It's the centerpiece of the winter season in Nice. The sun is getting higher in the sky, days are longer and spring is starting to seem like more than a distant dream. Nice Carnival is a yearly event that begins in February sometime before Fat Tuesday and ends sometime after. In between there are parades with floats and flowers, tons of free activities for kids and various neighbourhood events.
For the most part though, Carnival in Nice is a spectator sport. It is not the custom for non-participants in the organised activities to don masks or costumes.
The first historical mention of the Nice Carnival dates from 1294. Certainly Nice participated in European Carnival traditions throughout the Middle Ages when the celebrations preceding Ash Wednesday provided an opportunity for the oppressed peasant class to mock the aristocracy. The masks and disguises protected them from repercussions for what would ordinarily be a beheading offense. Naturally things eventually went too far and the Church cracked down, chasing Carnival celebrations indoors.
Public celebration recommenced in 1830 to honour visiting nobility and continued as a yearly free-for-all where people pelted each other with flour and eggs. The modern form of the Nice Carnival dates from 1873 when the painter Alexis Mossa designed grotesque, outlandish characters and put them on floats. Although interrupted on several occasions by war, the Carnival has continued to this day.
Each Carnival presents parades of floats centered upon a theme and the floats often, although not always, have gently political overtones. The parades take place on three or four afternoons or evenings a week during the Carnival period. Most parades are free. In addition to the floats there is also the "Bataille des Fleurs" in which floats resplendent in meticulously arranged flowers glide through the streets while young men and women toss flowers at the spectators.
There is always an admission charge for the Bataille des Fleurs. The final weekend of the Carnival includes the "Bartenders Race" and, to cap off the festivities, the Carnival King is burned in the sea on the last night followed by fireworks. He'll be back next year!
The parade route alters slightly every year but usually involves a parade partway up the Promenade des Anglais. For some parades and all the Bataille des Fleurs events, you need to buy a ticket. The most expensive tickets are in the tribunes lined up on the Promenade des Anglais and the cheapest just allow you to stand along the parade route. Tickets are on sale at the Nice Tourist Office, at the Carnival website, or you can purchase them in stalls set up on the Promenade des Anglais. Tickets for the tribunes sell out quickly but last-minute tickets for standing along the route are usually available.
There are tons of ways to share in the fun without spending a centime but note that even the free events often require an advance reservation.
Carnival Village Opening
Promenade du Paillon
The Carnival Village will hosts various animations and workshops for the duration of the Carnival. It’s open 11am-6pm daily.
Carnavalina
This is a festive walk for the community on opening day. The walk will begin at Notre-Dame, take the Avenue Jean Médecin and end on the Promenade des Anglais, on the Théâtre de Verdure side.
Cafe Waiters Race
Place du Palais de Justice
Watch waiters dash through the streets of the Old Town disguised according to the Viva La Reine theme. The 3 best costumes will be rewarded. The winner will receive a trophy designed by the artist Patrick Moya, awarded during the competition. The race finishes at 11:30am in the same spot.
Queernaval
Place Massena
Nice’s LGBT community is in charge of festivities here that are open to all
Burning of the King and Fireworks
Opera Plage
Nice tradition demands that the Carnival King must be burned each year to close out the festivities and to make way for next year’s king.
Closing Ceremony
Carnival Village
With music and speeches
Carnival Swim
Opera Plage
Costumes desired but not obligatory for this final event. Expect sea water at a bracing 12° or 13°.
See the Carnival website for full details
French Riviera Festivals & Events
Hi! I'm Jeanne Oliver--tour guide and author and I've been living on the Riviera for years. With my local insights your trip will be easy and fun. And, do check out my book Nice Uncovered: Walks Through the Secret Heart of a Historic City.
