It’s the biggest carnival in western France. A parade of satirical floats, brass bands, ‘bal à papa’, confetti fights… A wind of madness blows through Granville! The dates, the programme, the video… We tell you all about the 2026 edition of this seaside carnival. Join us for the 152nd edition (no less!), from 13 to 17 February 2026.
Satirical floats and confetti battles
Around forty satirical floats with a different theme each year, 3,000 carnival goers, up to 150,000 people and millions of confetti balls fill the streets. Concerts and brass bands, a children’s parade and ball, an illuminated cavalcade, a visit to the Marité ship and a children’s ball are all part of the festivities. Wellcome to the Granville Carnival!
On the final day, the floats take the Bonhomme Carnival to be judged and, as always, the verdict is fatal… at the stake! Then it’s time for the confetti fight, and the carnival ends with an evening of intrigue in the streets and a good meal in the city’s lively brasseries and restaurants. What a programme!
France’s one and only UNESCO-listed carnival
Tradition has it that the Granville Carnival originated with the sailors of the great fishing grounds. Every year around Shrove Tuesday, the ships would set sail for the shores of Newfoundland, off the coast of Canada.
The crossing was long and rough and the sailors wanted to have some fun before braving the storms. The people of Granville have carried on the tradition and now offer you this satirical and humorous interlude in the heart of winter.
In 2016, UNESCO included the Granville Carnival on the World Heritage List. Well deserved!
5 things you should know about Granville
- Granville is a former corsair town.
- Granville is located at the northern end of the Bay of the Mont-Saint-Michel.
- Built on a rocky promontory, Granville is known as the Monaco of the North. The comparison ends there.
- Just off Granville are the Chausey Islands, Europe’s largest archipelago with 365 islets at low tide.
- Christian Dior spent his childhood in Granville. His family home is now a museum.
Useful information
Granville Carnival 2026
From 13 to 17 February 2026
50400 Granville
www.carnaval-de-granville.fr