Carillons, musical instruments of bells in the percussion family, are found on every inhabited continent. The Netherlands, Belgium, and the United States contain more than two thirds of the world's total, and over 90 percent can be found in either Western Europe (mainly the Low Countries) or North America.

Criteria for inclusion

The World Carillon Federation (WCF) defines a carillon as an instrument of at least 23 cast bronze bells hung in fixed suspension, played with a traditional keyboard of batons, and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniously together. It may designate instruments of 15 to 22 bells built before 1940 as "historical carillons". Its member organizations – including for example The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America, the German Carillon Association, and the Flemish Carillon Association – also define a carillon with those restrictions. Conversely, TowerBells.org – a database of tower bells of all types – defines a "non-traditional" carillon, which is an instrument that has had some component electrified or computerized. These instruments fail to meet the definitions of a carillon defined by the associations of carillonneurs mentioned above. This list contains only those carillons that meet the definition outlined by an association of carillonneurs, such as the WCF and its member organizations.

Africa

Réunion

South Africa

Asia

Israel

Israel has one carillon, located at the Jerusalem International YMCA. It was installed and dedicated along with the rest of the newly constructed building in 1933. Gillett & Johnston cast the original 35 bells, the heaviest of which weighs 1500 kg. In 2018, Royal Eijsbouts cast a 36th bell, weighing 800 kg, for the instrument. It is one of the only carillons in the Middle East.

Japan

Japan has been exposed to carillons through its relations with Belgium. Since the 1980s, Belgium has used a targeted cultural diplomacy program to expose Japanese artists and students to the carillon, and to encourage them to construct instruments in their country. The city and province of Antwerp and the city of Mechelen provided Osaka with a mobile carillon in 1984. Hasselt donated a carillon to Itami, its sister city, in 1990. Members of the Shinji Shumeikai religious movement, inspired by their trip to St. Rumbold's Cathedral in Mechelen, purchased a carillon for Shigaraki in 1990. The Japanese School of Brussels and the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" established educational relations on playing and composing for the carillon.

Philippines

South Korea

Europe

Belgium

British Isles

France

Germany

Netherlands

Nordic countries

According to the Nordic Society for Campanology and Carillons, there are 56 carillons in the Nordic countries: 29 in Denmark, 1 in Finland, 12 in Norway, and 14 in Sweden.

Denmark

Finland

Norway

Sweden

Other regions

Austria

Heiligenkreuz Abbey, which claims to be the only Cistercian institution that owns a carillon, acknowledges that the tradition of playing carillons is not popular in Austria.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Czech Republic

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Poland

Annual concerts since 1999 during the Gdańsk Carillon Festival. See also Traveling carillons below.

Portugal

Russia

Serbia

Spain

Switzerland

Ukraine

North America

Bermuda

Canada

Cuba

Curaçao

El Salvador

Honduras

Mexico

Nicaragua

United States

Selections of notable carillons in the United States:

Oceania

South America

Brazil

Suriname

Uruguay

Venezuela

Traveling carillons

Traveling or mobile carillons are those which are not housed in a tower. Instead, the bells and keyboard are installed on a frame that allow it to be transported. These carillons are often constructed by bellfounders for advertising purposes, though several exist solely to perform across the world. According to a count by the World Carillon Federation, there are 18 existing mobile carillons headquartered in 11 countries.