Dating back to 1916, São Vicente Carnival began humbly as a simple entrudo — playful and modest. Over time, it transformed into Cape Verde's most iconic cultural festival, evolving through influences from Brazil, Portugal, and the vibrant local community.

• Early parade groups like Florianos (1920) and Nacional (1939) laid the foundation.
• What began as intimate community gatherings grew into elaborate performances with floats, music, and dance, spearheaded by middle-class clubs, artists, and popular neighborhoods.

Today, São Vicente’s Carnival unfolds in two parallel rhythms:

1. The Traditional – street masquerades, local satire, spontaneous joy.
2. The Spectacle – choreographed parades, opulent costumes, samba schools, and thematic floats.

Both meet in a vibrant collision of culture and celebration, expressing the voices of Mindelo’s people — from the elite to the working class.

• Carnival is a stage where everyone — children, workers, dreamers — becomes royalty for a day.
• It celebrates community, creativity, and resistance, born in the city's bairros and shaped by shared struggles and joy.

Mindelo’s streets come alive in a feverish pulse of music, satire, and dance. From homemade costumes to professional floats, it’s a celebration of:

• Art
• Identity
• Freedom

• Schools teach recycling and creativity through costume-making.
• Children fill the city with music, color, and life — keeping tradition alive.

Names like Ró, Manú Rasta, and Bitú are just a few of the local artists who shape the visual identity of Carnival. Their work echoes through the streets — and in the spirit of every dancer and masked reveler.

While modern blocks grow more extravagant, true Carnival lives in the people — in satire, parody, critique, and community pride. The contrast between the luxurious floats and the grassroots joy tells a story of culture, class, and creativity.

Home to over 67,000 residents, Mindelo becomes a living stage during Carnival — a place where the everyday is left behind, and everyone becomes someone else — for just a few magical days.

Because here, Carnival isn’t just a party.

It’s a story. A protest. A poem. A performance.

It’s Cape Verde, dancing at the center of the Atlantic.