Carnaval d'Auxerre

The Carnaval d'Auxerre, a popular festival in the heart of winter

Each year, during Carnival season, Auxerre dons its most beautiful colors and hosts one of the most anticipated popular festivities in the Yonne. Decorated floats, exuberant masks, costumed groups, and brass bands invade the streets of the city center for a colorful festive procession, carried by the enthusiasm of the inhabitants and local associations.

A carnival tradition rooted in local life

The Carnaval d'Auxerre is part of the long tradition of French carnivals, where popular celebration precedes Lent. The city of Auxerre organizes this event each year in collaboration with local associations, schools, and folklore groups. The highlight is the symbolic handover of the city keys to King Carnaval, who reigns for a day over the prefecture of the Yonne.

The float parade

The parade is the highlight of the Carnaval d'Auxerre. Decorated floats built by associations, neighborhood committees, and local groups parade through the streets of the city center along a festive route. Each float embodies a theme, often related to current events or popular culture, reinterpreted with humor and creativity. Spectators crowded on the sidewalks participate in the atmosphere by getting splashed with confetti and streamers.

• Parade of floats decorated by local associations
• Costumed and fancy-dress groups of all kinds
• Brass bands and musical groups
• Children's procession and school activities
• Handover of the city keys to King Carnaval
• Procession through the streets of the historic center of Auxerre

A family and intergenerational event

The Carnaval d'Auxerre is above all a family celebration. Children participate with enthusiasm, dressed from head to toe, alongside their parents and grandparents. Auxerre's schools and youth centers often prepare their own costumed groups to join the procession and bring even more life to the parade.

Auxerre, a city of character in winter

The Carnival brings a touch of cheerfulness and warmth to Auxerre in the middle of winter. The prefecture of the Yonne, with its magnificent Gothic cathedral, its Saint-Germain abbey, and its quays on the Yonne river, offers a remarkable architectural setting for this festival that fills the streets with music, colors, and laughter.