Dunkirk Carnival

Dunkirk Carnival runs over a 3-month season, and its climax comes in the week of Mardi Gras. Participants wear a personal costume called a clet'che, which is regarded as the carnival-goer's identity; most people keep the same one. What goes into the costume is left entirely to the wearer, and many men traditionally dress as women, though this is not required.

The local Dunkirk speech used at carnival comes largely from Flemish words, with some of Anglo-Saxon origin, and was common among the port's dockers. In local usage, the word 'bande' does not mean a group of revellers but the parade itself, and joining the bande is what taking part in carnival means.

The edition is expected to start on 3 January 2027 and end on 17 April 2027. These dates are an estimate and have not been confirmed, and the carnival usually begins in January. It takes place in Dunkirk, in the Hauts-de-France region of France. No access details are available yet, so check with the organiser, Dunkerque Tourisme, before planning a trip.

Some historians agree that the carnival began in the early 17th century with feasts that shipowners held before Dunkirk's sailors set off to fish for cod off Iceland.