Carnaval de Mazatlan 2027: Dates, Parades, Tickets and Travel Tips

Carnaval de Mazatlan 2027 runs from Thursday 4 to Tuesday 9 February 2027 in Mazatlán, with the two official comparsa parades on Sunday 7 and Tuesday 9 February ¹. The Instituto Municipal de Cultura, Turismo y Arte de Mazatlán announced these dates on 26 August 2026, together with the theme “Amamos Nuestras Tradiciones”, or “We Love Our Traditions” ¹.

The date moves every year because the carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday, the eve of Ash Wednesday, which follows the date of Easter ³. The 2026 edition in Mazatlán, themed “Arriba la Tambora”, ran from 12 to 17 February 2026, with parades on Sunday 15 and Tuesday 17 February ⁵. The 2027 edition keeps the same Thursday-to-Tuesday shape but starts on 4 February, eight days earlier in the calendar ^{1 5}.

The order of the week rarely changes: a Thursday opening, coronation nights at the stadium, a Saturday of fire and fireworks at Olas Altas, then the two parades. The 2027 calendar published by Mazatlan Life sets out the expected programme ²:

• Thursday 4 February: opening at Plazuela Machado around 14:00, King of Joy coronation at 19:30 ²
• Friday 5 February: Floral Games Queen coronation at 20:30 ²
• Saturday 6 February: Carnival Queen coronation at 18:30, Quema del Mal Humor at 21:00, Combate Naval at 23:00 ²
• Sunday 7 February: first parade from about 17:30 ²
• Monday 8 February: Child Queen coronation (Coronación Infantil) at Teatro Ángela Peralta at 10:00 ²
• Tuesday 9 February: second parade from about 16:30 ²

Part of the carnival happens before the main week. The Carnival Queen and the Floral Games Queen of 2027 are chosen at a final gala in Mazatlán on 16 January 2027 ¹. The King of Joy race closes with a second vote count at Plazuela República on Thursday 14 January 2027 at 18:00 ²⁰.

Tip: With only four nights in Mazatlán, plan around Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February 2027, which hold the Quema del Mal Humor, the Combate Naval and both parades ².

The two parades on Avenida del Mar are free to watch, while the Olas Altas street party and the stadium shows charge entry ². In 2026 the Olas Altas zone cost 70 pesos per person, one price for every night from 12 to 17 February 2026 ⁴. That ticket covered the whole closed seafront from Paseo Claussen to Olas Altas, its ten stages and the main stage beside El Venadito ^{4 5}.

Sales for 2026 opened on Sunday 1 February 2026 on boletocentro.com.mx and at kiosks in Plaza Acaya, Gran Plaza, the Instituto de Cultura offices and booths outside the Ayuntamiento of Mazatlán ⁴. Booths at the Olas Altas entrances opened from 13 February 2026 ⁵. For 2027, the local calendar again lists 70 pesos, payable in pesos only, but marks the price as unconfirmed ².

The El Venadito stage carries the star nights. In 2026 it hosted Banda La Costeña on Sunday 15 February, a Monday Noche Estelar on 16 February with Julio Preciado, Luis Ángel “El Flaco” and Toño Lizárraga, and Dos de la S on Tuesday 17 February ⁴. The city's announcement of 26 August 2026 named the 2027 dates and venues but no Olas Altas artists ¹.

The ticketed events of Carnaval de Mazatlan 2026 had very different prices ^{4 12}:

• Olas Altas street party: 70 pesos per person ⁴
• Julio Preciado show: 70 pesos ¹²
• Belinda concert at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal: 500 to 3,000 pesos ¹²
• Carnival fair wristband with unlimited rides: 120 pesos for adults and 100 pesos for children ¹⁹

Stadium coronation tickets are sold online through Ticketstar and at the Cultura office on Avenida Miguel Alemán, the Palacio Municipal, Gran Plaza and Plaza Acaya ^{2 12}. The 2027 local calendar lists hours of 9:00 to 17:00 at Cultura and City Hall, and 11:00 to 19:00 at the two malls ².

The fair is a separate place: in 2026 it stood beside Avenida Reforma, away from the seafront, and ran until 1 March 2026 ¹⁹. Its wristband does not open the Olas Altas gates.

Tip: Buy Olas Altas entry online before Saturday 6 February 2027; in 2026 the street booths only opened on 13 February ⁵.

