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The best Carnivals in France

Carnival in France is known as ‘Mardi Gras,’ directly translated as ‘Fat Tuesday.’ Even though it is traditionally a Catholic tradition, French Carnival is celebrated by all ages throughout the country and offers one of Europe’s most unusual Carnival celebrations! When attending Carnival in France you will see crazy masks and even crazier costumes. Every French city celebrates Carnival in its own individual way. If you decide to celebrate Carnival in France, don’t forget to taste the waffles and beignets - some of the tastiest treats prepared for this occasion.   

Paris

Carnival is a big thing in Paris and the streets are normally filled with colour, music and costumes for the occasion. Thousands of people gather for one of the most celebrated events of the year. We recommend you to dress up for this awesome occasion, and join the colorful parade. The party doesn’t stop until late night, so be prepared for a day and night of fun and music. Book your bus to Paris and join the festivities!

Looking for some tips what to do in Paris? Get to know more about Paris here!

Nice

The Carnival of Nice is the most important winter event on the French Riviera. Nice’s carnival is one of the largest in the world! Numerous parades will take place over many fun-filled days, with over a thousand dancers and musicians.

Nice is famous for its beautiful carnival parades. The main parade, with 18 carefully designed floats, music groups and street theatre, is something you cannot miss. The Flower Parade is probably the most amazing. During this event, around 100,000 flowers will be thrown towards the crowd from the floats, most of which are produced locally. At night time in Place Masséna, the carnival Parade of Lights takes place, with giant screens and illuminated floats that light up the city. Don't miss the final parade, the Burning of the King in Place Masséna! You will experience an unforgettable atmosphere, as this event officially ends the carnival and is accompanied by lots of music, dancers, and flying confetti everywhere.

Dunkirk

A tradition dating back to the 17th Century, the Carnival of Dunkirk is a series of events, festivities and parades taking place typically during February and March.

The Carnival of Dunkirk is arguably one of the most interesting carnivals in France, with celebrations happening all over the weekend. Expect to find an array of different bands playing music on the streets. It might be a small town, but this doesn’t mean that its people don’t know how to have fun! The Dunkerquois love celebrating Carnival, and every year several processions and balls take place all over the town. The Carnival events end in the “Trois Joyeuses” on the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday each year. On these particular days, the city is perfect for fun and partying. The locals dress in the most outrageous costumes and carry umbrellas in many different colours. During Sunday’s festivities, you can join the singing and dancing crowd and make as much noise as you want. At the Carnival of Dunkirk you can also see the typical huge puppets called reuzes, which date back to the 1800’s. So, dress up as whatever you want and join the noisy crowd at the Carnival of Dunkirk.