Weekendo
Eupen Carnival and Rose Monday Parade
Eupen celebrates Rhineland-style carnival: Altweiber on 4 February 2027, a children's parade on Sunday the 7th and, on Monday the 8th, the Rosenmontagszug, East Belgium's biggest parade, held since 1884.
Carnivals — Belgium
Aalst 1Arlon 1Binche 1Blankenberge 1Eupen 1Fosses-la-Ville 1Halle 1Hasselt 1Heist (Knokke-Heist) 1Kelmis 1La Louvière 1Lommel 1Maaseik 1Malmedy 1Ninove 1Ostend 1Raeren 1Sint-Truiden 1St. Vith 1Stavelot 1Tilff 1Tournai 1Welkenraedt 1
Kelmis Carnival and Rose Monday Parade
Kelmis has held carnival parades since 1879. From 4 to 8 February 2027: Altweiber, a children's parade, the Sunday parade and, on Monday, the Rosenmontagszug, which ends with the burning of the 'Küsch'.
Raeren Carnival Sunday Parade (Tulpensonntag)
On Sunday 7 February 2027 Raeren hosts East Belgium's biggest carnival Sunday parade: over 50 groups and around 3,000 participants, greeted by the two prince teams from the town-hall balcony.
Blankenberge Carnival
The Belgian coast's big carnival: a week of festivities during the spring half-term, with the parade on Sunday 7 February at 2.30 pm bringing floats and costumed societies through the town-centre streets.
Heist Carnival (Heist viert Carnaval)
Carnival in a fishing village: fishermen's mass and grand parade on Sunday, sprat night in the cafés on Monday, the golden babelutte throw and an illuminated evening parade on Tuesday.
Maaseik Carnival and the Internasjonale Hawfvastestoet
In Maaseik a carnival society founded in 1865 keeps the festivities alive in dialect: opening on 6 February, a clown parade on Tuesday evening, then the big international mid-Lent parade on 7 March.
Malmedy Cwarmê carnival
From 6 to 9 February 2027 Malmedy celebrates its 567th Cwarmê, a carnival lived in Walloon dialect. Haguètes and other traditional masks lead the big Sunday parade, Monday's satirical 'Rôles' and Tuesday's burning of the Haguète.
Aalst Carnival (Aalst Carnaval)
Three days of satirical carnival in Aalst: floats poking fun at the news, the Gilles' broom dance and the onion throw on Monday, then the Voil Jeanetten and the burning of the doll on Tuesday night.
Binche Carnival
From 7 to 9 February 2027, Binche holds its UNESCO-listed carnival. The high point is Shrove Tuesday, when the Gilles dance from dawn in wax masks and, in the afternoon, throw oranges wearing tall ostrich-feather hats.
Carnavalstoet Lommel-Centrum (Lommel carnival parade)
A traditional Campine carnival that opens the spring half-term: a big parade through central Lommel on Sunday 7 February and a children's parade in Lutlommel on Monday. Bring a bag for the sweets.
St. Vith Grand Carnival Parade
On Sunday 7 February 2027, St. Vith in the heart of the Belgian Eifel holds its grand carnival parade: some forty groups, the cry of 'Fahr'm Dar!' and a tradition dating back to 1867.
Verloren Maandagstoet, Sint-Truiden carnival parade
On carnival Monday, 8 February, Sint-Truiden hosts Limburg's big international parade: floats and costumed groups from 1.11 pm, starting at Schurhoven and carrying on into the evening. Free.
Ninove Carnival
Ninove holds its satirical carnival a week after everyone else, 13 to 16 February: children's carnival, a big Sunday parade, the carrot throw on Monday and the burning of the carrot on Tuesday.
Arlon Carnival (46th cavalcade)
From 25 to 28 February 2027 Arlon holds the big carnival of Belgium's Luxembourg province: the dressing of the stag, balls, the prince's enthronement and, on Sunday the 28th, the Grande Cavalcade with about fifty groups, Gilles and Guggenmusik bands.
Hasselt Carnival (Hasselt Carnaval)
At mid-Lent Hasselt holds a carnival weekend with its international parade on Sunday 7 March, the installation of 'Hendrik', a mass in local dialect and a children's parade.
Ostend Carnival (Carnaval Oostende)
Four days of carnival in Ostend, 5 to 8 March, centred on a Spiegeltent on the Groentemarkt: the burning of Tjannie Carbon, a children's parade and the big Sunday parade ending with the Kloeffeworp at the Kursaal.
Tilff Laetare Carnival
From 5 to 7 March 2027 Tilff, in the Ourthe valley, celebrates Laetare: the prince is enthroned on Friday, balls follow on Saturday, and Sunday brings the parade, the Porais and giants' rondeau and the burning of the Macrâle at 7.30 pm.
Tournai Carnival (47th edition)
From 5 to 7 March 2027 Tournai holds the 47th edition of its carnival on the theme 'De l'autre côté du miroir' (Through the Looking-Glass), with the confréries parading through the historic centre. The detailed programme is still to come.
Halle Carnival (Carnaval Halle)
On Laetare weekend Halle enjoys three 'crazy nights': a devil parade on Saturday, an afternoon parade and the big illuminated Lichtstoet on Sunday, and on Monday the Krottenmaandag parade, fireworks and the burning of carnival.
Laetare and Chinels Carnival
In Fosses-la-Ville, Laetare belongs to the Chinels, hunchbacked Punchinello figures in bright satin with wooden swords. The parade is expected on Sunday 7 March 2027, ending with the Chinels' rondeau on Place du Marché.
Stavelot Laetare
From 6 to 8 March 2027, Stavelot's 522nd Laetare brings out the Blancs-Moussis in white hoods and long red noses: an illuminated night parade on Saturday, the big parade and rondeau on Sunday, and fireworks in the evening.
La Louvière Laetare
From 7 to 9 March 2027, La Louvière holds its Laetare, the biggest Gilles carnival after Binche: Gilles collected at dawn, oranges thrown outside the town hall, a giants' parade on Monday and the 'brûlage des bosses' on Tuesday night.
Welkenraedt-Herbesthal Laetare Carnival
On Laetare Sunday, 7 March 2027, some forty floats link Welkenraedt and Herbesthal in a Rhineland-style parade billed as the only one that crosses the border between Belgium's French- and German-speaking Communities.