Ponce Carnaval 2023: Dates & Itinerary

New here? This is the 2023 recap. For the full history, the vejigantes, and what the carnival is about, see our complete guide: Carnaval Ponceño: The Complete Guide.

Carnaval Ponceño 2023 ran Thursday, February 16 through Tuesday, February 21, 2023, in downtown Ponce. Six nights on and around Plaza Las Delicias: the Baile de Máscaras to open, the Entrada del Rey Momo, the coronation of the queens, the Sunday float parade, a salsa night, and the Entierro de la Sardina to bury it all. A Son de Guerra, Grupo Esencia, Bomba Iyá, LimiT 21, and three salsa orchestras on Monday alone.

The 2023 carnival at a glance

• What: Carnaval Ponceño 2023
• When: February 16 to 21, 2023
• Where: Plaza Las Delicias and downtown Ponce
• Admission: Free

Thursday, February 16: Baile de Máscaras

• 6:30 PM · Festival Nacional del Baile de Máscaras del Carnaval Ponceño, with Quique y Los Cimarrones

The masked ball is the traditional curtain-raiser, the night the vejigante masks come out and the week finds its tone.

Friday, February 17: Entrada del Rey Momo

• 7:00 PM · Desfile de la Entrada del Rey Momo, with Harold Pratts y Jíbara Banda
• Grupo Esencia
• A Son de Guerra (Juan Luis Guerra tribute)

The Entrada del Rey Momo brings in the carnival’s mock king and formally hands the city over to the festivities. This is the night that signals the party is officially on.

Saturday, February 18: Coronación de Reinas

• 4:00 PM · Capoeira demonstration
• 4:30 PM · ACIRC, circus in the plaza
• 5:30 PM · Children’s mask-painting workshop (taller de pintar caretas)
• 7:00 PM · Children’s talent showcase and Ballet Salsa Sur
• 8:00 PM · Desfile de Coronación de Reinas, with Bomba Iyá and LimiT 21

The most family-facing day of the week. Circus, face paint, and the coronation pageantry before the later music.

Sunday, February 19: Gran Desfile de Carrozas

• 12:00 PM · Retreta with the Banda Municipal de Ponce, in front of the Parque de Bombas
• 1:00 PM · Jorge Brown y su Orquesta (main stage); Desfile de Carnaval
• 1:30 PM · Show del Payaso Flacumbo, Parque Tricentenario
• 9:00 PM · Eric Rivera y La Clásica (main stage)

The centerpiece. The float parade is the day most people mean when they say they went to Carnaval, and starting in front of the candy-striped Parque de Bombas is about as Ponce as an opening gets.

Monday, February 20: Baile de Salsa

• 7:00 PM · Kriptony Texeira y su orquesta
• Jota Ruiz y su orquesta
• Orquesta Costa Brava

Three orchestras, one plaza. If your reason for coming to a Puerto Rican carnival is the dancing, Monday was built for you.

Tuesday, February 21: Entierro de la Sardina

• 7:00 PM · Desfile Entierro de la Sardina, with Orquesta Salsa del Sur
• Junte Loiceño
• Apollo Sound

Every carnival needs a funeral. The Burial of the Sardine is a mock funeral procession that satirically buries the excess of the week before Lent begins. It is part parade, part farewell, and the most quietly meaningful night of the six.

Where it happened

Nearly every headline event sat on or around Plaza Las Delicias, Ponce’s central square, by the cathedral and steps from the Parque de Bombas.

What stood out in 2023

Monday was a salsa marathon. Three full orchestras, Kriptony Texeira, Jota Ruiz, and Orquesta Costa Brava, back to back on a Monday night. Ponce does not save the good music for the weekend, you can find good tunes during the week too!

The tributes ran deep. A Son de Guerra brought Juan Luis Guerra’s catalog to the Rey Momo night on Friday. Ponce’s carnival leans on homage acts, and 2023 was no exception.

Saturday belonged to the families. Capoeira, circus, a kids’ mask-painting workshop, and a children’s talent show all landed before the coronation. If you came with children, Saturday afternoon was the day.

Planning a visit

Carnaval Ponceño returns every year in the week before Ash Wednesday. For the full history, the vejigantes, the two carnivals of Ponce, and current logistics, see our complete guide to Carnaval Ponceño.

Coming to the south coast? Pair it with our Puerto Rico travel guide and our guide to Puerto Rican street food. If you love the island’s festivals, see our guides to SanSe and the Yauco National Coffee Festival.

Follow along

• Facebook: Carnaval Ponceño
• Web: Visit Ponce

Were you at Carnaval 2023? Tell us in the comments which night won: A Son de Guerra on Friday, the salsa marathon on Monday, or the float parade on Sunday. We read every one.

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This post covers the 2023 edition, which has concluded. Schedule and lineup reflect the official Municipio Autónomo de Ponce / Visit Ponce program as published at the time. For the full story of the carnival, see our complete guide to Carnaval Ponceño.