Bootstrap carousel multiple frames at once

Question

Bootstrap 5 (Update 2021)

While the carousel is mostly the same in Bootstrap 5, the concept of left and right have changed to start and end since Bootstrap now has RTL support. Therefore the left/right classes have changed. Here's an example of the multi-item CSS for 4 items (25% width columns)...

@media (min-width: 768px) {
    
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item-end.active,
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item-next {
      transform: translateX(25%);
    }
    
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item-start.active, 
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item-prev {
      transform: translateX(-25%);
    }
}

.carousel-inner .carousel-item-end,
.carousel-inner .carousel-item-start { 
  transform: translateX(0);
}

Since jQuery is no longer required, we use vanilla JS to clone the slides into the carousel-item divs..

let items = document.querySelectorAll('.carousel .carousel-item')

items.forEach((el) => {
    // number of slides per carousel-item
    const minPerSlide = 4
    let next = el.nextElementSibling
    for (var i=1; i<minPerSlide; i++) {
        if (!next) {
            // wrap carousel by using first child
            next = items[0]
        }
        let cloneChild = next.cloneNode(true)
        el.appendChild(cloneChild.children[0])
        next = next.nextElementSibling
    }
})

Bootstrap 5 Multi-item Carousel Demo

---

Bootstrap 4 (Update 2019)

The carousel has changed in 4.x, and the multi-slide animation transitions can be overridden like this...

.carousel-inner .carousel-item-right.active,
.carousel-inner .carousel-item-next {
  transform: translateX(33.33%);
}

.carousel-inner .carousel-item-left.active, 
.carousel-inner .carousel-item-prev {
  transform: translateX(-33.33%)
}
  
.carousel-inner .carousel-item-right,
.carousel-inner .carousel-item-left{ 
  transform: translateX(0);
}

Bootstrap 4 Alpha.6 Demo
Bootstrap 4.0.0 (show 4, advance 1 at a time)
Bootstrap 4.1.0 (show 3, advance 1 at a time)
Bootstrap 4.1.0 (advance all 4 at once)
Bootstrap 4.3.1 responsive (show multiple, advance 1)new
Bootstrap 4.3.1 carousel with cardsnew

---

Another option is a responsive carousel that only shows and advances 1 slide on smaller screens, but shows multiple slides are larger screens. Instead of cloning the slides like the previous example, this one adjusts the CSS and use jQuery only to move the extra slides to allow for continuous cycling (wrap around):

Please don't just copy-and-paste this code. First, understand how it works.

Bootstrap 4 Responsive (show 3, 1 slide on mobile)

@media (min-width: 768px) {

    /* show 3 items */
    .carousel-inner .active,
    .carousel-inner .active + .carousel-item,
    .carousel-inner .active + .carousel-item + .carousel-item {
        display: block;
    }
    
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item.active:not(.carousel-item-right):not(.carousel-item-left),
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item.active:not(.carousel-item-right):not(.carousel-item-left) + .carousel-item,
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item.active:not(.carousel-item-right):not(.carousel-item-left) + .carousel-item + .carousel-item {
        transition: none;
    }
    
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item-next,
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item-prev {
      position: relative;
      transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
    }
    
    .carousel-inner .active.carousel-item + .carousel-item + .carousel-item + .carousel-item {
        position: absolute;
        top: 0;
        right: -33.3333%;
        z-index: -1;
        display: block;
        visibility: visible;
    }
    
    /* left or forward direction */
    .active.carousel-item-left + .carousel-item-next.carousel-item-left,
    .carousel-item-next.carousel-item-left + .carousel-item,
    .carousel-item-next.carousel-item-left + .carousel-item + .carousel-item,
    .carousel-item-next.carousel-item-left + .carousel-item + .carousel-item + .carousel-item {
        position: relative;
        transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
        visibility: visible;
    }
    
    /* farthest right hidden item must be abso position for animations */
    .carousel-inner .carousel-item-prev.carousel-item-right {
        position: absolute;
        top: 0;
        left: 0;
        z-index: -1;
        display: block;
        visibility: visible;
    }
    
    /* right or prev direction */
    .active.carousel-item-right + .carousel-item-prev.carousel-item-right,
    .carousel-item-prev.carousel-item-right + .carousel-item,
    .carousel-item-prev.carousel-item-right + .carousel-item + .carousel-item,
    .carousel-item-prev.carousel-item-right + .carousel-item + .carousel-item + .carousel-item {
        position: relative;
        transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
        visibility: visible;
        display: block;
        visibility: visible;
    }

