Nassau hosts the large New Year’s Eve Junkanoo celebration in The Bahamas.
Junkanoo is a Bahamian street parade featuring elaborate costumes, music, dancing, and competitive performances. The largest parade takes place in Nassau in the early hours of January 1, although related events occur on Boxing Day and in other Bahamian communities.
Groups known as working sections or shacks prepare costumes, choreography, and music for months. Participants compete in categories that can include music, performance, and costume design. Cowbells, goatskin drums, whistles, and brass instruments help create the parade’s distinctive sound.
The festival has roots in African and Caribbean cultural traditions and developed through the history of slavery and emancipation in The Bahamas. While it is often described as a carnival, Junkanoo has its own historical identity and musical traditions.