Red noses and big shoes fill Lima’s streets for Clown Day

Held every 25 May, the parade honours the memory of clown Tony Perejil, who died in 1987, and brings together performers from across the country.

Participants compete for prizes in categories such as costume, makeup, routines, and improvisation, with the event drawing large crowds each year.

The event has been held for more than three decades, only pausing in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Renato Pichigua, known as Manchita, it’s more than a show: “We were born to do this. The laughter of children, the applause, that’s what drives us.”