With Zoila Luna and Mariano Hernández as kings, the National Carnival Parade begins.

Santo Domingo.- The 2026 National Carnival Parade, dedicated in this edition to the province of Puerto Plata, began on the afternoon of this Sunday on the Malecón of Santo Domingo with the parade of its maximum symbolic authorities: the veteran communicator Zoila Luna and the renowned photographer Mariano Hernández, who head this edition as queen and king of the carnival.

Both carried out the traditional opening parade route, greeting the public and the troupes that were preparing to begin their participation in this great cultural celebration that brings together thousands of artists, musicians, dancers and artisans from all over the country.

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In a last-minute conversation, at the beginning of the parade, Zoila Luna expressed the emotion she feels in taking on this role for the first time within the main Dominican popular festival, highlighting the cultural value and identity that the carnival represents.

“Very happy, very happy, because I am definitely very this; I am a black woman who loves this, and the truth is that in addition to being very happy, I feel very grateful”, expressed Luna when talking with De Último Minuto, while greeting the public that gathered at the Malecón.

For his part, Mariano Hernández, who for more than four decades has captured with his camera some of the most emblematic moments of the Dominican carnival and its main characters, is experiencing this year the experience from a completely different perspective, as he expressed.

“It feels incredible. I was telling Zoila that the carnival looks very different from here, and the guys were saying to me: ‘you who have photographed the carnival so much, now you are going to be the most photographed,’” said the newly crowned carnival king with a laugh, as he began the parade that marks the official opening of the parade.

This year's parade features the participation of international guests, including the Carnaval de Negros y Blancos de Pasto, Colombia, declared an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO, and representatives from the Independent League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro. In addition, the participation of some 170 troupes and around 9,000 members is estimated, including artists, musicians, dancers and artisans, in a production that will bring together traditional expressions, proposals of fantasy and popular creativity.