General Rafael Buelna International Airport (MZT) sits about 16 km southeast of Mazatlán, with flights from Mexico City, Tijuana and several cities in the United States and Canada ¹⁵. Only the yellow airport taxis may pick up at the terminal ¹⁶. In July 2024 a ride to the Zona Dorada cost 480 pesos for two passengers and a ride to the Marina cost 500 pesos ¹⁶. Cars take up to four people, sometimes three with bulky luggage, and the fare is paid at the taxi stand before walking out to the car ¹⁶.

The taxi cannot reach the Olas Altas gates during carnival week. In 2026, Paseo Claussen was closed to traffic between Calle Zaragoza and Olas Altas from 20:00 on 12 February until 08:00 on 18 February 2026, to make room for ten stages and food stalls ⁵. A driver will stop a few blocks inland in the Centro Histórico, and the last stretch is on foot.

For the parades, the seafront itself is the venue. Avenida del Mar runs north from the Monumento al Pescador past the Monumento a la Pulmonía ^{8 9}. Pulmonías, the open golf-cart taxis invented in Mazatlán, run the length of the Malecón ¹⁴. Their fares are agreed before boarding: in June 2026 a ride inside the city cost about 100 to 130 pesos, short hops 70 to 80 pesos, and a sightseeing tour 500 to 600 pesos or up to 700 pesos an hour ¹³.

The Government of Canada's advisory, updated on 19 October 2026, lists the road between the Centro Histórico and the airport among the exempt areas of Mazatlán, on condition of arriving by air or sea ¹⁸. Flying into MZT keeps the whole trip inside those areas.

Tip: Agree a pickup street, such as Constitución, with the driver before leaving the car. On parade days Avenida del Mar closes, and the side streets fill quickly.

The carnival starts in the old town and moves into the stadium for the coronations. On the 2027 local calendar the opening at Plazuela Machado is set for Thursday 4 February around 14:00, with restaurants around the square giving out small Sinaloan dishes ². The King of Joy is crowned that evening at 19:30, the Floral Games Queen on Friday 5 February at 20:30 and the Carnival Queen on Saturday 6 February at 18:30 ².

Each coronation comes with a concert, and the crowds are large. In 2026 more than 25,000 people filled the inauguration night in Mazatlán with Edén Muñoz, and Belinda's stadium show sold seats from 500 to 3,000 pesos ¹². Estadio Teodoro Mariscal holds 16,000 seats for baseball ¹⁷.

The 2027 programme spreads across more venues than the 2026 edition ¹. The city lists Paseo Olas Altas, Teatro Ángela Peralta, Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, Estadio El Encanto and, for the first time, the Lienzo Charro rodeo arena ¹. The announcement of 26 August 2026 did not say which events move to the new venue ¹.

The court is chosen in two very different ways:

• Carnival Queen and Floral Games Queen: women aged 18 to 27, born in Mazatlán or resident for at least five years, judged at the gala of 16 January 2027 ¹
• King of Joy: candidates raise money at 1 peso per vote and need at least 120,000 votes for the 2027 crown ^{1 20}
• Vote counts: Thursday 26 November 2026 and Thursday 14 January 2027, both at 18:00 ²⁰
• Runners-up: second place becomes Royal Prince and third place Royal Marquis, with results checked by a notary ²⁰

The comparsa contest is the core of both parades. The 2027 contest takes groups of 30 to 35 dancers aged 13 and over, with prizes of 80,000, 60,000 and 40,000 pesos for the top three ¹.

Note: On Monday 8 February 2027 at 10:00 the Child Queen coronation (Coronación Infantil) is held at Teatro Ángela Peralta ².

Saturday is the night people travel for. On the 2027 local calendar the Quema del Mal Humor is set for Saturday 6 February at 21:00 and the Combate Naval for 23:00 on Paseo Olas Altas ². In 2026 the Combate Naval began at 23:00 on 14 February and lasted almost 30 minutes ⁶.

The Quema burns a paper effigy beside the El Venadito monument, lifted by crane and set alight ⁷. The tradition goes back to 1903, when plague stopped the carnival in Mazatlán ⁷. Past figures include Donald Trump in 2016 and the coronavirus in 2020, and the public now votes on the target ^{2 7}. The Combate Naval recalls the 1864 defence of Mazatlán against the French corvette La Cordelière ⁶. Seen from the foot of Cerro del Crestón, the boats in the bay of Olas Altas light up the water while the fireworks burst overhead ⁶.

