Zomercarnaval Rotterdam route, rules and how to join in

When is the Zomercarnaval in 2027?

The organiser has announced the programme dates for 2027. The Royalty Election is on Sunday 18 July, the Kindercarnaval on Sunday 25 July and the Battle of Drums on Friday 30 July. On Saturday 31 July the Mercado, the Rueda de Casino and the street parade follow. The parade starts at 12:00 on the Blaak and is over at about 19:00; the organiser says more information will follow.

The organiser says the street parade is held every last Saturday of July. In 2026 the Zomercarnaval was on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July.

What is on in the programme?

The street parade is the centrepiece: dance groups, music floats and drum bands in costume on a route of about 5 km through the centre. The organiser calls it “the biggest Caribbean street party” in the Netherlands.

In the Battle of Drums, three brass bands each march their own route to the Coolsingel, where each gets 20 minutes on a stage in front of the city hall to win the title. The Mercado is a food and festival market on the Coolsingel with kitchens such as Surinamese, Hindustani, Chinese and Antillean, plus stalls with clothing and merchandise. The Kindercarnaval puts children and families in the middle, with music, dance, visual art and storytelling. The Royalty Election chooses the King and Queen of the Zomercarnaval, who open the parade; its final is held in De Doelen. The Rueda de Casino is a gathering of dancers to Cuban salsa.

Times, venues and prices of most of these are not announced yet.

The Zomercarnaval has been in the Dutch national inventory of intangible cultural heritage since 2016 and was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2023.

Does it cost anything?

The organiser says the Zomercarnaval can be attended free of charge, while some parts can have an entry price, which the programme page then states. Its page for 2026 offered a VIP ticket for €150 for a stand on the Coolsingel with drinks and snacks, for visitors of 18 and over; no 2027 offer is announced yet.

The prices of the 2027 programme days are not published yet, so check the programme page before you go.

Getting there

The organiser advises public transport or a bike. Rotterdam Centraal is a short walk from the Coolsingel, and from there you are at the route. By metro, get off at Beurs (lines A, B and C) or Stadhuis (lines D and E). Many roads and parking garages are closed that day, and trams and buses run on changed routes, so check the RET planner and Rotterdam Bereikbaar.

There are guarded bicycle parks at Rotterdam Centraal, the Meent and the Binnenrotte. In 2026 a viewing platform for people with a physical disability stood near the city hall; the 2027 arrangements are not announced yet.

Rules on the day

You may bring your own food and drinks along the route, but not alcohol. Drugs, weapons and the sale of nitrous oxide are banned, and so are flyering and professional filming without permission. Keep off the parade route itself when you take pictures. These rules are for the parade; the after-parties follow the rules of their venues.

Before you leave home, the organiser suggests putting a child's name and a phone number on their arm; children who get lost are looked after by the organisation.

How to join in

To take part in the parade, contact one of the participating groups or leave a message under one of the organiser's posts on Facebook; the conditions are on the site of Stichting Zomercarnaval Nederland. To run a stall at the Mercado, watch the Mercado page: registration for 2027 has not opened.