This Sunday, March 2, the Nice Carnival comes to an end. An opportunity to revisit the whimsical tradition that brings this event to a close.
The festivities take place on the public beach of the Opéra at 10 AM. Gilles Roche, the famous announcer, invites us to join him with two beautiful Venetian masks 2.5 meters high beside him. A marching band accompanies the curious public on their usual promenade spot.
A Joyful Tradition
This custom begins with a music group that brings the place to life. It’s the Tambour’ins, a batucada group composed of young people from associations of the City of Nice and Collège Lympia. They play percussion and parade along the Promenade completely in costume.
A wind sculpture by the famous Dutch artist Théo Jansen walks in a strange way in front of the admirers. This work is a skeleton that moves thanks to a particular and complex mechanism. This attracts both young and old, curious to see this enigmatic object while waiting for the grand plunge at 11:45 AM.
The Carnival Grand Plunge
Here we are, 11:45 AM. The time has come to say “see you next year” to the Carnival. The brave swimmers in costume dive into water that’s only 12 degrees. The goal is not to stay in the water as long as possible but to go gradually and outdo oneself. It’s a way to say “goodbye” and thank the Carnival for the joy it has brought to the city over two weeks.
