Massive turnout, high threat context, and image stakes for the territory. The Nice Carnival is subject to reinforced security. Prefectural authorities and the police management detail a dense setup, adjusted annually, which mobilizes several hundred agents on the ground.
Over 300,000 visitors expected, fifteen days of festivities, and a highly vigilant context. The first carnival parade opened this Saturday, February 14, with a Valentine’s Day under heightened surveillance and security, with an exceptional deployment throughout the carnival. On this occasion, the State sets up a reinforced and evolving organization, scaled to respond to the magnitude of the event.
Amid persistent terrorist threat, opportunistic crime, and risks of crowd movements, the authorities commit to a “robust” and continuously re-evaluated strategy. The Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes, Laurent Hottiaux, and the deputy general commissioner of the departmental DIPN, Florent Mion, detail an approach based on anticipation, mobility, and permanent adaptation.
About 700 security, health, and emergency personnel are mobilized. National police, municipal police, soldiers from the Sentinel operation, firefighters, SAMU, and private security agents intervene in coordination with the city and organizers. The level of vigilance remains persistently high, the authorities emphasize, with a clear objective: to address both the terrorist threat, crime related to large gatherings, and the prevention of crowd phenomena.
A three-circle and non-routine setup
The security plan is based on three perimeters. A core perimeter encompasses the festival area, with access controls and screening ensured by organizers, private security, and national police. A second perimeter provides expanded and anti-intrusion control, involving national and municipal police. A third level of monitoring concerns transport and arrival points like trams, buses, train lines, and station surroundings with the support of law enforcement, gendarmes, and network security services.
The plan is reviewed each year. Even though the setup is well-practiced, “there must never be a routine”, insists the deputy commissioner. The first day serves as a full-scale test, allowing verification that months of preparation: meetings, operational instructions, service notes translate effectively on the ground. Continuous adjustments are possible to improve the reactivity and mobility of engaged units.
The two leaders aim to reassure the public. Security is a daily focus on the territory, with a visible and coordinated presence of engaged forces. Zero risk doesn’t exist, they remind, but the setup is designed to prevent incidents and intervene immediately in case of disturbances, apprehend dangerous individuals, and quickly secure any sensitive situation.
Beyond the major threat, teams remain attentive to low-intensity incidents like pickpocketing and aggressive behavior linked to alcohol to ensure a family-friendly and convivial environment. Anticipation, detection, and rapid intervention capability are key.
Maximum vigilance, reinforced means, and an adjustable setup for the authorities, everything is in place to ensure the festivities unfold smoothly and security remains invisible, allowing room only for the spectacle.
