Carnaval de Chalon-sur-Saône
Ten days of parades, brass bands and the burlesque Gôniots, ending with the burning of Old Carnival.
- Tradition
- Chalon-sur-Saône
- 35 min from Beaune
€125one way from Beaune with a private driver
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At a glance
- Organised by
- Comité des Fêtes de Chalon-sur-Saône
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 35 min by road (35 km), €125 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the event
Chalon's carnival is one of the best known in France, and its heart is the Gôniots: locals in deliberately grotesque costume who caricature the events of the year. Two Sunday parades, a night of music and a closing evening on the river fill ten days in late winter.
What to expect
The carnival opens with an evening parade and the handing of the town's keys to the King of the Gôniots. Two afternoon parades of floats and bands follow on Sundays, with a children's day, the Carnaband's Show at the Colisée and a Carnival Night at the exhibition park. On the last evening illuminated floats gather on Place du Port-Villiers, Old Carnival is sentenced and executed, and fireworks rise from the Tour du Doyenné. A funfair runs alongside.
History
The organisers trace the carnival back to the medieval Feast of Fools, when a mock bishop was elected in Saint-Vincent cathedral. Banned from the churches, the revelry moved into the streets. Later the butchers' guild paraded fat oxen and a straw effigy that was burned on the Pont Saint-Laurent and thrown into the Saône.
Organised parades with floats began in the early twentieth century, and since 1910 a contest has rewarded the best Gôniot groups. Their king, Cabache, and his wife Moutelle are said to watch over the town from the Île du Moutiau, under the motto Honneur et Peuterie.
Good to know
Tips for the day
Check the programme on the official site for parade times and for events that need tickets, such as the Carnaband's Show and Carnival Night. The centre is crowded on parade days, so a driver who drops you near the route and collects you afterwards saves a long walk from distant car parks. Dress warmly: the closing evening is outdoors by the river.
Around here
What to combine with Carnaval de Chalon-sur-Saône on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Carnaval de Chalon-sur-Saône 2027 takes place in Chalon-sur-Saône (Old Town of Chalon-sur-Saône): Friday 26 February – Sunday 7 March 2027.
Did you know? Around a thousand Gôniots take part in the parades, preparing their floats and costumes in secret.
Sources
A private driver for the day
No parking to find, no one left as the designated driver: everyone enjoys a glass.