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New here? This is the 2026 recap. For the full history, the vejigantes, and what the carnival is about, see our complete guide: Carnaval Ponceño: The Complete Guide.
Carnaval Ponceño 2026, the 168th edition, ran Thursday, February 12 through Tuesday, February 17, 2026, in downtown Ponce. The whole week was dedicated to the centennial of Catalino “Tite” Curet Alonso under the banner “Un Carnaval de Caras Lindas para Tite,” a nod to the Ponce-connected composer who wrote some of salsa’s most enduring songs. Tito Nieves, Manny Manuel, Michael Stuart, Moncho Rivera, and a Rubby Pérez tribute filled the stages.
The 2026 carnival at a glance
- What: Carnaval Ponceño 2026, 168th edition, dedicated to Tite Curet Alonso
- When: February 12 to 17, 2026
- Where: Plaza Las Delicias / main stage in front of the Alcaldía (City Hall), with the Sunday parade running downtown
- Admission: Free
A note on timing: this post covers the main carnival week, February 12 to 17. Ponce also holds a separate Pre-Carnaval, the Carnaval de Vejigantes de la Playa, in the days before, down in the Playa neighborhood at Parque Lucy Grillasca. For how the two carnivals relate, see our complete guide.
Thursday, February 12: Gran Baile de Máscaras
Main stage in front of the Alcaldía, from 7:00 PM
- Eric Rivera y su Orquesta
- Zulinka y Miguel, “El legado de Rubby Pérez”
The masked ball opens the week, the night the vejigante masks come out. The Rubby Pérez tribute honored the late Dominican merengue star.
Friday, February 13: Entrada del Rey Momo
Parade from the Museo Pancho Coímbre to the main stage in front of the Alcaldía, from 7:30 PM
- Junte Loiceño
- Kevin Gabriel
- Michael Stuart
The Entrada del Rey Momo parade brings in the carnival’s mock king and hands the city over to the festivities. Salsa singer Michael Stuart headlined.
Saturday, February 14: Coronación de Reinas
Plaza Las Delicias, 9:30 AM and 2:00 PM
- Articulated vejigante puppet workshop (all ages)
- 2:00 PM · Los Cimarrones
- 4:00 PM · Circo
- 7:00 PM · Guayacanes de San Antón
Noche de Coronaciones de Reinas and Desfile de Reinas, parade from the Museo Francisco “Pancho” Coímbre to the main stage in front of the Alcaldía:
- Conjunto Chaney
- Manny Manuel
The most packed day of the carnival: a kids’ puppet workshop and circus by day, then the coronation of the queens with merengue star Manny Manuel closing the night. If you came with children, Saturday daytime was the day.
Sunday, February 15: Desfile de Carnaval
Salsa del Sur, main stage in front of the Alcaldía, from 1:30 PM. The Desfile de Carnaval left from Bulevar Miguel Pou, passed under the bridge by Centro del Sur Mall, and finished at Plaza Las Delicias.
Parque del Tricentenario
- Payaso Flacumbo
Balcón del Museo de la Historia
- 2:30 PM · Junte del Sur
At night
- La Tribu de Abrante
- Jandy Ventura
The centerpiece. The float parade is the day most people mean when they say they went to Carnaval, and in 2026 it spread across several downtown venues before the night acts took the main stage.
Monday, February 16: Baile de Salsa
Main stage in front of the Alcaldía, from 7:00 PM
- Conjunto La Perla
- La Sociedad
- Moncho Rivera
Salsa night, closed out by Moncho Rivera, carrying the Rivera family’s salsa legacy.
Tuesday, February 17: Entierro de la Sardina
Main stage in front of the Alcaldía, from 7:30 PM. The Desfile del Entierro de la Sardina closed the carnival, and King Momo was finally unmasked.
- Grupo Esencia
- Tito Nieves
Every carnival needs a funeral. The Burial of the Sardine buries the week’s excess before Lent, and the unmasking of King Momo reveals the local figure who played him. Salsa great Tito Nieves headlined the final night.
Where it happened
Most events centered on Plaza Las Delicias and the main stage in front of the Alcaldía, with the Sunday parade running from Bulevar Miguel Pou through downtown to the plaza.
Plaza Las Delicias, the heart of Carnaval Ponceño.
What stood out in 2026
The whole carnival honored Tite Curet Alonso. The 168th edition was dedicated to the centennial of Catalino “Tite” Curet Alonso under the theme “Un Carnaval de Caras Lindas para Tite.” Curet Alonso is one of the most important songwriters in the history of salsa, and “Las Caras Lindas” is among his best-known compositions, so the theme wove his legacy through the whole week.
The salsa bookings were serious. Tito Nieves closing the carnival on Tuesday, Michael Stuart on Friday, Moncho Rivera on Monday, and Manny Manuel on Saturday. For a Tite Curet tribute year, the lineup leaned hard into the tradition he helped build.
Sunday spread across the city. Rather than one stage, the parade day used the Parque del Tricentenario, the Balcón del Museo de la Historia, and the main stage, with the parade itself winding from Bulevar Miguel Pou to the plaza. Plan the day around the venues, not a single spot.
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 2026? Tell us in the comments which night won: Michael Stuart on Friday, Manny Manuel at the coronation, or Tito Nieves closing it out. We read every one.
This post covers the 2026 edition, which has concluded. Schedule and lineup reflect the official Visit Ponce / Municipio Autónomo de Ponce program as published at the time. For the full story of the carnival, see our complete guide to Carnaval Ponceño.
