Aalst Carnival (Aalst Carnaval)

Aalst holds Belgium's best-known carnival, famous for its sharp humour: around seventy registered groups and more than two hundred loose ones parade with floats that mock politicians and current events. On Sunday the big parade sets off from Statieplein, winds through the centre and finishes on the Grote Markt. On Monday another parade is followed by the broom dance of the Aalst Gilles and the onion throw from the town hall. Tuesday belongs to the Voil Jeanetten, men dressed as women, and the carnival doll goes up in flames that night. The city treats the carnival as living heritage; the 2027 programme follows the usual pattern but still has to be confirmed.