Carnival season is one of the world’s biggest travel moments.
In Brazil alone, the 2025 edition was projected to generate about R$12.03 billion in revenue nationwide, the strongest result since 2015. Rio de Janeiro’s city hall expected R$5.7 billion in local economic activity from Carnival 2025, while analysts and media tallies placed it in the R$5.5–R$5.7 billion range.
New Orleans’ Mardi Gras continues to be an economic powerhouse, with a rigorously reviewed study finding nearly $891 million in total impact for the 2023 season and local officials and press describing 2025 crowds near one million.
London’s Notting Hill Carnival now produces annual economic effects measured in the hundreds of millions of pounds.
Key stats: Carnival Tourism
- Rio Carnival saw a 12% increase in international arrivals in 2025, reinforcing its status as a global magnet for festivity.
- The 2025 Rio Carnival is estimated to bring R$5.5 billion (~€900 million) in tourism revenue for the city.
- Across Brazil, Carnival celebrations in 2025 may draw over 53 million participants, up 8% from 2024.
- During the Rio Carnival period, 1.48 million tourists were expected in the city alone.
- Trinidad & Tobago’s Carnival 2025 is projected to generate USD $95 million in tourist spending.
- In Venice, Carnival 2024 drove hotel rates up 40% year-over-year, with some rooms going for €427/night at peak.
- In one Carnival weekend in Venice, short-term rental rates reached €298, a 47% jump over last year.
- Historically, in 2019, Rio’s Carnival contributed US$875 million in tourism revenue to the city’s economy.
- Booking data shows a 40% increase in searches for Carnival 2025 accommodations vs 2024.
- At peak, hotels near Carnival venues (e.g. Rio’s Sambadrome) charged > US$500/night for top-tier rooms.
What are the key carnival tourism statistics right now?
- Brazil 2025 Carnival revenue projection: R$12.03 billion (up about 2.1 percent year over year).
- Rio de Janeiro 2025 city estimate: R$5.7 billion in economic activity tied to Carnival. Independent coverage the same week cited roughly R$5.5 billion and around 118,000 foreign visitors to the city for the period.
- New Orleans Mardi Gras: $891,202,780 total impact for 2023 (city-commissioned study); 2025 attendance reported near one million.
- Notting Hill Carnival (London): annual economic impact studies report approximately £396 million in direct or net effect, and roughly £493 million when a conservative multiplier is applied. Attendance is commonly described as about one to two million.
- Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2025: about 41,000 air arrivals during the Carnival window; ministry-cited exit surveys report high per-visitor spend; cruise programs added millions of US dollars in local spending.
How big is Carnival in Brazil in 2025?
Brazil’s national retail and services confederation (CNC) projected R$12.03 billion in revenue during Carnival 2025, edging past 2024 and marking the strongest since 2015.
Government briefings and trade outlets echoed the same projection.
This aligns with Brazil’s broader tourism surge in 2025, with international arrivals tracking at record levels through mid-year.
Brazil: headline estimates
Metric | Latest figure | Source note |
---|---|---|
National Carnival 2025 revenue (projection) | R$12.03 billion | CNC projection disseminated by the Ministry of Tourism, Feb 2025. |
International visitors YTD 2025 | Record pace through July | Government and trade summaries. |
How did Rio de Janeiro perform in 2025?
Rio’s city government estimated R$5.7 billion in economic activity from Carnival 2025.
European coverage the same week cited about R$5.5 billion, approximately 50,000 temporary jobs, and roughly 118,000 foreign tourists in the late-Feb to early-Mar window.
Hotel occupancy reached near-capacity in many beachfront neighborhoods, with press tallies showing rates around the highest of the decade.
How big is Mardi Gras in New Orleans?
The latest comprehensive, peer-reviewed economic study for New Orleans found nearly $900 million in total impact, a 3.07 percent slice of local GDP, and a $2.64 return for each dollar of city spending.
In 2025, local reporting and business press said Mardi Gras crowds approached one million and hotel occupancy averaged in the mid-80s over the core period, the best since COVID.
Mardi Gras: quick indicators
Indicator | Latest figure |
---|---|
Total impact (study year 2023) | $891,202,780 |
City ROI (per $1 spent) | $2.64 |
2025 crowd level | ~1 million attendees (reported) |
2025 core hotel occupancy | ~86% average over Feb 28–Mardi Gras Day |
Sources: City press release and Tulane study; 2025 press and early occupancy data.
What is the economic footprint of Notting Hill Carnival?
Independent economists and arts groups place Notting Hill’s effect around the mid-hundreds of millions of pounds per year.
