Bahamas is all about Junkanoo rush outs cowbells goatskin drums and costumes catching the light at sunrise.
What to Expect
The Bahamas runs two completely different things and it is worth knowing which one you are booking. Junkanoo proper is the Boxing Day and New Year's Day street parade on Bay Street in Nassau — goatskin drums, cowbells, brass and crepe-paper costumes built in secret all year. Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is the newer soca-and-costume festival held in the spring. Both are worth it; they are not the same event.
Junkanoo parades on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, starting around 2am on Bay Street, Nassau
Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is separate — a spring festival with road march, fetes and costume bands
Junkanoo costumes are crepe paper on cardboard, built in secret all year by rival shacks
The sound is goatskin drums, cowbells, whistles and brass, not sound trucks
Nassau and Freeport host the biggest Junkanoo parades; smaller Family Island versions run too
Places to Stay
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Ride-Hailing Apps
Uber
Available in Nassau (New Providence). Limited on other islands.
Mas Bands
Fetes & Events
Things To Do
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Getting There
Lynden Pindling International Airport
Nassau
Getting Around
Jitneys are the local minibuses — around 15 routes across New Providence, a flat fare of roughly $1.25–$2, recognisable by green plates and a route number on the body.
They run until about 6 or 7pm and you can flag them anywhere along the route, not just at stops.
Driving is on the left, even though most cars are US imports with the wheel on the left.
Jitneys do not serve Paradise Island — that is taxi or walking territory.
Taxis are metered in theory but agree the fare in advance in practice; water taxis run between Nassau and Paradise Island.
Typical Costs from the UK
Estimates only — prices vary by airline, timing and section choice. Use the budget calculator to build your own breakdown.
When to Book
Decide first which event you want. For Junkanoo, you are booking Christmas and New Year in Nassau — the most expensive week of the year, so flights want nine months' notice, and you should buy a Bay Street grandstand seat in advance rather than planning to stand. For Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival in the spring, costs drop sharply and you can book far later. British Airways serves Nassau (NAS) seasonally; otherwise connect through Miami. If you go at Christmas, note the parade starts around 2am and runs to mid-morning — plan to sleep in the evening, not the night.
Plan This Carnival
🎭 May
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