Carnaval de Boulogne-Billancourt

The Carnaval de Boulogne-Billancourt, a popular festive tradition

Boulogne-Billancourt is the most populous city in the Hauts-de-Seine with over 120,000 inhabitants. Formerly an industrial city — it housed the Renault factories on the Île Seguin — it is today one of the most dynamic suburban metropolises in France, with a lively city center, a leading economic and cultural fabric, and a strong local identity. The Carnaval de Boulogne-Billancourt is one of the festive events that best embodies this popular vitality.

As in all major French cities, the carnival in Boulogne-Billancourt is celebrated in February-March, around Mardi Gras. Carnival traditions — parades, float processions, confetti throwing, colorful costumes — are vibrant and appreciated by young and old alike.

Parades and processions in the streets

The Boulogne carnival is above all a street event, where the city transforms into an open stage. The parades bring together costumed groups, associations, and decorated floats that parade along the main avenues of the city, to the applause of spectators gathered on the sidewalks. Children in costumes are honored, with activities specially designed for them.

La Machine à Coudes, a leading local association, organizes carnival workshops for children and their parents every January, including workshops for making bugnes (traditional Mardi Gras fritters) and other festive treats. These Saturday afternoon workshops help pass on the culinary and festive traditions of the carnival to younger generations.

A Brazilian carnival on the sidelines

The cultural diversity of Boulogne-Billancourt is also reflected in the carnival celebrations. The Carnaval do Brasil, a festive evening organized at the Seguin Sound (a large concert and event venue on the Île Seguin), offers a night of samba, baile funk, performances by Brazilian dancers, and electrifying DJ sets every year in late February. This evening attracts several thousand participants and is one of the most popular carnival events in the Parisian suburbs.

Boulogne-Billancourt, city of culture

The carnival is part of a very rich cultural landscape in Boulogne-Billancourt. The city is known in particular for the Seine Musicale on the Île Seguin, an internationally renowned concert hall, and for its numerous museums (Musée des Années 30, Musée Paul Belmondo). The carnival, in its popular and festive dimension, complements this cultural offering by providing a celebration open to all, in public space, without barriers or entrance fees.