The best viewpoints, according to Luz Noticias in February 2026 ⁶:

• Paseo Olas Altas, closest to the noise and the effigy ⁶
• Cerro de la Nevería, for a view over the whole bay ⁶
• The foot of Cerro del Crestón, for the lit boats ⁶

Other parts of the Malecón see very little, because distance and buildings block the bay ⁶. Reach Paseo Olas Altas between 19:00 and 20:00 to avoid the longest lines at the gates ⁶. Inside the zone, a photocopy of your ID is safer to carry than a passport, and handbags and wallets are best left at the hotel.

Plan the exit before the show. Many people stay late for the banda stages, but the crowd leaving at midnight packs Ángel Flores and Constitución.

Tip: Fix a meeting point, such as the El Venadito monument, before the Quema; once the Combate Naval starts, nobody hears a phone ring.

February in Mazatlán is dry and mild: the average daily high is 25.7 °C, the average low is 15.1 °C and the month gets 8.8 mm of rain on about one rainy day ¹⁴. A rained-out parade on Avenida del Mar is unlikely, but the afternoon sun on the kerb is strong, and nights by the Pacific feel cool after midnight.

The Tuesday parade began at 16:30 on 17 February 2026 ¹². That means a long wait in full sun on Avenida del Mar before the first float arrives. The Sunday parade starts later, at about 17:30 on the 2027 calendar, and ends in the dark ².

The parades are the biggest crowds of the week. More than 550,000 people watched the first parade on 15 February 2026 and more than 480,000 watched the second on 17 February 2026 ^{8 9}. The Sunday parade carried 30 floats, 2 giant marionettes and 22 comparsas, 13 in competition and 9 for exhibition, and each float was named after a carnival song such as “El Sinaloense” ⁸. The official grandstand for the Tuesday parade stood at the Monumento a la Pulmonía in 2026 ⁹.

How early to arrive:

• Sunday parade: in 2026 locals held kerb space from the Wednesday before, four days ahead ¹¹
• Tuesday parade: arrive by early afternoon for shade near the Monumento a la Pulmonía ⁹
• Coronations: Estadio Teodoro Mariscal fills well before the concert starts ¹²

Chairs are the main dispute on the route. In 2026, private sellers offered chairs for up to 300 pesos with a 100-peso deposit, and officials confiscated about 400 of them ^{10 11}.

What to pack for a parade day:

• Sunscreen and a hat for the afternoon wait
• A light jacket for after midnight
• Photocopies of ID and cash in pesos for Olas Altas ²
• Tissues, since the roughly 38 portable toilets along Olas Altas run out ²

Tip: Bring a folding stool for the Sunday parade; in 2026 the mayor said holding a spot for family is fine, while selling one is not ¹⁰.

The Centro Histórico suits visitors who come for the Olas Altas street party, and the Zona Dorada suits those who want the parade near the door. The Centro Histórico of Mazatlán, named a Heritage of the Nation in 2001, holds Plazuela Machado and the Teatro Ángela Peralta ¹⁴. The Zona Dorada, the hotel strip on the northern beaches ¹⁴, sits along the Sunday parade route, which runs north towards Avenida Rafael Buelna on the 2027 calendar ².

Each area has a trade-off:

• Centro Histórico: a walk to the Olas Altas gates and Plazuela Machado, with banda music late into the night
• Olas Altas seafront: front-row Combate Naval views, but in 2026 the street was closed to cars from 12 to 18 February ⁵
• Zona Dorada: quieter nights and a short walk to Avenida del Mar for both parades ²
• Cerritos and Playa Estrella del Mar: further out, better for a beach holiday than for the carnival

Rooms go early. During Carnaval de Mazatlan 2026, hotel occupancy reached 88%, more than 157,000 tourists came and the economic impact passed 1.111 billion pesos, according to the Sinaloa tourism secretariat ¹. The 2027 dates were announced on 26 August 2026, more than five months before the opening ¹. Hotel occupancy reached 88% during the 2026 carnival ¹. Compare listings early and expect the highest rates on the first parade weekend.

Location also matters for safety. The Government of Canada's advisory of 19 October 2026 exempts the historic centre south of Avenida Gutiérrez Nájera, the coastal roads from the centre to Playa Delfines, including Zona Cerritos and the Golden Zone, and the resorts on Playa Estrella del Mar ¹⁸. A room inside those zones keeps every carnival venue within reach.

