Fantasy Fest Key West 2026

Fantasy Fest is Key West's most spectacular event and one of the most remarkable public celebrations in the United States — a ten-day festival held each October since 1979 that transforms the island into a carnival of costumes, body painting, themed street parties, and uninhibited public celebration. The festival draws over 75,000 visitors to an island of 25,000 year-round residents, filling every hotel, guesthouse, and rental property on the island. Fantasy Fest has deep LGBTQ+ participation built into its DNA: the celebration of costume, the tolerance of public nudity and body paint, the street party culture, and the explicit embrace of sexual freedom and performative identity make it a natural gay event even as it draws a broad cross-section of America's party culture. The Pretenders in Paradise costume competition is the festival's signature daytime event. The Masquerade March street parade on the final Saturday draws an estimated 75,000 spectators along Duval Street. The body-painted Painted Ladies walking the streets of Old Town are Fantasy Fest's most iconic image. The event requires accommodation booking eight to ten months in advance; it is the most sought-after week on the Key West calendar.