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Aixperiences: Follow the Floats! — The Carnival Route + “Where to Stand When” for Saturday 28 Feb 2026

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Carnaval d’Aix (Sat 28 Feb 2026): float route Prêcheurs→Cours Mirabeau→Rotonde, timings, best spots, transit tips.

There are two kinds of people on Carnival Saturday in Aix:

  1. The ones who confidently say “Oh yes, we’ll just catch the parade,” like it’s a polite little train.

  2. Me—standing in the wrong place, holding a snack, hearing drums somewhere, and whispering to myself: “But… where is the front of the front?”

So this is for all of us who want the actual float route, the timing, and the “stand here if you want to see it with your eyeballs” plan—without needing an advanced degree in Aix street physics.

This year’s Carnaval d’Aix is themed around Moby Dick / The Whale Street, which means: big spectacle energy, movement through the city, and a grand finish at the Rotonde. (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)

The official route (what’s confirmed)

Start: Place des Prêcheurs (in the Madeleine/Prêcheurs area) (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
Then: through the “places comtales” (historic centre squares) and onto the Cours Mirabeau
Finish (grand final): La Rotonde (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)

Official window: 18:00–21:00 (so yes, the city is basically saying “don’t schedule anything emotionally important after 21:00.”) (Aix en Provence - Office de Tourisme)

“Wait—Prêcheurs or Madeleine?”

You’ll see both written depending on the source (the poster clearly says Prêcheurs, while the agenda text mentions Madeleine). Treat this as the same starting zone around the Madeleine/Prêcheurs area—go to Place des Prêcheurs and you will be in the right universe.

Timing (what’s confirmed) + smart “parade math” estimates

Confirmed times

Estimated “where will the floats be when?” checkpoints

Because Aix is not a straight hallway (and because parades stop for crowd moments, performances, and “dramatic whale tension”), exact minute-by-minute pass times are never perfectly guaranteed. But if you want a useful plan, here’s the most realistic pacing:

  • 17:30–17:50 — Crowd gathers / positioning at Place des Prêcheurs (best if you want the start energy)

  • 18:00–18:20 — Parade movement begins through the historic centre (“places comtales”) toward the Cours

  • 18:20–19:30 — Main flow along Cours Mirabeau (best “I want to SEE the floats” viewing)

  • 19:30–20:15 — Arrival build-up around La Rotonde

  • 20:00–21:00 — Final spectacle zone / lingering / applause / “how did it get so late?”

If you’re the kind of person who needs a single sentence:
Arrive by 17:45 for Prêcheurs, by ~18:30 for mid-Cours Mirabeau, and by ~19:30 if you only care about the Rotonde final.

The “curated” viewing plan: pick your vibe

1) Place des Prêcheurs — The “I want the start” crowd

Why it’s great: you see the parade forming, costumes up close, that delicious moment when everyone realizes, “Oh! It’s happening!” (Mairie d'Aix-en-Provence)
Downside: it can be packed early, and once it moves, you’ll be chasing.

2) Cours Mirabeau — The best all-around “float watching”

Why it’s great: widest sightlines, easiest to understand directionally, most “Aix postcard” backdrops.
Downside: if you arrive late, you’ll be watching the backs of taller people wearing taller hats.

3) La Rotonde — The “I’m here for the grand final”

Why it’s great: you get the crescendo moment—the big finish energy.
Downside: transport changes + densest crowding near the end. (maritima.fr)

Getting there (without accidentally joining the parade)

Transport + circulation heads-up

  • Rotonde / Place du Général de Gaulle: circulation restrictions are in place during the event window (plan extra time). (maritima.fr)

  • Buses: some Rotonde-area stops are not served from 17:00 on Saturday (examples include Rotonde and nearby central stops depending on the line). (aixenbus.fr)

  • Taxi stand moved: taxis shift to Avenue des Belges (near Five Guys) during the event setup. (maritima.fr)

My personal strategy (learned the hard way):
If you want minimal chaos, aim for on-foot access to the centre and treat buses like “maybe, if the carnival gods smile.”

A tiny revelation (because Aix always does this to me)

I used to think parades were like… one clean line.
But Aix does this sweet old-town thing where the story starts in the tight, historic heart—those places comtales—and then spills out into the wide elegance of the Cours Mirabeau, before ending at the Rotonde like a cinematic final scene.

And suddenly I realized: the route isn’t just logistics—it’s a love letter to how Aix “opens up.”
Also: I can now say, with confidence (and only mild panic):

“On se retrouve à la Rotonde pour le final ?”
(See you at the Rotonde for the finale?)

Mini French toolkit (A1 → Advanced)

A1 (survival phrases)

A2 (get-the-info mode)

B1 (be politely competent)

  • À quelle heure le cortège passe ici, à peu près ? (About what time does the procession pass here?)

  • Vous savez si le Cours Mirabeau est accessible à pied ? (Do you know if the Cours Mirabeau is accessible on foot?)

B2 (local-level clarity)

  • Vous confirmez le parcours : Prêcheurs, puis le Cours, puis la Rotonde ?

  • Il y a des déviations de bus ce soir ? (aixenbus.fr)

Advanced (you sound like you own a whistle and a clipboard)

Your turn 👇

Where are you watching from—Prêcheurs, Cours Mirabeau, or Rotonde?
And if you’ve done this before: drop your best tip (best corner, best time to arrive, best snack-to-wait ratio). Bonus points if you share the funniest thing you’ve overheard in French while everyone’s pretending they’re not lost.

Location: Aix-en-Provence, France

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