The 2027 Nice Carnival runs from 9 to 28 February 2027, according to the Nice Côte d'Azur tourist office. The theme was announced when the 2026 edition closed: "Vive l'Amour", which the official site translates as "Long live love". The 2026 edition drew more than 420,000 people, so book early.
As of October 2026 the official site, nicecarnaval.com, shows the 2027 theme but not the day by day programme. What follows uses the 2027 dates that are already confirmed and the 2026 programme as a guide to how the weeks are usually laid out. Check the official programme once it is published, because days and times can move.
The two parades and which one suits you
There are two kinds of parade, and they photograph very differently.
The Carnival Parade, or corso, is the one with the big themed floats and the giant heads. The court floats average about 12 metres in height, and the King's float rises to around 15 metres. In 2026 the corso ran mostly at night as the Parade of Lights: on Tuesdays and Saturdays, from 20:30 to 22:00, with an opening parade at 21:00 on the first Saturday. There was also one daytime corso, on a Sunday afternoon from 14:30 to 16:00, which the organisers recommend for families with small children.
The Flower Parade, or Bataille de Fleurs, runs in the afternoon. In 2026 it was on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 14:30 to 16:00. Around fifteen floats are covered in fresh flowers, about 3,000 per float, and the performers on board throw flowers and mimosa into the crowd. This is the parade for colour and faces in daylight, with people around you laughing and catching flowers.
If you have one free evening and one free afternoon, do both. The organisers sell a two show package (one corso and one flower parade, excluding Saturdays). In 2026 it cost 45 euros in the Place Masséna grandstands and 40 euros on the Promenade des Anglais.
Where to stand
The route is a closed loop around Place Masséna and the Jardin Albert Ier, divided into two zones.
Zone A is Place Masséna itself, with four grandstands: Max Gallo, Jean Jaurès, Masséna and Félix Faure. From the Jean Jaurès stand, the largest one, the floats pass in front of you and then alongside, and in 2026 the Ferris wheel stood in the background. From the Masséna and Félix Faure stands, under the arcades, you see the floats head on and then from the side, with the Apollo statue and the sea behind them.
Zone B runs between Avenue de Verdun and the Promenade des Anglais. It has two grandstands on the Promenade and three pedestrian areas: Avenue de Verdun, the Promenade itself and the side of the Jardin Albert Ier. Avenue de Verdun puts you level with the floats: you shoot upward, the floats tower over people's heads, and a wide lens or the 0.5x camera on a phone shows the scale.
A grandstand gives you a clean line over the crowd. A pedestrian ticket is cheaper and closer to the performers, but you shoot between other people's arms. For reference, 2026 adult prices for the corso ran from 7 euros (Zone B pedestrian) to 23 euros (Place Masséna grandstands). Flower parade tickets cost a little more, up to 28 euros in the Place Masséna stands. 2027 prices are not out yet.
Arrive early and travel light
Doors open two hours before each show, and the organisers recommend arriving at opening time because of security checks. Entry is allowed until 30 minutes after the start, after which admission is not guaranteed. Use the entrance printed on your ticket. Leaving the enclosure is final.
There are no lockers. You may bring food and non-metal water bottles, but not alcohol, glass, folding chairs, aerosols or silly string. Phone tickets are accepted, so charge your phone: it is also your camera.
If you come in full costume from head to toe, entry to the pedestrian areas of the corso is free, subject to availability, with the ticket handed out at entrances E1 to E4. A few accessories do not count. The flower parade is always paid, costume or not. Religious, military and offensive costumes are banned.
Photo timing in February
The sun sets at about 17:51 on 9 February 2027 and about 18:16 on 28 February. That means the 14:30 flower parade happens in low winter light, and the 20:30 corso is fully dark, lit only by the floats. At night, hold your phone or camera steady against your body and shoot when a float pauses or turns, since moving lights blur quickly. The giant heads and dancers between floats are often better subjects than the floats themselves, because they come within a few metres of the barrier.
For the flower parade, decide before it starts whether you are catching or shooting. Flowers and mimosa come fast, and the best frames are often of the people next to you reaching for them. One rule to know: picking confetti off the ground and throwing it back is forbidden, as is throwing bouquets hard at anyone.
Castle Hill, Cours Saleya and the old town
The carnival fills only part of your day. Castle Hill (Colline du Château) is free and open every day, but from 1 October to 31 March it closes at 18:00. With sunset close to 18:00 in February, you cannot stay up there for the blue hour. Go in the afternoon on a day without a flower parade, and you get the Baie des Anges on one side and the port on the other. Entrances include Rue des Ponchettes, Rue de Foresta and Montée Montfort.
Cours Saleya, at the edge of the old town (Vieux Nice), holds the flower market from Tuesday to Sunday. On Mondays it becomes a flea and antiques market. The tourist office suggests climbing to the top of the Ponchettes steps, facing Place Pierre Gautier, to see the whole market from above. Go in the morning, when the stalls are full.
Getting there on parade days
During the 2026 parades, tram line 1 ran in two loops and did not stop at Masséna, Opéra Vieille Ville or Cathédrale Vieille Ville while events were on. Jean Médecin and Garibaldi were the stops to use, and line 2 ran normally. If you drive in, the five Parcazur park and ride car parks on tram lines 1, 2 and 3 require a round trip ticket for the same day.
A side trip to Menton
The Menton Lemon Festival (Fête du Citron) overlaps with the carnival. Its 93rd edition runs from 13 to 28 February 2027. The night parades are on Thursdays 18 and 25 February 2027 at 21:00 on the Promenade du Soleil, with fireworks at 22:30. In 2026 the Nice corso ran on Tuesdays and Saturdays, so a Thursday in Menton would not cost you a Nice evening. Menton seats are limited and need booking: in 2027 a grandstand seat for the night parade costs 30 euros for an adult.
The last weekend
In 2026 the carnival ended with a closing Parade of Lights and a final flower parade on the last Saturday, followed at 22:45 by the burning of the King and fireworks on the Quai des États-Unis, free and open to all. The 2027 dates end on Sunday 28 February. Wait for the official programme before booking a train home.
Ilia Pisarenko is a photographer based in Paris.