Getting between the two areas is simple. A pulmonía ride inside the city cost about 100 to 130 pesos in June 2026, agreed with the driver before boarding ¹³. After the Olas Altas zone closes, a ride app booked from a side street is easier than hailing on the Malecón.

Tip: From the Zona Dorada, take a pulmonía to Olas Altas early in the evening, before the 21:00 Quema on Saturday 6 February 2027 ^{2 14}.

Mobile data slows on Paseo Olas Altas right after the Combate Naval, when tens of thousands of people film and post at once. The 2026 carnival in Mazatlán expected more than 1.2 million attendees across the week, and the inauguration night alone drew more than 25,000 ¹². Café Wi-Fi around Plazuela Machado cannot carry a crowd that size.

What visitors use their phones for at Carnaval de Mazatlan:

• Opening the Olas Altas ticket at the gate, sold online through boletocentro.com.mx since 2026 ⁵
• Finding the nearest pedestrian gate to the Olas Altas zone
• Sharing a live location on Avenida del Mar during the parades
• Translating the Spanish programme, which changes from night to night
• Booking a ride from the side streets after the party closes
• Video-calling home from the fireworks over the bay

A local SIM bought on arrival means queuing at a shop during the busiest week of the year in Mazatlán. An eSIM for Mexico can be set up before the flight and is active on landing at MZT, 16 km from the city ¹⁵. Video and live streams from the parade use the most data.

Signal is usually better a block or two inland from the seafront. Moving up Ángel Flores or Constitución into the Centro Histórico, away from the crowd of the Saturday Combate Naval, tends to get messages through faster.

The worst stretch follows the Combate Naval, expected at 23:00 on Saturday 6 February 2027, when the crowd leaves Paseo Olas Altas for the old town ². The second-worst moment is the end of each parade on Avenida del Mar, when hundreds of thousands of people try to book rides at once; in 2026 the two parades drew more than 550,000 and more than 480,000 people ^{8 9}.

Battery matters as much as signal. A Tuesday spent waiting for the 16:30 parade, as in 2026, and ending after midnight at Olas Altas runs a phone flat ¹². A small power bank fits in a pocket, which helps because the zone asks visitors not to bring handbags ².

Tip: Download an offline map of Mazatlán, from the Centro Histórico to the Zona Dorada, before leaving home. Maps still work when data stalls on parade night.

Yes. The Government of Canada advises against non-essential travel to Sinaloa but, in its advisory updated on 19 October 2026, exempts the main tourist areas of Mazatlán for travellers arriving by air or sea ¹⁸. Those areas cover the Centro Histórico south of Avenida Gutiérrez Nájera, the road to the airport, the coastal roads to Playa Delfines, including the Golden Zone and Cerritos, and the resorts on Playa Estrella del Mar ¹⁸. Paseo Olas Altas, Plazuela Machado and Avenida del Mar all sit inside them.

The same advisory reports fighting between armed groups in parts of Mazatlán outside the tourist zones and on the Culiacán to Mazatlán highway ¹⁸. Staying on the seafront and in the old town, and skipping road trips inland during the week of 4 to 9 February 2027, keeps a visit inside the exempt areas ^{1 18}.

Crowd safety is the everyday concern. The advisory warns that pickpocketing and bag snatching are frequent in Mexico and asks travellers to stay alert at mass gatherings such as concerts ¹⁸. The carnival has had crowd scares: in 2010 the Tuesday parade was suspended after a rumour of gunshots caused injuries and lost children ³. In February 2026, more than 3,000 security staff worked the carnival in Mazatlán, with patrol vehicles and helicopters ¹².

Practical rules for the week:

• Dial 911 for any emergency in Mexico ¹⁸
• Carry photocopies of ID, not a passport, into Olas Altas ²
• Leave handbags and wallets at the hotel
• Expect separate security gates for men and women at the Olas Altas entrances ²
• Agree a meeting point, such as El Venadito, before the Combate Naval

Children need a plan of their own. The Tuesday parade on 9 February 2027 is slightly smaller than the Sunday one, and on the 2027 calendar it is expected to run along Avenida del Mar south to Olas Altas ². The official grandstand for that parade stood at the Monumento a la Pulmonía in 2026 ⁹.

Tip: With children, write a phone number on each child's arm before the parade, and pick the Zona Dorada end of Avenida del Mar, where the crowd is thinner.