Nice Carnival 2026 in pictures: a queen, giant floats and an explosion of colour
For the 2026 edition, a queen takes centre stage at the Nice Carnival © Benjamin Godart for Monaco Tribune
A riot of bright colours, monumental floats and an enthralled audience. The Nice Carnival continues the festivities under the banner of femininity. Monaco Tribune was there for a photo reportage at the heart of the Carnavalina and the first illuminated parade.
Almost a week ago, the Nice Carnival came to life for its 2026 edition. It is 2 p.m. on Saturday 14 February. Avenue Jean-Médecin is already buzzing with excitement as Monaco Tribune makes its way to the start of the parade, camera in hand. At the Notre-Dame Basilica, the first troupes set off for the Carnavalina, the large, festive and free parade that marks the start of the Nice Carnival each year. The procession makes its way down the shopping street towards the centre, joining the Promenade des Anglais and then the Théâtre de Verdure. For several hours, floats, musicians and dancers transform the heart of the city into a long open-air stage.
This route, which connects the nerve centre of Nice to its seafront, gives the parade a special significance. We cross the city as we cross the ages, on an axis that has seen generations of carnival-goers pass by.
A red-themed 14th of February
By coincidence, this year’s Carnavalina fell on Valentine’s Day. And red was everywhere. On the costumes, the accessories, the dancers’ painted cheeks. In the crowd, a few couples kissed between throws of confetti. The atmosphere, already festive by nature, took on an unexpected romantic tone, as if the carnival had decided, for one afternoon, to celebrate love as well.
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In the colourful crowd of the Carnavalina, one figure catches the eye. A toddler points to a black, theatrical bat, which moves forward, waving its yellow-striped wing. With all due respect to fans of the Dark Knight, this is not Batman, nor Bruce Wayne. Hidden beneath the mask is Marie Gagliolo, co-president of the Nice La Belle association. “My costume represents the ratapignata, the bat in Nice. It is an emblematic character of the carnival. It is both the critical, satirical spirit and the voice of the people of Nice,‘ she explains. It lives in the shadows to better accompany the return to light and the renewal of spring symbolised by the carnival.”
Nice La Belle, a folk group whose dancers, musicians and singers have been participating in the carnival since the 2010s, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. ‘Our troupe was created by my great-grandfather, Francis Gag, in 1956, and we will be launching the festivities on 25 February at the Nice Opera House,’ says Marie, the great-granddaughter of this local figure and former Radio Monte-Carlo columnist.
‘Long live the Queen’: a powerful and committed theme
The tone for the 2026 edition, which runs from 11 February to 1 March, was set during the opening ceremony on Saturday evening and the illuminated parade on Tuesday 17 February. This year, there is no King Carnival in solitary majesty: it is a Queen who reigns supreme. The theme ‘Long Live the Queen’ celebrates femininity, historical heroines and great female figures, both real and fictional, who have left their mark on the collective imagination.
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On the illuminated floats, female representations follow one another, from Frida Kahlo to Simone Veil, including giant heads stamped with the hashtag #MeToo. “Little girls are not just made to obey, they are made to learn, think and sometimes fight for what they know to be true. Freedom begins in the mind, daring to say what you think, refusing injustice, standing up to those who want to limit you,” recites a young carnival participant in a passionate speech during the parade. It’s a message that gives a contemporary tone to an event rooted in Nice’s history.
Amidst a profusion of colours, music, glitter, costumes, feathers and satin, the message infuses the floats as they parade one after the other. Camera in hand, we never tire of the smiles and the festive atmosphere.
The Carnival continues until 1 March. Here are the next events not to be missed:
- Saturday 21 February — Battle of Flowers (2.30 pm) and illuminated parade (8.30 pm), Place Masséna.
- Sunday 22 February — Corso d’Aqui, the daytime parade with local folk troupes (2:30 p.m.).
- Tuesday 24 February — Illuminated parade (8:30 p.m.).
- Wednesday 25 February — Battle of Flowers (2:30 p.m.).
- Friday 27 February — Lou Queernaval, France’s first gay carnival, open to all (8:30 p.m.). Free admission upon reservation.
- Saturday 28 February — Battle of Flowers (2.30pm), last illuminated parade (8.30pm), followed by the burning of the King and fireworks (10.45pm) on the Quai des États-Unis. Free admission.
- Sunday 1 March — Grand Carnival Swim at the Opéra Plage (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.). End of festivities.
Good to know: admission to the parades is free for people in full costume (subject to availability, ticket required at pedestrian entrances).