Glitter and shake at ‘Africa’s Biggest Party’

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Olympia De Maismont / AFP Nigeria Dancers in silver tops and orange skirts with pompoms jump down a street at the Calabar Carnival

Christmas revelers descended on the southern Nigerian port city of Calabar this weekend for its festive carnival dubbed “Africa’s biggest street party”.

Emmanuel Adegboye / EPA A woman participating in the Calabar Carnival smiles while wearing a massive red feather headdress

The glittering parade featured dances and dancers from many of the different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Olympia De Maismont / AFP A woman in a silver carnival skirt and vest outfit helps a fellow contestant into matching clothes tie her golden boots - Calabar, Nigeria

A month of celebrations in December attracts many partygoers to Calabar, the capital of Cross River State and home to many Christian communities. Organizers say up to two million people are in attendance, AFP reports.

Olympia De Maismont / AFP A group of men participating in the Calabar Carnival pose for a photo in black trousers, black straps and sunglasses. Their breasts are bare and covered with a golden sheen. Some wear black bow ties.

At least 14 groups are reported to have participated in performances and contests this year.

Olympia De Maismont / AFP A group of men dressed in white outfits and black wide-brimmed hats blow trumpets as they parade down a street in Calabar, Nigeria

Most of the carnival-goers danced to Afrobeat hits blaring from huge speakers.

Olympia De Maismont / AFP Women in silver outfits and gold-brimmed straw hats with chains dangling from their smiles as they pose for the camera in Calabar, Nigeria

The carnival celebrates two decades since its creation. “We see different designs, different costumes,” attendee Grace Job told AFP. “The energy is so much.”

Emmanuel Adegboye / EPA Four women in sequined outfits and purple feathered hats attached to manila like horns at the Calabar Carnival smile for the camera

The carnival attracts a wide variety of people to the streets. The troupe pictured below is from the University of Calabar – with costumes printed with the institution’s logo.

Some of the costumes mention the city’s ties to the Atlantic slave trade. The one below depicts a manilla, the brass bracelets introduced as a form of currency by Portuguese traders and used from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Emmanuel Adegboye / EPA A man in a gold sequined outfit with a giant manila behind him holding golden wings participates in a carnival in Calabar, Nigeria

This woman’s outfit is reminiscent of colonial times and is dressed like a giant British West African penny from the reign of British monarch George VI. Nigeria gained its independence from Britain in 1960.

Olympia De Maismont / AFP A woman dressed as a giant British West African penny from 1937 parades down a street in Calabar, Nigeria

Olympia De Maismont / AFP A woman wearing a large straw hat and an off-the-shoulder outfit holds a pink electric fan as she takes part in the carnival in Calabar, Nigeria

“Everyone is trying to show tradition and culture,” 25-year-old dancer and civil engineering student Rejoyce Elemi told AFP

Emmanuel Adegboye / EPA Parade spectators look over the feet of performers in gold boots and pink and orange

At a stadium in Calabar on Friday night, Nigerian music stars Runtown and Iyanya performed a carnival concert. Calas Vegas won the coveted title of Best Carnival Band – for the second year in a row.

Olympia De Maismont / AFP A performer in gold clothing with gold gloves and a large silver headdress does jazz hands during the Calabar Carnival

Cross River State views the carnival – now Nigeria’s biggest – as a way to attract visitors not only from across Nigeria but also those from the diaspora.