Nice Carnival, Winter carnival festival in Nice, France
The Carnival of Nice is a winter festival celebrated in the French city with large parades, colorful floats, and performances that last about two weeks. The celebration includes decorated parade floats, costumed groups from around the world, street performers, live music, and the famous Flower Battle where thousands of blooms are thrown from floats to spectators below.
Records show the carnival in Nice began in 1294 when a nobleman visited and celebrated there, though organized versions came much later. In 1873, a committee was formed to create large floats and masquerades, marking the start of the modern carnival, with the Flower Battle beginning in 1876 to showcase local blooms.
The carnival has been woven into Nice's identity for centuries and remains a time when the city's inhabitants dress in costumes, fill streets with music, and celebrate together as a community. Visitors notice how locals participate with genuine joy, treating the event as a shared tradition that brings different generations and neighborhoods together.
The carnival spans about two weeks with parades held at different times and locations throughout the city, both during the day and at night. Arriving early at popular viewing streets helps secure a good spot, and focusing on main parade routes like the main boulevard gives you the best views of the floats and performances.
The carnival floats feature character designs that evolved from earlier traditions of animal and nature costumes, with local artists like Alexis Mossa defining the artistic style in the 1800s. Many floats can reach heights of 60 feet (18 meters) or longer, making them among the largest parade structures in the world.
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