The Nice Carnival 2027 runs from 9 to 28 February 2027 with the theme "Vive l'Amour" ("Long live love"), and Menton's 93rd Fête du Citron (Lemon Festival) runs from 13 to 28 February 2027, with its daytime parades on Sundays 14, 21 and 28 February from 14:30 to 16:00. The two towns are about 30 kilometres apart on the same coastal railway, so one February trip can cover both.
Both events are ticketed: the parades in Nice and Menton take place inside fenced enclosures, and you need a seat in the grandstands or a standing place in the pedestrian area. This guide sets out what is confirmed for 2027, what is still to be announced, how the parades differ from the battles of flowers, what tickets cost, and how to get between the two by train.
When is the Nice Carnival 2027?
The Côte d'Azur regional tourist board lists the 2027 Nice Carnival from Tuesday 9 February to Sunday 28 February 2027, based on Place Masséna. The theme, "Vive l'Amour", is about love in all its forms, and this edition gives the Carnival Queen equal standing with the King, who has traditionally been the star of the show.
The detailed 2027 programme, with the date and time of each parade, had not been published when this guide was written in October 2026. Check nicecarnaval.com before booking. As a guide to how the fortnight is structured, here is how the 2026 edition ("Viva la Regina!", 11 February to 1 March 2026) was laid out:
- Opening weekend: a free street event (the Charivari) on the first day, then the opening illuminated parade on the Saturday night.
- Illuminated parades (Corso illuminé): on Tuesday and Saturday evenings, with the closing parade on the last Saturday.
- Battles of flowers: on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
- Lou Queernaval, the LGBTQ+ parade, on the last Friday evening.
- Burning of the King and fireworks on the Promenade des Anglais on the last Saturday night, free to watch.
- A carnival swim in the sea off the Quai des États-Unis on the final Sunday morning, also free.
Nice says its carnival has been running for more than 150 years, and it calls it the first carnival in France with an international character.
The crowd at the Nice Carnival in 1924. Image: Agence Rol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Carnival parades vs battles of flowers: what's the difference?
The two kinds of event look quite different, and many visitors book one of each.
The carnival parades (corsos) are the satirical side of the carnival. Giant floats built around the year's theme, with oversized papier-mâché heads, roll round the circuit with street-theatre groups, dancers and bands from France and abroad. The evening parades are lit up, which is why they are called the Corso illuminé. The King of the Carnival leads, and on the last night he is burned on the seafront.
The battles of flowers (batailles de fleurs) are older and gentler. Floats dressed entirely in fresh flowers carry costumed performers who throw flowers into the crowd as they pass, so people in the front rows go home with an armful. They take place in the afternoon and suit families and anyone who prefers colour to noise.
"Battle of Flowers in Nice", painted by Henri Gervex around 1900 (Musée Carnavalet, Paris). Image: Henri Gervex, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Costumed performers on the Promenade des Anglais during a battle of flowers in 2009. Image: Zil, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Nice Carnival tickets: grandstands, standing areas and free entry
The parade circuit is split into two zones. Zone A is Place Masséna, the main square; Zone B runs between the Avenue de Verdun and the Promenade des Anglais. In each zone you choose between a seat in the grandstands (tribunes) or a standing place in the pedestrian area.
The 2027 prices had not been published at the time of writing. For 2026 the city charged:
- Illuminated parade: grandstand €31 in Zone A or €23 in Zone B; standing €14 in Zone A or €7 in Zone B.
- Daytime carnival parade: grandstand €23 (Zone A) or €20 (Zone B); standing €14 (A) or €7 (B).
- Battle of flowers: grandstand €28 (Zone A) or €23 (Zone B); standing €14 in Zone B.
- Children aged 6 to 12: €8 to €10 for a grandstand seat, €5 standing in Zone A, and free standing in Zone B.
Some ticket types cost slightly more if you buy the refundable version. Every visitor needs a ticket, including those who get in free: children under 3 can sit on an adult's lap in the grandstands, but you have to request their ticket by email.
Free entry in costume. If you come dressed in full costume, head to toe, you can enter the pedestrian areas of the carnival parades free, subject to space, at entrances E1 to E4. A few accessories do not count, and some costumes are banned (military, religious, offensive or confusing ones). This does not apply to the battles of flowers, which are paid for everyone.
Buy tickets in advance on the official site. Box offices open on the day, but the organisers warn that some events sell out at the last minute. Silly string and a list of other objects are banned inside the enclosure, and prohibited items are confiscated.
Place Masséna, the main square of Nice and Zone A of the carnival circuit. Image: Mastrocom, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
When is the Menton Lemon Festival 2027?
The 93rd Fête du Citron runs from Saturday 13 to Sunday 28 February 2027. The festival started in 1928, when a Menton hotelier put on an exhibition of flowers and citrus fruit to bring in winter visitors, and it now centres on three things: daytime parades, night parades and an exhibition of giant sculptures made of citrus fruit. The 2027 theme had not been announced on the official site at the time of writing.
