
Christmas revelers descended on the port city of Calabar in southern Nigeria this weekend to take part in the festive carnival dubbed “Africa’s biggest street party.”

The glittering parade featured floats and dancers from many different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

A month of celebrations in December attracts many partygoers to Calabar, the capital of Cross River State and home to many Christian communities. Organizers say up to two million people will take part, reports AFP news agency.


At least 14 bands reportedly took part in performances and competitions this year.

Most carnival-goers danced to Afrobeats hits played from huge speakers.

The carnival celebrates two decades since its inception. “We see different designs, different costumes,” participant Grace Job told AFP. “The energy is so great.”

The carnival attracts a wide variety of people onto the streets. The troupe pictured below is from the University of Calabar – with costumes printed with the institution’s logo.

Some of the costumes referenced the city’s ties to the Atlantic slave trade. The image below shows manillas – the brass bracelets introduced as currency by Portuguese traders and used from the 16th to 19th centuries.

This woman’s outfit is reminiscent of the colonial era and is depicted as a giant British West African penny from the reign of the British monarch George VI. dressed. Nigeria gained independence from Great Britain in 1960.


“Everyone is trying to showcase the tradition and the culture,” 25-year-old dancer and civil engineering student Rejoice Elemi told AFP

Nigerian music stars Runtown and Iyanya performed at a carnival concert at a stadium in Calabar on Friday evening. Calas Vegas won the coveted title of best carnival band – for the second time in a row.

Cross River State sees the carnival – now the largest in Nigeria – as a way to attract visitors not only from across Nigeria but also from the diaspora.

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