Colombia’s 2025 Barranquilla Carnival ended last Tuesday after a four-day explosion of music, dance, and tradition that transformed the city into a whirlwind of color and festivity. Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Barranquilla carnival is a vibrant expression of Colombia’s rich cultural diversity, blending indigenous, African, and Spanish influences into an electrifying spectacle.
The carnival pulsed with traditional Caribbean rythms such as Cumbia, Mapalé, Champeta, and Son de Negros, with drums, flutes, and maracas filling the air. At the heart of the carnival were its elaborate costumes and iconic characters, each carrying deep historical and cultural significance. Figures like La Marimonda, El Monocuco, and Negrita Puloy brought humor, mystery, and energy to the streets.
Colombia One attended the Barranquilla Carnival’s Great Fantasy Parade and brings you some of the most spectacular costumes showcased this year.
2025 Barranquilla Carnival parade and costumes
The Congo costume, blending strong African influences and European elements, is one of the Barranquilla’s carnival most iconic. Originating from African dances brought to America by enslaved people, it is a strong representation of Afro-descendant folklore and cultural resistance.
La Marimonda is one of the most emblematic characters of the Barranquilla Carnival. It is said to have emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century, when people from lower classes used old clothing, worn the wrong way, to mock and ridicule wealthier social classes. Its comical and extravagant appearance is meant to provoke laughter and highlight its burlesque nature, resembling both an elephant and, humorously, a masculine genitalia.
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