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Despedida Curaçao 2027

Tuesday, February 9, 202718:00 (-04:00)Downtown WillemstadEstimated· Pending official schedule
Pending official schedule. This date is estimated pending official confirmation from the organizer.

The closing Tuesday-night parade of Curaçao's Carnival: shorter and more intimate than Gran Marcha, ending with the ceremonial burning of King Momito shortly before midnight — the transition into Ash Wednesday and Lent.

About this Event

Despedida (literally 'farewell') is the ceremonial closing of Curaçao's Carnival — a Tuesday-night parade through downtown Willemstad ending with the burning of King Momito at midnight, the exact moment Ash Wednesday begins and Lent takes over. Where Gran Marcha is the crowd-scale spectacle, Despedida is the reflective, ritual counterpart — smaller, later, and steeped in the calendar's transition from Carnival excess into Lenten quiet.

What to Expect

Expect a quieter, more atmospheric parade than Sunday's Gran Marcha. Fewer troupes, smaller crowds, no roadmarch competition — the focus is the effigy of King Momito being wheeled through the streets to the central square where he's set alight at midnight. Music leans more towards ritual tumba than roadmarch soca. Many locals dress in white or black; some carry candles. It's family-appropriate for older kids but past the bedtime of little ones.

Visitor Info

Best free viewing: the Punda side of the pontoon bridge (Handelskade waterfront) and the finish plaza near Fort Amsterdam. Arrive by 8:00 PM — parade steps off around 8-9 PM, ends at the plaza around 11:30 PM, midnight is the burning. Bring layers (waterfront gets breezy after 10 PM), water, cash for late-night vendors. Downtown Willemstad closes to traffic; park at the Rif Fort lot or a taxi drop-off outside the closed zone.

Organized by:FDKK — Fundashon Desaroyo di Karnaval Kòrsou

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Despedida end and King Momito burn?
The parade wraps at the central plaza around 11:30 PM local time (UTC−04:00). The burning of King Momito is scheduled for exactly midnight — the moment Ash Wednesday begins in the Christian calendar. Some years the timing slips 15-20 minutes but the ritual intent is 'stroke of midnight'.
How is Despedida different from Gran Marcha?
Gran Marcha (Sunday afternoon) is the tourist-facing spectacle — dozens of troupes, roadmarch trucks, biggest crowds of the season. Despedida (Tuesday night) is the ritual closing — smaller, later, ends with the burning of King Momito at midnight to mark the transition into Ash Wednesday. If you want scale and colour, go Sunday. If you want the atmospheric, symbolic side of Carnival, go Tuesday.
Is Despedida safe to attend at night?
Yes — the event is police-escorted end to end and downtown Willemstad is heavily attended by locals, so the atmosphere is safe and community-focused. Standard nighttime precautions apply: travel with at least one other person, keep valuables minimal, arrange your return transport in advance since taxis fill up right after the midnight burning.
Why is Despedida on Fat Tuesday specifically?
The date is dictated by the Christian Lenten calendar: Fat Tuesday (Shrove Tuesday) is the last day before Ash Wednesday, the start of the 40-day fast of Lent. Despedida deliberately ends at midnight so the burning of King Momito lines up with the exact stroke that Lent begins. In 2027 that lands on Tuesday, February 9.
Last updated: 2026-08-10