Zomercarnaval is a summer carnival that is all about diversity of cultures, music, dance, art and poetry. Rotterdam summer carnival features a huge street parade, drum* battle and music concert.
Zomercarnaval – the Battle of the Drums, the music concerts and the street food vendors run from Friday night to Saturday night. The crowning of the carnival Queen is always held one week prior to the parade.
Rotterdam is a fusion of many different cultures and their traditions which transform Rotterdam each year. Over one million attend Zomercarnaval to dance, party, enjoy the parade, eat some exotic food and be joyous.
Rotterdam is a culturally diverse city, a melting pot city of 178 different nationalities. The more Zomercarnaval grew, the more that the character of the city came to be represented. People from different backgrounds saw the carnival as a chance to showcase their cultures.
Zomercarnaval allows its local citizens to showcase their different cultures through music, dance, costumes, art and floats. All these different cultures fuse to create an incredible extravaganza.
ZomerCarnaval is often compared to Notting Hill Carnival as they are both large all-day street parties. However, the critical difference is that while both started as Caribbean Carnivals, Notting Hill’s stayed loyal to its roots and Zomercarnaval, on the other hand, evolved to include more cultures and nationalities.
Learn more about the Rotterdam Unlimited and Summer Carnival
Also, check our list of the best hotels in Rotterdam and book your stay during the event.
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