Sesimbra CarnivalCarnaval de Sesimbra

Carnaval de Sesimbra is an annual seaside carnival festival held each year in Sesimbra and its municipality in Portugal. It features parades of samba schools and axé groups, a massive clown costume procession (claimed one of the largest in the world), and traditional festivities like folk parades and the "enterro do bacalhau". Held in the days leading up to Shrove Tuesday, the five-day festival fills Sesimbra and nearby parishes with music, dancing, and colorful floats. Organized in collaboration with the local municipality and community groups, it attracts thousands of locals and visitors to celebrate a major cultural event of the region 1 2.

The Sesimbra Carnival is deeply rooted in Portugal’s Catholic Carnival tradition (pre-Lent festivities) and local culture. Over decades it has been shaped by local samba schools, volunteer groups and the municipality, turning it into a defining event for the town. It blends the universal carnival timing (culminating on Shrove Tuesday) with unique local customs like a giant clown parade and "enterro do bacalhau" (cod burial). 1 2