The Carnival Calabar Commission has announced that the yearly theme-unveiling event for this year’s edition of Carnival Calabar will be held on May 31, 2026 at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The theme unveiling is a yearly event by the Cross River State Carnival Commission to announce the theme for the year’s Carnival. The theme guides the Bands in their choreography and the presentation of the whole Carnival.

The unveiling events allow the state to engage with stakeholders, sponsors, and the diplomatic community as part of preparations for the Annual Carnival.

For this year’s unveiling event, His Excellency Ambassador Gautier Mignot of the European Union is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour, and His Excellency Ambassador Paulo Santos of Portugal will be the Guest of Honour.

As part of the activities leading up to the unveiling event, the Chairman of Carnival Calabar, Dr Gabe Onah, paid a strategic visit to Multichoice Nigeria Canal + Company. He was accompanied by the Lead Marketing Consultant of Carnival Calabar, Mrs Mary Ephraim Egbas.

The delegation was received by the Chief Executive Officer, Multichoice Nigeria Canal + Company, Ms Kemi Okunola, and the Executive Director, General Entertainment, Multichoice Nigeria, Dr Busola Tejumola.

The delegation briefed Multichoice on plans for digital transformation and streaming to a global audience for this year’s event, as well as the official unveiling of the theme for the 21st Carnival Calabar and Festival, scheduled to hold on Sunday, 31st May at Eko Hotel in Lagos.

Carnival Calabar is the biggest Street Dance Parade in Africa, held every December in Cross River State. It is one of the biggest tourism events in West Africa, drawing millions of visitors to Cross River every year.