The Hottest Happenings and Cultural Events in Cartagena.
Cartagena’s Cultural Schedule.
A selection of the hottest happenings (real and virtual) taking place in Colombia’s Caribbean culture hub. From glittering film festivals to stimulating literary gatherings and raucous New Year’s Eve celebrations, there’s always something incredible taking place in Cartagena.
Browse through our carefully curated list of the most exciting events in Cartagena and reach out if you need help organizing your trip. We’re here to help good people do great things.
Spring Break in Cartagena.
Flip the script and turn Colombia into your next Spring Break with a fun-packed trip to Cartagena. Its famous mix of Caribbean islands, breath-taking scenery, delicious food, friendly people and seemingly eternal summer sunshine make it an irresistible place to enjoy the holidays.
Barranquilla Carnival.
As the largest carnival outside Brazil, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll have the time of your life at Barranquilla’s biggest party of the year.
A Sweet Evening with Pastry Virtuoso Camari Mick.
Join Chef Camari Mick at Blue Apple’s Secret Garden Supper Club for one of the hottest culinary events in Cartagena. Enjoy a multi-course Caribbean-inspired tasting menu in an intimate setting. Limited to 24 guests.
Cartagena Film Festival.
For more than half a century, Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias (FICCI) has shone an illuminating spotlight on the Hispanic filmmaking culture and some of its most important creations.
Escape to Mompox this Easter.
If you’re bored of the whole ‘family lunch and hiding chocolate eggs’ thing, then Colombia is definitely the place to be over Easter. With a Catholic demographic of 90%, it’s one of the biggest and most-anticipated holiday celebrations in the country – especially in Mompox.
Summer Holidays in Cartagena.
Can you feel that? No worries; not a care in the world. The stress of daily life left behind. Late evenings that dissolve into late mornings, with the most important decision you make being how best to enjoy your well-earned time off. It’s summer, and there are few better places to spend it than Cartagena.
A Spectacular Secret Supper with a Culinary Angel.
Join Chef Carmen Angel at Blue Apple’s Secret Garden Supper Club for one of the hottest culinary events in Cartagena. Enjoy a multi-course Caribbean-inspired tasting menu in an intimate setting. Limited to 24 guests.
Mompox Jazz Festival.
The sleepy town of Santa Cruz de Mompos opens her arms to visitors from around the world for its annual jazz festival – an energizing event that adds a unique atmosphere to a special place.
Palenque Drum Festival.
Enjoy the Festival of Drums and Cultural Expressions of Palenque, four days of vibrant music, including drumming, bullerenge, mapale, and cumbia, showcasing Afro-Colombian culture and resistance.
Cartagena’s Carnival - Independence Day Fiestas.
The Cartagena Independence Festival - one of Colombia's oldest and craziest celebrations - kicks off in the month before it celebrates its independence from Spanish rule on 11 November.
Iron Man in Cartagena
Forget competing against the mundane backdrop of concrete slab buildings in ‘copy and paste’ cities – the Cartagena Iron Man challenge gives you the chance to complete this epic triathlon in a fairy-tale Caribbean setting complete with azure seas, swaying palm trees, pirate ships and ancient castles.
NYE Party / We Are In Cartagena Vol.4
This pop-up New Year’s Eve party takes over one of the most spectacular settings in Cartagena’s old town attracting a glittering crowd of Burning Men and Women for a hot and steamy affair.
NYE Beach Party at Fenix Beach Club
This Burning Man-style beach club is constantly re-inventing itself, offering endless beach-themed possibilities. Start the year in style with Fenix's sandy sendoff.
NYE Feast & Fireworks at El Baluarte
Bright lights, big city! Let 2025 go off with a bang atop Cartagena's majestic muralla while sparkling stars and colours fizzle in the sky above.
NYE Party at Alquimico
Burn the house down this New Year’s Eve at Alquímico. The world’s most sustainable bar is a kicking venue with three distinctive levels, each offering its own unique experience.
Cartagena Classical Music Festival.
Cartagena’s International Music Festival pulls in a sophisticated crowd from Colombia and abroad and offers the quintessential experience for anyone who appreciates the beauty found in classical music.
Valentine’s Day in Cartagena.
They say Cupid doesn't come to Cartagena because he doesn't have enough arrows... With its fiery sunsets, balmy evenings, enchanting colonial architecture and lamp-lit cobbled streets, there's a reason it's one of the world’s most seductive cities at any given time.
Hay Festival Cartagena.
An unparalleled feast of culture; a celebration of literary and creative genius, the Hay Festival will inspire you to reimagine the world you think you know. Join an elite group of writers, poets, journalists and academics as they share their work at events across Cartagena.
Cartagena Fried Food Festival.
Trouble trouble, they fry and bubble, get me a frito on the double! Cartagena’s favourite food fest is back for another year of lip-smacking goodness, so ditch the diet and make sure you come hungry.
Secret Garden Supper Club with Chef Kanchan Koya at Blue Apple.
Join Chef Kanchan Koya for one of the top culinary events in Cartagena at Blue Apple’s Secret Garden Supper Club on October 25th. Experience a spice-infused, health-focused tasting menu in an intimate setting. Limited to 24 guests.
October Big Day at Agricola Camelias
Enjoy the Festival of Drums and Cultural Expressions of Palenque, four days of vibrant music, including drumming, bullerenge, mapale, and cumbia, showcasing Afro-Colombian culture and resistance.
Guest Chef Series 2024: Roberto Martinez from Tripea Madrid
Standout Cartagena restaurant, Rabo de Pez, will host celebrated Spanish chef, Roberto Martinez, the man behind Tripea Madrid, as part of the restaurant's Guest Chef Series 2024.
Secret Garden Supper Club with Chef Nina Compton at Blue Apple.
Join Chef Nina Compton at Blue Apple’s Secret Garden Supper Club for one of the hottest culinary events in Cartagena. Enjoy a multi-course Caribbean-inspired tasting menu in an intimate setting. Limited to 24 guests.
Cartagena Kite Festival
Cartagena’s skies become a kaleidoscope of colours during the windy month of August as hundreds flock to the streets of Old Town to unleash their kites into the breeze.
Easter in Cartagena & Mompox
Open the window to an incredible cultural experience this Easter. Cartagena and Mompox are the go-to destinations for international travellers and fervent religious locals, with a host of religious parades and rich cultural activities that will widen your horizons.
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