The 74th St. Thomas Carnival runs April 5 through May 2, 2026, produced by the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Festivals. Four weeks of pre-events lead into a seven-day stretch of pageants, nightly Carnival Village performances, the Food Fair, J’Ouvert, and both the Children’s and Adult parades, closing with fireworks on the waterfront on May 2.
Carnival Village will be at the Fort Christian Lot. Here is the full official schedule of events, published by the Division of Festivals.
Pre-Carnival Events
- Sunday, April 5 — 12 p.m. Easter Children’s Fun Day · Emile Griffith Park
- Saturday, April 11 — 6 p.m. Princess Show · University of the Virgin Islands
- Saturday, April 18 — 6 p.m. Queen Show · University of the Virgin Islands
- Monday, April 20 — 6 p.m. Hospital Show · Hospital Parking Lot
- Friday, April 24 — 7 p.m. Jr Calypso / Cultural Event · Carnival Village
- Saturday, April 25 — 8 p.m. Calypso Monarch · Carnival Village
Carnival Week: April 26 – May 2
- Sunday, April 26 — 11 a.m. Boat Race · Waterfront Apron
- Sunday, April 26 — 6 p.m. Panorama · Carnival Village
- Monday, April 27 – Saturday, May 2 — 7 p.m. nightly. Village Nights · Carnival Village
- Wednesday, April 29 — 10 a.m. Food Fair · Crown Bay
- Thursday, April 30 — 5:30 a.m. J’Ouvert · Waterfront Apron
- Friday, May 1 — 10 a.m. Children’s Parade · Main Street
- Saturday, May 2 — 10 a.m. Adult’s Parade · Main Street
- Saturday, May 2 — 9 p.m. Fireworks · Waterfront Apron
Carnival Village
Carnival Village opens at the Fort Christian Lot with Panorama on April 26 and runs nightly from April 27 through May 2 at 7 p.m. The Village is free and open to the public, featuring local, regional, and international acts. Per-night lineups will be announced by the Division of Festivals closer to each date.
Pageants
The Princess Show and Queen Show both take place at the University of the Virgin Islands — April 11 and April 18, respectively, at 6 p.m. Both lead into the Calypso Monarch competition at Carnival Village on April 25 at 8 p.m.
Boat Race and Panorama
Sunday, April 26 is a two-event day: the Boat Race launches from the Waterfront Apron at 11 a.m., and Panorama — the steel pan competition — takes the Carnival Village stage at 6 p.m. the same evening.
Food Fair
Crown Bay hosts the Food Fair on Wednesday, April 29, starting at 10 a.m. Expect traditional Virgin Islands cuisine, handmade arts and crafts, and day-long vendor booths.
J’Ouvert
The traditional J’Ouvert street dance steps off at 5:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 30, at the Waterfront Apron. Revelers follow music trucks through Charlotte Amalie as the sun comes up — one of the Caribbean’s most energetic Carnival mornings.
The Parades
Main Street hosts both parades on consecutive days. The Children’s Parade starts at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 1, showcasing the territory’s school bands and youth dance troupes. The Adult’s Parade — the festival’s marquee event — steps off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 2, with thousands of masqueraders in elaborate costumes and feathered headpieces moving along Main Street to the territory’s top soca and traditional V.I. bands.
Fireworks
Carnival 2026 closes with a fireworks display over the Waterfront Apron at 9 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, after the Adult’s Parade.
Getting Around
Traffic and parking in Charlotte Amalie will be heavily restricted around Carnival Village at the Fort Christian Lot, along Main Street for the parades, and on the Waterfront for Boat Race, J’Ouvert, and Fireworks. VITRAN shuttle service is typically expanded during Carnival week.
Source
This guide draws from the official St. Thomas Carnival 2026 Schedule of Events published by the U.S. Virgin Islands Division of Festivals: usvifestivals.vi. Event privately-ticketed fetes run by independent promoters during Carnival week are not part of the official Carnival program and are not covered here.
