Museums & Heritage · 22 of the best in The Bahamas
Junkanoo: the heartbeat of a Bahamian Christmas
The back story
About Junkanoo: the heartbeat of a Bahamian Christmas
Goatskin drums, cowbells and horns in the small hours, and dancers in towering costumes of crepe paper and cardboard: Junkanoo is The Bahamas at its most joyful.
What Junkanoo is
Junkanoo is the national cultural festival of The Bahamas: a street parade of colourful costumes and dance routines, driven by whistles, cowbells, horns and goatskin drums, that starts in the small hours after midnight. In 2023 it was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Where it began
No one knows its exact origin. Some credit John Canoe, a legendary West African prince. The most popular belief, as the official tourism site explains, is that it grew out of the days of slavery, when enslaved people were given three days off at Christmas and celebrated with singing and dancing in colourful masks, travelling from house to house, often on stilts.
Groups of up to 1,000 people spend almost the whole year preparing.
The shacks
Costumes are built for months in “Junkanoo shacks”, workshops where groups such as the Valley Boys cut cardboard, bend wire into frames, glue and crease every piece, then cover it in crepe paper, glitter and feathers. Some costumes tower 15 ft high, and organised groups of up to 1,000 people prepare almost all year.
Parade nights
The big parades rush down Bay Street in downtown Nassau on Boxing Day, 26 December, and New Year’s Day, 1 January. Nassau’s are the largest and most competitive, and Grand Bahama, Bimini, Eleuthera and Abaco hold their own. In 2026, Exuma’s parade in George Town followed on 3 January.
Watching and joining in
The parades start after midnight and run into the morning, so rest beforehand and bring water. Anyone may take part as long as they follow the rules of the National Junkanoo Association; ask your hotel to make arrangements. To see costumes up close and hear the history, book a visit to the Educulture Junkanoo Museum on West Street.
All year round
Junkanoo is also celebrated on Independence Day, at the Junkanoo Summer Festival (held at Taino Beach on Grand Bahama, among other places) and at smaller holidays through the year.
Why it's on our list
- What Junkanoo is
- Where it began
- The shacks
- Parade nights
- Watching and joining in
- All year round
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Junkanoo: the heartbeat of a Bahamian Christmas before you go.