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Carnaval 2026 in Aix: Moby Dick street parade Feb 28, Provençal flour fun in Les Milles Feb 21, Val Saint-André March 14.
There are two kinds of “Carnaval people” in Aix:
The ones who already have glitter in their eyebrows by 14h.
Me, who somehow managed to think I missed the entire thing because I expected “Mardi Gras energy” at 10am on the Cours… and got “normal Tuesday with excellent coffee” instead.
My tiny revelation: Aix doesn’t shout Carnaval all day — it gathers it, then releases it like a beautifully organized burst of chaos. And when it arrives, it arrives with drums, costumes, pyrotechnics, and (this year) a whale.
The big headline: the official Carnaval d’Aix is Saturday 28 February 2026
This is the city-centre spectacle, free, and built like a moving street-theatre epic with a full theme: Moby Dick. (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
The Carnival weekends in Aix for 2026 (the “I want the plan” version)
Here’s your curated mini-season of three Aix carnival Saturdays—each with a totally different vibe.
Weekend 1 — Sat 21 Feb 2026: Carnaval provençal aux Milles (14h+)
If you want “local tradition with a wink,” start here.
When: Saturday 21 February, from 14h
Where: Cours Marcel Brémond, Les Milles
Backup (bad weather): 15h, Espace des Vignerons
What it feels like: white nightshirts + bonnets de nuit, galoubets & tambourins, joyful “charivari,” and the wonderfully weird detail that people come armed with soufflets de farine (yes, flour bellows). (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
And yes: there’s a judgment of “Caramentran”—the carnival effigy/scapegoat figure in Provençal tradition. If you’ve never seen it, it’s part theatre, part ritual, part “we blame winter for everything and then we move on.” (MyProvence)
Best for: families, culture-lovers, anyone who wants Aix-but-more-village-energy.
Weekend 2 — Sat 28 Feb 2026: Carnaval d’Aix (Centre-ville) — 15h warm-up, 18h–21h spectacle
This is the big one, and it’s cinematic.
The theme: Moby Dick takes over the streets
The city’s official write-up is very clear: this is not “a little parade.” It’s a street adaptation of Moby Dick by Cie CPPP, with live music, circus artistry, dancers, and a chase narrative that uses the city like a stage set. (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
What happens, hour by hour
From 15h:
Makeup stands at Place Jeanne d’Arc and Place des Prêcheurs
Mask + hat-making stands at Place des Prêcheurs (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
18h: the défilé begins (the city indicates a start around Place des Prêcheurs, heading toward La Rotonde, with the route spanning the central places you know and love). (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
18h–21h: the moving show unfolds through the centre. (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
Costumes & groups you’ll spot:
3 chars by the Comité Officiel du Carnaval d’Aix
Youth dancers (Compagnie Grenade)
Gymnasts (Gym du Pays d’Aix)
And a pyrotechnics team guided by KaRNaVIrES (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
Where to stand (so you’re not watching backs of heads + one stroller wheel)
If you want the “start-of-story” energy: hover near Place des Prêcheurs before 18h and enjoy the pre-show makeup/mask buzz. (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
If you want maximum spectacle space: aim for wider areas near La Rotonde (big arrivals tend to feel grand there, and you can peel off easily afterward). (Aix en Provence - Office de Tourisme)
If you’re with kids: arrive early and claim a curb spot before the crowd compresses—Aix crowds are friendly, but physics is physics.
What to bring (learned the hard way)
A layer you can remove: February evenings can go “spring-ish” to “why is my nose crying?” quickly.
A tiny snack/water if you’re with children (or with adults who behave like children once confetti appears).
Ear protection for very little ones if you’re sensitive to loud drums/pyro moments.
Weekend 3 — Sat 14 Mar 2026: Carnaval du Val Saint-André (14h–)
This one is community with a capital C.
When: Saturday 14 March 2026
Where: Avenue du Square (meet from 14h)
Program:
14h–15h30: face painting, mask-making, and a rain-stick workshop
14h30: Brazilian percussion initiation (Batucada Curinga)
15h30: parade departure for a neighborhood “déambulation”
Buvette + food on site (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
Best for: anyone who wants a daytime carnival, neighborhood warmth, and a low-stress “we actually talk to each other” vibe.
The food question (because yes, we’re thinking about it)
Carnaval weekends are prime time for asking the eternal French question: “Vous avez des bugnes / beignets aujourd’hui ?”
If your bakery says no (solidarity), don’t take it personally. In France, sometimes a pastry is less a product and more a philosophical stance.
My personal strategy:
Before the parade: grab something warm and portable
After the parade: sit down somewhere and debrief like a sports commentator (“Did you SEE the whale?!”)
La Langue: tiny French upgrades you can use this weekend (A1 → advanced)
A1 (survival + smiles)
C’est où, le carnaval ?
À quelle heure ça commence ?
J’adore votre costume !
A2 (small talk mode unlocked)
On se retrouve place des Prêcheurs ?
Il y a beaucoup de monde ce soir !
Vous savez par où passe le défilé ?
B1 (curious + confident)
C’est organisé par la mairie ?
Vous venez chaque année ?
Je préfère le carnaval du centre-ville / du quartier… et vous ?
B2 (opinions + nuance)
J’aime bien la mise en scène, c’est plus “spectacle” qu’un défilé classique.
L’ambiance est familiale, mais il y a aussi un côté très artistique.
Advanced (for the brave + slightly nerdy)
La ville devient une scène à ciel ouvert — et nous, on devient figurants.
Entre les tambours et la pyrotechnie, c’est un roman qui marche.
(And yes, I’m counting “figurant” as a vocabulary win. Let me have this.)
One last gentle tip (from someone who has been accidentally underprepared)
If you go expecting “Carnaval all day,” you might feel like Aix is being oddly calm.
But if you go expecting a concentrated, well-timed burst of theatre, you’ll catch the magic.
Your turn (comment section roll-call!)
If you’re going to Carnaval 2026 in Aix:
Which one are you doing—Les Milles (Feb 21), Centre-ville (Feb 28), Val Saint-André (Mar 14)… or the full trilogy? (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
Are you team full costume or team “I wore a scarf with personality”?
And most importantly: where did you find the best carnival sweet thing—bugnes, beignets, crêpes, something I’ve never heard of?
Drop your plan (or your photos, or your best French line of the night) in the comments—newcomers especially. Bienvenue, and see you in the crowd.
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