Nice Carnival 2025

Nice Carnival 2025, A spectacular series of parades and parties.

Every year Nice celebrates a colourful traditional Carnival in the modern era in its current form when the floats and tribunes made their appearance in 1873.

• Stay close to all the Carnival parades and parties at the Best Western Plus Hotel Massena Nice, a beautiful 4-star hotel, close to the old town.

Nice Carnival 2025

• Next Edition: Awaiting Dates – Saturday 15th February – Sunday 2nd March, 2025
• The 2025 theme is confirmed – King of the seas and oceans!
• Celebrate Carnival in one of Europe’s most stylish cities, complete with a dedicated gay Carnival parade! Famous for its stunning float creations of epic proportions, Nice Carnival has a unique theme each year, reflecting contemporary politics and world events.
• As well as the elaborate parades, other activities include a series of fun runs, Carnival Swim heats and street parties. Most people however come for the main parades, of which there are two, including a special gay parade.

The Carnival Parade – The Daytime Parade

• Awaiting dates – Typically held on the first Saturday and Sunday and the final Sunday of the event.
• On the Place Masséna and around the Jardin Albert 1er – More than 20 allegorical or burlesque floats parade through Nice, accompanied by live entertainment, street art and international musical groups.
• This special show takes place in the afternoon, from 14:30 and lasts about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Each float tells a story, often in a comical or exaggerated way. An allegory is the expression of truths about human existence by means of symbolic figures and their actions.
• Stay right on the seafront with views of the Carnival at the Westminster Hotel & Spa Nice featuring stylish and spacious rooms in a historic building.

The Evening Parade – Carnival Parade of Lights

• Awaiting dates – Typically on the first Saturday and Sunday, the second Tuesday and the final Saturday of the event.
• The evening parades are held on each Saturday and Tuesday of the Carnival celebrations.
• Everything lights up, the visual spectacle becomes even more amazing, and the arts and music troupes that bring the route to life offer a real sound and light show.
• The parade kicks off at 8.30p m on the Place Masséna and lasts around 1 hour 30 minutes.

The Flower Parade

• Awaiting dates – Typically on the first and second Wednesday and first and Second Saturday of the event.
• The Flower Parade features Floats decorated with floral compositions. The parade takes place beside the sea, on the Promenade des Anglais.  Parades run from 14:30 and last about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• The grace and elegance of these processions of floats reminds us of the power of the flowers and shows off the floral heritage of the region. A more poetic facet of the Carnival, inseparable from the other more ironic side.
• Stay at the Hyatt Regency Nice for some of the best balcony views of the Carnival festivities.

The Gay Carnival – Lou Queernaval

• Awaiting Dates – Typically on the first Friday of the event – Lou Queernaval
• Lou Queernaval is the first gay Carnival in France and typically takes place on the Friday during the second week of Nice Carnival. The parade kicks off at 8 pm from Place Masséna.
• Queernaval is the first gay carnival in France, rooted in the Nice tradition of carnival festivities. It’s a popular event open to all. Lou Queernaval is committed to promoting the values of sharing, inclusion and living together. Feathers, makeup, sequins, extravagant parades, colourful troupes and strange creatures set the carnival alight.
• For the ultimate Carnival celebration, stay at Le Negresco, one of the most famous hotels in France with period furniture fit for a queen, over the top service and high-end amenities.

Closing Ceremony

• Typically on the final day of the event – Expect an elaborate closing event from 22:45 along Promenade des Anglais.

Gay Nice

• Nice has one of the largest gay scenes in France, outside of Paris. The Carnival festivities attract French guys from around the country and international visitors from beyond!
• Most of the gay bars and clubs are located in the Old Town known as Vieux Nice. Other popular venues can be found along the Promenade. The Hotel Rossetti is rated “Superb” and is just 400m from the beach and right in the centre of the old town. 

Recommended Hotels in Nice

The following hotels are all close to the carnival celebrations and the city’s lively gay scene:

Hotel Negresco,    Hotel Suisse,    Hotel Aston La Scala,    Hôtel Massena