Friday, February 27, 2026 at 8 p.m., Place Masséna, the beating heart of Nice, transformed into a giant stage to welcome the 11th edition of Lou Queernaval, France’s only LGBTQIA+ carnival. Rooted in Nice’s festive tradition, this free event, open to everyone, has established itself as an unmissable appointment of the Côte d’Azur winter, blending celebration of diversity and local pride.
After the student carnival of FACE 06, the LGBTQIA+ carnival of the city of Nice! Since its inception, Lou Queernaval draws its energy from Nice’s soul and its carnival heritage. Around Albert 1st Garden and within the festivities, the streets of the city center vibrated to the rhythms of Nice batucadas, emblems of local popular music, while the glittering costumes and performances of drag queens reflected the festive and inventive spirit of the region’s artists.
This 11th edition brought together 23 troupes and 350 artists, under the theme of the queen and plural femininity. Each float, each scene and each costume testified to the creativity of Nice’s collectives and the cultural richness of the city, while celebrating the different ways of embodying femininity and freedom of being oneself.
A festive and committed show, reflecting Nice
Far more than a simple spectacle, Lou Queernaval is a showcase of modern Nice culture. The performances blended precise choreography, the wild rhythms of local batucadas and spectacular drag numbers, often punctuated with humor and self-mockery. While entertaining, the event carried a clear message: inclusion, respect and living together, values dear to the local community and deeply rooted in Nice’s festive history.
The audience, mixing downtown residents, longtime Nice natives and visitors from elsewhere, actively participated in this collective dynamic. Between applause, improvised dances and rainbow flags waved in the crowd, the celebration reflected the spirit of a city that is open, warm and proud of its carnival tradition revisited through a contemporary and inclusive perspective.
Free and open to all: a carnival for the Nice community
Lou Queernaval, organized by the Nice LGBTQIA+ community with the support of the city of Nice and the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, remains true to its popular roots. Free, with mandatory registration to ensure safety within the festivities, the event allows everyone, Nice resident or visitor, adult, young person or families, to take part in this great collective celebration.
This accessibility reflects the organizers’ desire to make Lou Queernaval a truly local and inclusive moment, where culture, tradition and modernity come together to illustrate the festive and open soul of Nice. The popular dimension of the Nice carnival, mixed with its touch of contemporary madness, greatly contributes to the success and growing renown of this event.
The lights went out and the last percussion sounds echoed one last time on Place Masséna. In Nice, tradition and modernity combine to celebrate all identities. Lou Queernaval thus confirms its unique role, transforming the celebration into a living manifesto for diversity, plural femininity and Nice pride.
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