One 2024 analysis commissioned by a UK newspaper estimated £396 million in direct or net impact; applying a conservative multiplier yields an overall effect close to £493 million.
Notting Hill is often described as Europe’s largest street festival, drawing crowds measured in the one-to-two-million range.
What do we know about Caribbean carnivals like Trinidad and Tobago?
Trinidad and Tobago’s 2025 season recorded about 41,000 air arrivals during the Carnival window, plus cruise volumes to both Trinidad and Tobago.
A ministry report highlighted high spend per air visitor and additional millions of US dollars attributed to a dedicated “Epic Carnival Experience” cruise program.
Official 2024 reporting also showed a similar air-arrival scale year-over-year.
Trinidad and Tobago: 2025 snapshot
Metric | Latest figure |
---|---|
Air arrivals (Feb 14–Mar 4 window) | ~41,000 |
Additional cruise passengers (Trinidad) | 3,311 |
Additional cruise passengers (Tobago) | 10,615 |
Select program spend estimate | ~US$34 million from Epic Carnival Experience passengers |
Source: Newsday summary of Ministry of Tourism report, Apr 3, 2025.
How crowded are Europe’s carnivals like Venice and London?
Venice’s Carnival typically attracts up to about three million visitors in recent years, with 2025 coverage pointing to exceptional crowds and early event turnouts.
London’s Notting Hill Carnival is regularly reported at around one to two million attendees each year.
Both events are deeply tied to local identity and carry significant management and public safety considerations.
Which carnivals stand out on attendance and economic impact?
Selected carnivals: most recent headline figures
Event | Location | Latest attendance indicator | Latest economic indicator |
---|---|---|---|
Rio Carnival 2025 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Foreign visitors to city ~118,000 (late Feb–early Mar window) | R$5.5–R$5.7 billion city impact (estimates in same week) |
Brazil national 2025 | Nationwide | n/a | R$12.03 billion projected revenue |
Mardi Gras 2025 | New Orleans, USA | ~1 million attendees reported | ~$891 million (2023 study baseline) |
Notting Hill Carnival | London, UK | ~1–2 million attendees | £396m direct/net; ~£493m with multiplier |
Trinidad and Tobago 2025 | Trinidad and Tobago | ~41,000 air arrivals in window; plus cruise | Program-specific spend ~US$34m; high per-visitor spend noted |
Citations: Rio, Brazil national, New Orleans, Notting Hill, Trinidad.
What trends should destinations watch?
- More international arrivals into Brazil around Carnival weeks as airlift expands and marketing intensifies.
- Pressure on urban management and public safety at mega-events in Europe; organizers repeatedly flag funding and stewarding needs.
- Diversification of visitor spend, from formal parades to street blocos and neighborhood economies in Rio, and year-round “Mardi Gras-style” programming in New Orleans.
FAQ: Carnival Tourism
What is the most economically impactful Carnival event right now
Brazil’s national season is projected at R$12.03 billion for 2025. Rio’s city estimate is R$5.7 billion for 2025. New Orleans’ Mardi Gras study pegs nearly $900 million for its 2023 season.
How large are crowds at the biggest street carnivals
Notting Hill typically draws roughly one to two million. Venice is commonly cited at up to about three million. New Orleans 2025 was reported near one million.
Are these figures comparable across places
Not exactly. Some estimates include indirect and induced effects; others count direct spending only. Definitions of “attendance” also vary (citywide visits, parade counts, or ticketed venues).
Where can I find the underlying studies
See the sources below. Where possible, use the city or ministry releases and the original academic or commissioned reports for methodology details.
Sources
- Ministério do Turismo (Brazil) / CNC — Carnaval 2025 deve garantir R$ 12 bilhões em faturamento
- Prefeitura do Rio — Carnival 2025 to move R$ 5.7 billion in Rio’s economy
- Le Monde (Economy) — Rio Carnival is an economic and tourism boon for Brazil
- City of New Orleans / Tulane University — 2023 Mardi Gras Economic Impact Study (press release)
- Tulane University Magazine — The Economics of Mardi Gras
- Biz New Orleans — Nearly 1 Million People Visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras
- Axios Local — Mardi Gras hotels: best occupancy since COVID
- OutdoorArtsUK — Notting Hill Carnival generates £396m for London’s economy
- JW Economics (PDF) — Quantifying the Economic Impact of Notting Hill Carnival (2024)
- Trinidad and Tobago Newsday — Tourism ministry: record visitors, spending for Carnival 2025
- Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts (T&T) (PDF) — Carnival Report 2024: Visitor arrivals and flight movements
- Carnival of Venice (Wikipedia) — Attendance and background
- Forbes — How to plan the perfect trip to Venice Carnival
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