Corsos des fruits d'or (daytime parades): Sundays 14, 21 and 28 February 2027, 14:30 to 16:00, on the Promenade du Soleil, looping round the casino. Floats decorated with lemons and oranges parade with bands and dancers. Entry closes 15 minutes after the start, and the organisers say each Sunday draws 25,000 to 30,000 spectators.
Corsos nocturnes (night parades): Thursdays 18 and 25 February 2027, with the parade from 21:00 to 22:15 followed by fireworks at about 22:30. Last entry is at 21:15.
Exhibition of citrus sculptures: in the Jardins Biovès throughout the festival, 13 to 28 February 2027. Some of the displays use close to 15 tonnes of fruit, fixed in place piece by piece.
Jardins de Lumières: an evening walk through the same gardens with the sculptures lit up, on Tuesdays 16 and 23 and Fridays 19 and 26 February 2027, from 20:30. Arrive by 21:30; the visit takes about an hour.
Spectators photographing a parade at the Menton Lemon Festival in February 2023. Image: Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Menton Lemon Festival tickets and prices
Unlike some carnivals, Menton's parades cannot be watched free from the street: everyone inside the parade area needs a ticket. The 2027 prices published by the regional tourist board and the festival are:
- Daytime or night parade: €30 for a grandstand seat or €16 standing for adults; €15 seated or €8 standing for children aged 6 to 12.
- Citrus sculpture exhibition (Jardins Biovès): €12 adults, €7 children aged 6 to 12. The ticket also covers the Orchid and Winter Garden Show.
- Jardins de Lumières: €16 adults, €8 children aged 6 to 12.
- Thursday package (night-parade grandstand seat plus the exhibition): €37 adults, €18 children.
Children under 6 stand free but still need a ticket; a grandstand seat for them costs €15. Buy online through the official site (for up to 19 people) or at the entrances on the day, subject to availability. The festival also runs an official resale platform for tickets you can no longer use.
Getting between Nice and Menton by train
The coastal railway is the easiest way to do both. Regional ZOU! trains run along the coast through Villefranche-sur-Mer, Monaco and Roquebrune-Cap-Martin to Menton, and during both events they run about every 15 minutes between Cannes and Menton. Extra trains run late in the evening after the night parades in both towns.
- In Nice, the event area is about 15 minutes' walk from Nice-Ville station. Tram line 1 runs a shortened service during the parades because the Masséna stop is closed.
- In Menton, get off at Menton station, about 200 metres from the Jardins Biovès. Menton-Garavan, the next stop, is about 3 kilometres from the festival.
- Tickets: buy a return on the TER Sud website before you travel to avoid station queues; it is valid on any ZOU! train that day. Groups of 3 to 9 people can get a mini-group fare.
Driving is not a good idea on parade days in either town. If you do drive into Nice, the park-and-ride car parks on the tram lines need a return tram ticket bought at the same time.
A regional TER train at Menton station. Image: Tangopaso, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Menton's old town and the Basilica of Saint-Michel above the harbour. Image: Claire2595, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Can you see both in one trip?
Yes, and the calendars fit together well. The Menton parades are on Sunday afternoons and Thursday evenings, while in recent years Nice has held its battles of flowers on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons and its illuminated parades on Tuesday and Saturday evenings. A three-day plan for a February weekend could be:
- Saturday: a battle of flowers in Nice in the afternoon, then an illuminated parade in the evening.
- Sunday: train to Menton in the morning (the festival asks Sunday visitors to arrive before 11:00), the Corso des fruits d'or at 14:30, then the citrus sculptures in the Jardins Biovès.
- Monday: the old towns of Nice and Menton, without the crowds.
Check the 2027 Nice programme before you book, because the parade days can shift from year to year.
If the weather turns
February on the Riviera is usually mild and often sunny, but showers and wind do happen. In Nice the city can cancel a parade up to two hours before it starts, and tickets are then refunded; if a show is stopped after more than half of it has taken place, there is no refund. Menton can cancel up to 15 minutes before a parade, on the same half-way rule. Bring a light waterproof rather than an umbrella, which blocks the view for the people behind you.
Visitors in the winter sun on the seafront promenade in Menton, in an early colour photograph. Image: Dumas Roger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Tips for the parades
- Book grandstand seats early for Saturday evening in Nice and Sunday afternoon in Menton, the busiest slots.
- Arrive early. Menton advises getting to the entrances 1 hour 30 minutes before a parade.
- Standing places in Zone B in Nice are the cheapest way in, and children stand free there.
- Leave dogs at home: they are not allowed at the Menton parades.
- Stay for the end: the burning of the King on the last Saturday night in Nice is free to watch from the Promenade des Anglais.
If you are planning more of the Riviera in winter, our Nice destination guide covers the old town, the castle hill and the museums.
