Quick answer
Mérida Carnival 2027 would run from Wednesday, February 3 to Wednesday, February 10, with parades from Friday the 5th to Tuesday the 9th, if the 2026 pattern holds: the 10th is Ash Wednesday on the liturgical calendar. The Ayuntamiento, Mérida's city government, hasn't announced the venue or the lineup yet. In 2026 the parades were held at Ciudad Carnaval, on the Xmatkuil fairgrounds, with free entry and parking and six free bus routes. KORU has no vehicles listed in Mérida.
When is Mérida Carnival 2027?
Eight days earlier than in 2026: that's the number that matters. The carnival is tied to Ash Wednesday, which fell on February 18 in 2026, and that's why the party ran from the 11th to the 18th, according to the Ayuntamiento. In 2027 Ash Wednesday falls on February 10, according to that year's liturgical calendar. If the Carnival Committee keeps the 2026 order, the parades would run from Friday, February 5 to Tuesday, February 9. Treat it as a calculation, not an announcement: the official dates aren't out yet.
Where is the parade? In 2026 it was Xmatkuil
The mistake is waiting for the parade downtown. In 2026 the big parades took place at Ciudad Carnaval, inside the Xmatkuil fairgrounds: a 1.7 km (about one mile) route with bleachers for 40,000 people, 4,000 more seats than in 2025, according to the Ayuntamiento. Downtown kept the Quema del Mal Humor, under the arcades of the Palacio Municipal, the city hall, and the children's parade through the historic center. Don't take the 2027 venue for granted: it's announced at merida.gob.mx/carnaval, which in mid-October 2026 only promised details soon.
Which parades are there, and which one is worth the trip?
Monday night, hundreds of mestizas and mestizos in ternos, hipiles, guayaberas and alpargatas (Yucatán's embroidered dresses, shirts and sandals) dance jarana all along the route: that's how the Ayuntamiento described the 2026 Lunes Regional, which drew more than 40,000 people and closed with the Gran Vaquería, a traditional dance party. If you're coming from out of town, that's the one worth the trip, because it's the most Yucatecan night of the week. The other parades mix floats, comparsas (dance troupes) and TV celebrities. The Viernes de Corso was scheduled for 8:30 p.m., and the Domingo de Bachata drew 36,000 people. Afterward there were concerts at the Centro de Espectáculos Montejo.
Getting to Xmatkuil and getting around during carnival
The free buses are the way to get to Xmatkuil. In 2026 the Ayuntamiento ran six free routes to Ciudad Carnaval, including the Mujeres Seguras route, only for women and their underage children, and parking and entry to the fairgrounds weren't charged either. By car, you get there from the Periférico, the ring road: for the 2025 fair, Yucatán's Public Security Secretariat posted traffic officers from the Calle 50 overpass to the fairgrounds. What we'd do: ride the free routes both ways, which in 2026 mostly ran until midnight or 2 a.m., and take the car out the next day, for Uxmal.
Heads up
On the 2026 Sábado de Fantasía, the night of the Caifanes concert, the municipal police closed the Xmatkuil parking lot to prevent gridlock: about 200 cars were left outside, according to the newspaper Por Esto. On concert nights, get there early or take the free routes.
“If you only go to Xmatkuil for one night, make it Lunes Regional: ternos, guayaberas and jarana all along the route, and the Gran Vaquería to close. Every carnival has floats and celebrities; jarana belongs to Yucatán.”
— KORU RENT
Vehicle rental in Mérida
Vehicles listed by providers in Mérida; today, none.
Mérida, the White City
Cenotes, haciendas and KORU's other guides to Yucatán's capital.
From Mérida to Uxmal and the cenotes by car
The day trip for after carnival.
Frequently asked questions
If the 2026 pattern holds, it would run from Wednesday, February 3 to Wednesday, February 10, 2027, with parades from Friday the 5th to Tuesday the 9th; the 10th is Ash Wednesday on the liturgical calendar. It's a calculation: the official dates are announced by Mérida's Ayuntamiento.
There's no announcement yet. In 2026 the parades were at Ciudad Carnaval, on the Xmatkuil fairgrounds, while the Quema del Mal Humor and the children's parade were downtown. Before choosing where to stay based on a venue, check merida.gob.mx/carnaval, where the Committee publishes the lineup.
In 2026, nothing. The Ayuntamiento reported that entry to the fairgrounds, the events, the concerts and parking were free, as were the six bus routes it ran to Ciudad Carnaval. For 2027, check the conditions in the official lineup once it's out, because each edition is announced separately.
In 2026 there were six free bus routes to Ciudad Carnaval, including the Mujeres Seguras route, according to the Ayuntamiento. Stops and schedules are posted in the Cómo llegar (How to get there) section of merida.gob.mx/carnaval. Riding back by bus saves you hunting for parking and inching out in a line of thousands of cars.
No. The Mérida rental page at korurent.com says there are no vehicles listed there. On KORU, verified local providers rent out their vehicles; for a heads-up in case one lists in Mérida, leave your email on the destinations map at korurent.com.
You sign up on the Become a provider page at korurent.com. KORU reviews the vehicle and tells you once it's listed; then you hand it over to each renter, and KORU collects payment, handles the contract and provides support. How much you make comes down to the vehicle, the dates and how many people are searching.
Mark February 5 to 9, 2027 as the likely dates and keep an eye on merida.gob.mx/carnaval: the 2026 lineup was presented on January 8. If you want to know whether anyone lists vehicles in Mérida, leave your email on the destinations map at korurent.com; send us your questions about renting on WhatsApp.