}

<div class="container-fluid">
    <div id="carouselExample" class="carousel slide" data-ride="carousel" data-interval="9000">
        <div class="carousel-inner row w-100 mx-auto" role="listbox">
            <div class="carousel-item col-md-4 active">
                <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="//placehold.it/600x400/000/fff?text=1" alt="slide 1">
            </div>
            <div class="carousel-item col-md-4">
                <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="//placehold.it/600x400?text=2" alt="slide 2">
            </div>
            <div class="carousel-item col-md-4">
                <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="//placehold.it/600x400?text=3" alt="slide 3">
            </div>
            <div class="carousel-item col-md-4">
                <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="//placehold.it/600x400?text=4" alt="slide 4">
            </div>
            <div class="carousel-item col-md-4">
                <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="//placehold.it/600x400?text=5" alt="slide 5">
            </div>
            <div class="carousel-item col-md-4">
                <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="//placehold.it/600x400?text=6" alt="slide 6">
            </div>
            <div class="carousel-item col-md-4">
                <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="//placehold.it/600x400?text=7" alt="slide 7">
            </div>
            <div class="carousel-item col-md-4">
                <img class="img-fluid mx-auto d-block" src="//placehold.it/600x400?text=8" alt="slide 7">
            </div>
        </div>
        <a class="carousel-control-prev" href="#carouselExample" role="button" data-slide="prev">
            <i class="fa fa-chevron-left fa-lg text-muted"></i>
            <span class="sr-only">Previous</span>
        </a>
        <a class="carousel-control-next text-faded" href="#carouselExample" role="button" data-slide="next">
            <i class="fa fa-chevron-right fa-lg text-muted"></i>
            <span class="sr-only">Next</span>
        </a>
    </div>
</div>

Example - Bootstrap 4 Responsive (show 4, 1 slide on mobile)
Example - Bootstrap 4 Responsive (show 5, 1 slide on mobile)

---

Bootstrap 3

Here is a 3.x example on Bootply: http://bootply.com/89193

You need to put an entire row of images in the item active. Here is another version that doesn't stack the images at smaller screen widths: http://bootply.com/92514

EDIT Alternative approach to advance one slide at a time:

Use jQuery to clone the next items..

$('.carousel .item').each(function(){
  var next = $(this).next();
  if (!next.length) {
    next = $(this).siblings(':first');
  }
  next.children(':first-child').clone().appendTo($(this));
  
  if (next.next().length>0) {
    next.next().children(':first-child').clone().appendTo($(this));
  }
  else {
    $(this).siblings(':first').children(':first-child').clone().appendTo($(this));
  }
});

And then CSS to position accordingly...

Before 3.3.1

.carousel-inner .active.left { left: -33%; }
.carousel-inner .next        { left:  33%; }

After 3.3.1

.carousel-inner .item.left.active {
  transform: translateX(-33%);
}
.carousel-inner .item.right.active {
  transform: translateX(33%);
}

.carousel-inner .item.next {
  transform: translateX(33%)
}
.carousel-inner .item.prev {
  transform: translateX(-33%)
}

.carousel-inner .item.right,
.carousel-inner .item.left { 
  transform: translateX(0);
}

This will show 3 at time, but only slide one at a time:

Bootstrap 3.x Demo

---

Please don't copy-and-paste this code. First, understand how it works. This answer is here to help you learn.

Doubling up this modified bootstrap 4 carousel only functions half correctly (scroll loop stops working)
how to make 2 bootstrap sliders in single page without mixing their css and jquery?
Bootstrap 4 Multi Carousel show 4 images instead of 3

All the above solutions are hacky and buggy. Don't even try. Use other libs. The best I have found - http://sachinchoolur.github.io/lightslider Works great with bootstrap, does not add junk html, highly-configurable, responsive, mobile-friendly etc...

$('.multi-item-carousel').lightSlider({
    item: 4,
    pager: false,
    autoWidth: false,
    slideMargin: 0
});

Can this be done with bootstrap 3's carousel? I'm hoping I won't have to go hunting for yet another jQuery plugin

As of 2013-12-08 the answer is no. The effect you are looking for is not possible using Bootstrap 3's generic carousel plugin. However, here's a simple jQuery plugin that seems to do exactly what you want http://sorgalla.com/jcarousel/

This is a working twitter bootstrap 3.

Here is the javascript:

$('#myCarousel').carousel({
    interval: 10000
})

$('.carousel .item').each(function(){
    var next = $(this).next();

    if (!next.length) {
        next = $(this).siblings(':first');
    }

    next.children(':first-child').clone().appendTo($(this));

    if (next.next().length>0) {
        next.next().children(':first-child').clone().appendTo($(this));
    }
    else {
        $(this).siblings(':first').children(':first-child').clone().appendTo($(this));
    }
});

And the css:

.carousel-inner .active.left  { left: -33%;             }
.carousel-inner .active.right { left: 33%;              }
.carousel-inner .next         { left: 33%               }
.carousel-inner .prev         { left: -33%              }
.carousel-control.left        { background-image: none; }
.carousel-control.right       { background-image: none; }
.carousel-inner .item         { background: white;      }

You can see it in action at this Jsfiddle

The reason i added this answer because the other ones don't work entirely. I found 2 bugs inside them, one of them was that the left arrow generated a strange effect and the other was about the text getting bold in some situations witch can be resolved by setting the background color so the bottom item wont be visible while the transition effect.

Update 2019-03-06 -- Bootstrap v4.3.1

It seems the new Bootstrap version adds a margin-right: -100% to each item, therefore in the responsive solution given in the most upvoted answer in here, this property should be reset, e.g.:

.carousel-inner .carousel-item {
    margin-right: inherit;
}

A working codepen with v4.3.1 in LESS.