Planning a December trip and unsure whether to book Livingstone or Victoria Falls? The vic falls carnival venue is the town of Victoria Falls in northwest Zimbabwe, not a site on the Zambian side.
Listings name the town rather than a single ground, and the country is Zimbabwe in every edition documented here. For the wider story of the vic falls carnival, start with the main guide. This page deals only with where it happened.
Zimbabwe, not Zambia
The festival is a Zimbabwe event. The Visit Zimbabwe listing for the 2026 edition says the carnival takes place on 29 December at Victoria Falls Town. A backpacker guide to the carnival says it happens in Victoria Falls, in the northwest of Zimbabwe. A Zimbabwean directory entry also lists it as hosted at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
The confusion is understandable. The Zambezi gorge is crossed by a bridge that links Zimbabwe and Zambia, so visitors often treat both banks as one destination. The festival listings do not. They point to the Zimbabwean town.
| Common assumption | What the listings show | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| The carnival was held in Livingstone, Zambia | Listed at Victoria Falls Town, Zimbabwe, with 29 December 2026 as the date for that edition | Treat Livingstone as a possible gateway, not as the site |
| There is a single, fixed, named stadium | The venue field reads Victoria Falls. Main events are described at the town’s open-air grounds and the Elephant Walk and Kingdom Hotel area | Confirm the exact ground in the ticket information before arranging transport |
| It is a one-evening event | The 2026 listing gives 29 December. Another guide describes about four days in the last week of December, running into the New Year | Check the day-by-day programme before booking nights |
Details in the table come from the Visit Zimbabwe event listing and the Take Your Backpack carnival guide.
Border, bridge and Livingstone
Victoria Falls Bridge
The Victoria Falls Bridge was built across the Zambezi gorge in the early 1900s and links Zimbabwe and Zambia. The same carnival guide notes that you can walk to the middle for a view of the falls and the gorge. That makes the bridge the natural landmark for understanding the geography. The festival sits on the Zimbabwean end, and Zambia is across the gorge.
For anyone planning to cross, check current passport and visa requirements for both countries with the official border authorities before travelling. Staying in Victoria Falls town keeps you on the side where the carnival is listed.
Livingstone and the Zambian side
No carnival ground in Livingstone is documented. If you are searching for a carnival site in Livingstone, you are probably meeting one of two things. The first is Livingstone’s role as an airport option. Visit Zimbabwe names the nearest airports as Victoria Falls and Livingstone. The second is a different event, the Zambezi White-Water Festival, which the Victoria Falls events guide places in Livingstone, Zambia.
Livingstone suits you if its flights or accommodation fit your trip better. Plan the carnival days themselves around the Zimbabwean town.
The exact ground inside Victoria Falls town
The most precise public description is town-level. The Visit Zimbabwe listing gives the venue simply as Victoria Falls. The carnival guide adds that the main events are at the town’s open-air grounds and the Elephant Walk and Kingdom Hotel area. Three points follow from that:
- Open-air grounds: the headline programme is described as outdoors in town, which suits a large music crowd and explains why a named stadium does not appear in listings.
- Elephant Walk and Kingdom Hotel area: this is named as a second hub for events, so expect activity in more than one spot.
- Town-level listing: a specific ground is not named in the 2026 entry, so the ticket or organiser information is the place to confirm gate details before you book transport.
Because the venue is described as open-air grounds and a hotel district, the practical decision is where to stay. Choosing a base in town puts you close to the named hubs, while a base elsewhere adds a daily transfer.
Did the venue change between editions?
The country and town did not change in the editions documented here. The dates and the event’s name did. Falls Fest is the earlier name, and the events guide says the event was previously known as Falls Fest, a three-day affair right before New Year. In those years it ran over 30 and 31 December.
- Falls Fest years: recorded as 30 and 31 December, with a three-day format before New Year.
- 2018 description: a travel operator’s December listing shows the Victoria Falls carnival in Zimbabwe on 29 and 30 December, with three days of music, both local and international.
- 2026 edition: placed at Victoria Falls Town, Zimbabwe, on 29 December 2026, according to Visit Zimbabwe.
The pattern is a stable location with shifting dates around the year end. Which specific ground hosted each edition is not named in these listings, so treat any claim of a move between grounds as unconfirmed. The vic falls carnival history page sets the editions out in sequence. For the format rather than the place, see how did vic falls carnival work.
Using the venue facts when you plan
Three decisions follow from the location. Book accommodation in or near Victoria Falls town if you want to be near the named event hubs. Use Victoria Falls or Livingstone airports according to your flights, remembering that Livingstone is in Zambia. If you want to see the falls and the gorge from the bridge, walk out to the middle, and allow time for any border formalities if you continue across.
Frequently asked questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is there a Vic Falls Carnival site in Livingstone? | No Livingstone ground is documented. Livingstone is listed as a nearby airport, and the Zambezi White-Water Festival held there is a separate event. |
| What was the carnival called before? | It was previously known as Falls Fest, run as a three-day event just before New Year. |
| How long does the carnival run? | The 2026 listing gives 29 December. A carnival guide describes about four days in the last week of December, running into the New Year. |
| Can I walk to the border bridge? | Yes, the Victoria Falls Bridge is walkable to the middle for views of the falls and gorge. Check entry rules before continuing into Zambia. |
