El Carnaval de Panama 2015 in Panama City

TELEME channel 13 in Panama City is showing a live concert from the Cinta Costera.  Roockie, a well know Panamanian reggae recording artist just gave a great performance.  Check out local TV stations for coverage of the Carnaval events in Panama City and Las Tablas. if you can't be there.

A few more details on Carnaval 2015 in Panama City:

-The parades start late in the afternoon.  I was told 4 pm, but the Sunday Pollera parade started at about 5:15.    There are 2 days of Carnaval left, Monday and Tuesday.  Tuesday is the biggest day of Carnaval.

-The Carnaval events are on the closed street next to the Cinta Costera.  Most of the Cinta Costera is still open for walking, jogging, etc.  Only a section near Casco Viejo is closed.  The parade and Carnaval events are on the closed street next to the Cinta Costera.

-There is only one entrance.  Just follow the crowd.  Men will be told to go one way, and women another at the security check.  Bags are allowed but they will be searched.  You will get a pat down before entering.  My small plastic hairbrush was confiscated but the camera and water bottle were ok.

-3 p.m. is a good time to enter the events if you would like to enjoy some food and beer.  There must have been 1/4 of a mile of food/beer stands.  Charcoal grills were grilling chicken, hamburgers, and spiral cut hot dogs on a stick.  Beer, soda, and water cost $1.   Food is really cheap.  Local beer and Pepsi dominate. 

-There are plenty of port-a-potties available.  Music is blasting.  People are just eating, drinking, and having fun while waiting for the parade to start.  Kids are running around with their water toys, squirting each other.  I never saw the water hoses that I read about.  It was not that hot on Sunday.  It was very nice and windy along the bay.

-The parade only lasted 20 minutes.  There were several floats, but mainly ladies in dresses paraded by.  There were dozens of "devils" in black and red costumes running around.  Some children were scared and I saw one little girl crying when her mom tried to take a picture.  Most of the kids were enjoying the attention.

-After the parade ended, the music got louder and the crowd got livelier.  Some were dancing and singing.  There was a street dancer performing and taking challenges from the crowd. Anyone who thought they could out-dance the "King" could challenge him.   I thought it was the best part of the day.

-It seems the party is just getting started AFTER the parade.  There is a giant outdoor band stand where the international artists perform after dark.   As we were leaving, crowds of people were still coming in.  I watched the concert at home, live, on TV.

There was a heavy police presence throughout the Carnaval, so safety was never a concern. I did see one man being escorted out in handcuffs.  I felt very safe.  There were many workers constantly cleaning up the trash.  They were in groups, sweeping up the trash.  A garbage truck followed and kept emptying the receptacles.  Smart entrepreneurs were allowed to collect the beer & soda cans for recycling to earn extra money.  The people in the crowd would toss their cans to the collectors, rather than in the trash.

If you have never been to Carnaval, it is a lot of fun.  There is even a little kiddie carnival with rides for the little ones.  Carnaval is one of the places in the city where most people are wearing shorts.  I saw a few dogs, so they must be allowed, but I would not recommend it.   Except for food and drinks, it is a Panamanian cultural event that is totally free!

Thank you for these reports -- very interesting and useful. As far as myself, I wish I had known the parade was going to be late afternoon. Instead I thought was going to be mid day / early afternoon so I showed up around 1pm. There was already lots of people doing everything you already said in your post so not much to add.

A couple more notes on the location -- the area reserved to the Carnevale is the portion of Avenida Balboa starting off pretty much in front of the "Yacht Club" tower (can't miss it since it resembles a sail) and ending in front of the Mercado de Marisco. The Santo Tomas or Cinco de Mayo Metro stops are just a few blocks off the entrances.

Thanks for adding the exact starting point.  I think parade starting times are a national secret.  I also arrived around 1 pm.  Every article states, "mid-day" or just "afternoon".  At least it is a nice location to explore while waiting!