Are you ready for Rotterdam Summer Carnival Weekend 2023?

We here at Free Walking Tour Rotterdam surely are but if you are experiencing Rotterdam’s biggest event of the year for the first time, we highly encourage you to bring your best self because this is one celebration you won’t forget!

The multiple-day Summer Carnival in Rotterdam is unlike any other Carnival you have ever seen! It’s colorful, it’s wild, and it’s vibrant (what kind of carnival isn’t?) — attracting over 900,000 visitors every year, this spectacular cultural diversity celebration is truly one for the books.

Event Highlights

Battle of the Drums on July 28

Get those hips movin’ and those feet stompin’ to Carribean brass band music that will certainly set the tone for the entire weekend. Three amazing brass bands will perform all the way to Hofplein where one of them could bring home the Golden Drum.

Tips in surviving the carnival weekend

  • Avoid getting trampled by persistent crowd. Get to the party before half a million of people do. Don’t rush in getting everywhere because the parade will surely pass where you are.
  • Wear comfortable clothes, especially shoes. We suggest that you wear clothes that you can easily let go of after the carnival.
  • Keep hydrated! It could get pretty hot and humid with a crowd of hundred thousands of people so be sure to keep your body in check and give it the fuel it needs to get you going.
  • Save a lot of your energy for the biggest part. Don’t go all out very early, save it for the long walks and all the dancing you’d be doing.
  • Smile even when you’re tired. Everyone will be exhausted at some point but a flash of smile across someone’s face is enough to give you that extra boost you need to see the weekend through.

A celebration of cultural diversity on this scale opens you up to a whole new world of experience and appreciation. So we hope that more than just the colorful and loud parties, you take away very valuable things from it.

See you on the streets in July!