Carnaval de Tonneins

The Carnaval de Tonneins: a collective pride

Since 2002, the Carnaval de Tonneins has become an unmissable event in the cultural life of Tonneins. Organized every year in March by the Cultural Service of the City of Tonneins, this unifying and festive event mobilizes the entire community: students, teachers, families, associations, and volunteers come together to celebrate a colorful day.

An ambitious educational and artistic project

The Carnaval de Tonneins stands out for its educational dimension. In the lead-up to the event, musical workshops (singing, percussion) are organized in the city's nursery and elementary schools — Jules Ferry, Jean Macé, Victor Hugo, and Notre Dame. Students also participate in artistic creation workshops led by professional visual artists, notably Mickaëlle Delamé, to create urban decorations, costumes, and giant puppets related to the year's theme.

This preparatory work addresses essential values: respect for others, awareness of artistic creation, and collective reflection around a unifying theme.

The school parade: children at the heart of the celebration

On Friday afternoon, the festivities begin with the grand school parade. Three distinct processions, accompanied by percussion and giant puppets, set off simultaneously through the streets of Tonneins. The children, the main actors of this event, parade with their creations and costumes under the amazed eyes of families and residents. A snack and a confetti battle offered by the municipality punctuate this festive moment.

The night parade: a magnificent show

In the evening, the party continues with the night parade, the highlight of the Carnival. The procession sets off from the Esplanade Saint-Pierre at 8:30 PM, animated by:

• Batucadas and Brazilian percussion groups, notably supported by the local association Batucamigasses
• Professional street companies offering pyrotechnic shows and artistic performances
• Sound floats created by Les Ateliers Créatifs du Sud
• Local associations: Gym pour Tous with majorettes and cheerleaders, Roue Libre, Fit Danse Attitude, and many others

The procession converges on Place Zoppola where the spectacular finale takes place: the burning of Mr. Carnaval, accompanied by fireworks and pyrotechnic effects by specialized companies like Cie Elixir.

Varied themes over the editions

Each year, an original theme inspires the creations and costumes:

• 2019 — “Carna’vol: let’s take flight with lightness”
• 2020 — “Books and You” (confined edition, online contest)
• 2023 — “Tomorrow, the Ocean”
• 2024 — “Monsters and Wonders”
• 2025 — “Carnaval Latino – Latin America”
• 2026 — “Carnaval Latino”

These themes allow for the exploration of various subjects — ecology, imagination, openness to the world — while stimulating participants' creativity.