Nice carnival returns after two-year break caused by Covid
Tonight鈥檚 opening ceremony is expected to welcome 5,000 people. This year鈥檚 carnival has an animal theme
In previous years, the Nice carnival has attracted 20,000 people per day, but this year it is expected to see around 12,000
litchi cyril photographe / Shutterstock
The Nice carnival is returning today (February 11), in 鈥渁lmost-normal鈥� conditions, two years after it was shortened and then cancelled due to Covid-19. Around 12,000 people are expected to attend every day.
The event in the Provence-Alpes-C么te d'Azur city will run from today until February 27. This year鈥檚 theme is 鈥淩oi des Animaux (King of the Animals)鈥�.
It was shortened in 2020 and cancelled in 2021 due to the health crisis.
Read more:Nice's carnival replaced by鈥� a giant blue Covid sculpture
This year is the first that it will go ahead 鈥渁s normal鈥�, although only 12,000 people are expected to attend per day, compared to the 20,000 seen in previous years. Attendance requires people to wear a mask and show proof of vaccination.
The opening ceremony, which begins at 18:30 today in Place Mass茅na, will have 5,000 people in attendance. Tickets are free, but reserved for local residents.
Floats have already begun to be installed, ready for the event to begin.
鈥楴o guarantees鈥�
Nice mayor Christian Estrosi explained that there had been no guarantees that the event would go ahead this year, and that the decision to proceed had been made at a late stage.
He said: 鈥淲e envisaged all possibilities, depending on the state of the pandemic. But in the past few days, we鈥檝e seen [cases] drop massively. Conditions came together, but a month and a half ago we didn鈥檛 know if they would.
鈥淎nd we鈥檝e also been really lucky with the weather.鈥�
From tomorrow (Saturday, February 12), 9,000 people will be welcomed, while 12,000 people will be able to attend from Wednesday, February 16. Spectators will be able to watch standing up.
Caroline Constantin, carnival director, said: 鈥淲e are applying government measures strongly. The site is so well done, as it鈥檚 in the round, so we have been able to spread people out so they are safe.鈥�
The event is estimated to be worth 鈧�30million to the Nice economy.
鈥楳eeting people again鈥�
One local resident, Gabrielle, told FranceInfo: 鈥淐ovid made us all stay at home, so I think it鈥檚 great to be out meeting people again. It鈥檚 pretty, it鈥檚 festive!鈥�
Another resident, a young woman who is set to dress up as a deer to take part in this year鈥檚 theme, said: 鈥淲e are very very happy that [carnival] is going ahead this year. It allows us to meet actual humans; otherwise, how can we see them?鈥�
The Nice carnival is one of the only events of its kind to go ahead this year so far 鈥� in France and internationally 鈥� after both the Dunkirk event and the world-famous Rio de Janeiro carnival have both been cancelled, due to continued Covid pressure.
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