Carnival Vibez is a travel planning guide written by a Caribbean native with a love for carnival and extensive experience in the travel industry. We share carnival stories, cultural insights, and practical travel tips drawn from firsthand experiences and conversations with carnival travelers & organizers worldwide — helping you discover and plan carnival experiences authentically.
Hi, I’m Shelley — the writer behind Carnival Vibez, and a proud Caribbean girl at heart.
My journey to building this platform began somewhere you might not expect: China. When I left SXM for China, I found myself far from the soca music, the mas, the food, and the people that made me who I am. But what started as homesickness turned into something powerful. My Chinese students (many of whom had never met a Black person before) were captivated by the stories I shared about the Caribbean and our culture. The colours, the costumes, the culture, the energy. They wanted to know everything!
Those conversations reminded me just how special what we have is — and how much of the world had never experienced it. As I continued to travel and meet people across the globe, that feeling only grew stronger. So I built Carnival Vibez — a platform to take Caribbean vibes to the world and invite everyone to the party.
While Carnival Vibez covers festivals across the globe, its soul is rooted in Caribbean culture and perspective. This isn’t just a directory of parade dates — it’s a love letter to everything Carnival represents: the culture, the connection, the community, and that indescribable joy you feel when the music hits and the road opens up.
We’re here for the Carnival curious, the first-timers, and the die-hard masqueraders already planning their next jump. Whether you’re figuring out where to start, learning the culture before you land, or building a full trip around a festival — this is your home base. We’ll connect you with everything you need to make it happen, from cultural guides to trusted resources for flights, accommodation, tours and more.
Carnival Vibez exists to make Carnival more accessible, more understood, and more appreciated by people of all backgrounds and from every corner of the world.
Too often, Carnival gets reduced to costumes, parties, and parade photos — but anyone who’s ever been on the road knows it goes so much deeper than that. It’s history, identity, music, community, migration, creativity, and expression all wrapped into one. Our mission is to share that fuller picture, while giving you the practical tools to experience it for yourself.
Think of this as your independent research hub for carnival travel.
Shelley is the founder of Carnival Vibez and a St. Maarten native who has spent years traveling the world, sharing Caribbean culture, and building a space where Carnival lovers everywhere feel at home.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned masquerader, she built this for you!
Carnival Vibez currently covers more than sixty Carnivals worldwide — from long-running national festivals to newer events still building their audience. The list keeps growing, and a lot of that growth comes from organizers reaching out to us directly.
If your Carnival isn’t listed yet, tell us about it. We’ll research your event and build a dedicated page covering your dates, schedule, what makes it worth traveling for, and the practical details visitors need before they book. There’s no cost to be listed — our readers are actively looking for their next Carnival, and we want them to find yours.
Already listed? Send us updated dates, route changes, or event news any time and we’ll keep your page current.
Brands and media partners — our media kit is available on request.