforming—as the organizers put it—curiosity into knowledge and diversity into a collective value.

The route: from the Aventine to Porta Capena

Since 2026, the parade has taken place along the Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, one of the most evocative stretches of archaeological Rome. The procession begins at Piazzale Numa Pompilio, at the foot of the Aventine Hill, and descends toward Piazza di Porta Capena and the Piazzale delle Vittime del Terrorismo, just a short walk from the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus. In previous editions, the parade took place along Via dei Fori Imperiali, between the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia: a change that has lost none of the scenery, with the ruins of the Severan baths serving as a natural backdrop for the feathered costumes.

The delegations and dances

Each edition brings together a dozen or more groups, each representing a country or cultural association. In recent years, delegations have included:

• Brazil — samba, capoeira, and performers in feathers, with live bands on floats;
• Bolivia — the Tinku and the Morenada, among the most anticipated moments of the parade;
• Ecuador — the Diablada Pillareña and traditional Andean dances;
• Peru, Colombia, and Chile — costumed processions with live music;
• El Salvador and, from 2026, Mexico, a new entry to the event.

Performances take place before a jury, but the spirit of the event is explicitly non-competitive: in 2026, groups appeared in alphabetical order, a choice made to eliminate any hierarchy, and the three awarded groups received equal recognition.

Atmosphere and audience

The Carnival takes place in the morning, starting around 9:00 AM and concluding in the early afternoon: a timeframe that makes it a perfect event for families and those who want to combine the festivities with a walk to the Circus Maximus or the Colosseum Archaeological Park. Admission is free and open to all: you simply line up along the avenue, where percussion, brass instruments, embroidered costumes, and groups of children in traditional dress alternate. It is one of the few occasions where the Roman public and migrant communities truly mingle, without barriers and without tickets.

Why it's worth attending

In a city defined by major institutional events, the Latin American Carnival is one of the most genuinely participatory gatherings of the Roman spring. Visitors from outside Rome will find a vivid portrait of the contemporary capital: multicultural, loud, and welcoming. Those who already live here know that on the first Sunday of May, the Viale delle Terme di Caracalla changes color.