Festival de la Candelaria – Carnival of Puno 2020

Culture
festival-de-candelaria-carnival-of-puno-2020
Date: Sunday, 02 February 2020

The Festival de Candelaria, also known as the Carnival of Puno, is a 2-week celebration at the beginning of February. Main days in 2020 are February 2 (feast day of the Virgin) and February 3 as well as February 7 to February 11.

Celebrated in honor of the Virgin of Candelaria, the patron saint of the city of Puno, the Festival de la Candelaria or Carnival of Puno is a huge event merging Catholic traditions brought to Peru by the Spanish conquerors and age-old Andean customs, rites and symbols.

The core of the festival are the music and dance performances including the costume dances and other traditional dances of the Andean Altiplano of Peru presented by tens of thousands of dancers and musicians.

While there are numerous events and festivities from the last week of January to February 16, 2020, the main celebrations are on the following days.

Program of the Festival de la Candelaria – Carnival of Puno in 2020

February 2, 2020 (Sunday)

This is the feast day of the Virgin of Candelaria and the main day of the festival. Early in the morning a mass is celebrated at the main square in Puno. Then celebrations and dancing continue the whole day. At 02.00 pm the famous Procession of the blessed Virgin of Candelaria (Procesión de la Santísima Virgen de la Candelaria) starts.

February 3, 2020 (Monday)

In honor of the Virgin of Candelaria a regional dance contest is held which ends in a parade through Puno’s main streets. Expect lots of traditional music, dancing, colorful costumes and celebrations full of joy and fun.

February 7, 2020 (Friday)

The day of the Light Dance Festival, where smaller dance competitions are held in different neighborhoods and squares in Puno. At 06.00 pm music shows begin and the town is full of festivities.

February 8, 2020 (Saturday)

The day starts early at 05.00 am with the Masses of Albas at the Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Candelaria which are attended by dancers, musicians and all those involved in the festivities. At 03.00 pm the dancers and music groups (without costumes) head to the city center where at 07.00 pm the “Vísperas de la Fiesta Octava” begins. Now in costumes the dancers and music groups pay homage to the Virgin in the streets of Puno. The day ends with huge fireworks.

February 9, 2020 (Sunday)

Today is the day of the “Gran Concurso de Trajes de Luces” (the Great Competition of the Costumes of Lights) at the Torres Belon Stadium in Puno taking place from 07:00 am to 05.00 pm. In the afternoon and evening some groups dance through the center of the city.

February 10 and 11, 2020 (Monday and Tuesday)

Puno once again is filled with music, dancing, colorful costumes and joy. On Monday and Tuesday the “Gran Veneracion a la Virgen de Candelaria” takes place. Dancers and musicians parade in veneration of the Virgin de Candelaria through the city of Puno. Parades will continue in the north and south of the city the following few days. Then, to finish off the festival, the following Sunday a closing ceremony is held, and awards of the Regional Dance Contest Virgin of Candelaria are presented to the winners.

Venue / Location:
Puno

Map


All Dates


  • From Friday, 07 February 2020 to Tuesday, 11 February 2020
  • Sunday, 02 February 2020
  • Monday, 03 February 2020
Say something here...
characters left
or post as a guest
All comments MUST be in English and will be moderated before publishing.
They will appear below within 24 hours.
Loading comment... The comment will be refreshed after 00:00.

Be the first to comment.

Peru Newsflash

Peru Event Calendar

Latest Content...

Latest Video

Maria Reiche - Memories

Maria Reiche - Memories

Submitted by: Tintin
05 December 2021

Long Reads...

  • Peruvian Archaeology

    The Mystery of the Nazca Lines in Peru

    In the 1920s, when people first flew across southern Peru, they made an astonishing discovery. Stretching below them,…
  • Peruvian Personalities & Founders

    Francisco Pizarro González (1474-1541)

    Francisco Pizarro, a peasant from Spain, was one of the least well-equipped conquerors in history. However, in the name…
  • Peruvian Archaeology

    The colorful Fabrics and Textiles of Peru

    Europe’s first knowledge of Peruvian textiles was acquired following the Spanish invasion of Peru in 1532, when the…
  • Peruvian Legends, Myths & Tales

    The Jeweled Frog and the Condor

    By a quiet pond, at the side of a cloud-topped mountain in Peru, lived a small green frog and his large green family.…
  • Peru Info

    Peruvian Economy

    The Peruvian economy is an emerging, social market economy highly dependent on foreign trade and classified as an upper…