Terceira Carnival 2027: danças and bailinhos, 6–9 February

Carnival on Terceira is not a street parade. It is theatre. For four days, dozens of amateur groups perform danças and bailinhos, short musical plays full of rhyme, song and satire, moving from one parish hall to the next across the island.

When

The shows fill the four days of Entrudo, from Carnival Saturday to Shrove Tuesday. Carnival follows Easter, which falls on 28 March in 2027, so the 2027 edition runs from Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 February.

What you will see

According to the Azores Legislative Assembly, more than fifty groups and nearly two thousand amateur musicians and actors take part each year. The danças de espada tell dramatic, often historical stories, while the bailinhos are comic and poke fun at the issues of the day. Groups travel by night between the halls of the rural parish societies, and the audience of neighbours, friends and family packs every seat, as described in an essay published by the Museu de Angra do Heroísmo.

Practical notes

The performances are in Portuguese and full of local humour, but the music, costumes and atmosphere carry you along. Arrangements differ from hall to hall, so ask locally which groups are playing where. Halls fill quickly, especially at night.