Granville Carnival

story of Carnival

The first carnival - with an organising committee - took place on 7 February 1875. At the time, the carnival was part of the tradition of charity festivities: among the floats in the cavalcade, a charity float collected funds to help the poorest. This tradition was revived in 2003, and since then the last float in the parade has been collecting funds for a local charity.

The history of the carnival is linked to Granville's maritime history. At a time when cod fishing was the main activity in the port, the Terre-neuvas left around Mardi Gras. Carnival was their last celebration on land before setting sail. Today, it remains one of the great carnivals to have survived, each with their own specific features and customs, in French port towns.

In 2013, the festival's organisers submitted a project to have the festival listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In June 2014, the Ministry of Culture confirmed that Granville Carnival was France's official candidate for Unesco intangible heritage in 2015. The Carnival was officially listed as a World Heritage Site in 2016.

 

Preparing for Carnival

For almost six months, from September onwards, the forty or so floats and ten or so modules that make up the Carnival cavalcades are prepared in a large workshop as well as in various workshops located on the outskirts of the city and permanently made available to the carnival-goers by the municipality.

 The carnival-goers are the ones who build the floats, make the costumes, write the songs and invent the choreography.

Carnival-goers draw on local, national and international news to choose the themes for their floats.
 

The programme of carnival festivities

Carnival starts on the Friday evening of the days preceding Mardi Gras.

Friday 28 February 2025

6.30pm: Pre-opening with l'Archipel - Héritage by DJ Show Set
8pm: Opening concert with Flagrants Délires - Carnival House
Free admission. Tickets to be collected on Saturdays 15 and 22 February at the Granville Tourist Office (9am). Maximum 2 tickets per person.
Saturday 1st March 2025

10.00am: Carnival market with musical entertainment - Car park of the Post Office
2pm: Handing over of the keys to the Demoiselles Granville Terre et Mer float - Rond-Point du Calvaire
2.15pm: Children's cavalcade - Departure from the Calvaire towards the Carnival House
3.30pm: Children's ball with Les Zélectrons Frits - Maison du carnaval
Free for children, €4 for accompanying adults
8pm: Ça tire, le parade - Maison du carnaval
9:00 pm: Fanfares Saturday - Departure from the Carnival Centre, followed by a marching band parade through the town.
Sunday 2nd March 2025

10.00am: Musical auditions in the town centre
11.00am: Officials' reception - Maison du Carnaval
1.30 pm: The Great Cavalcade - One-off departure from the port
7pm: Carnival picnic - Port and Maison du Carnaval
9.00 pm: Light Cavalcade - Departure from the port
Monday 3rd March 2025

• 12.00: Carnival and partner drinks - Maison du Carnaval
  7.00 pm: Daddy's ball - Maison du Carnaval
  7.00 pm: Mum's ball - Salle de Hérel
  Tuesday 4th March 2025

  2.00 pm: Humorous and satirical cavalcade - Departure from the Calvaire
  4.30pm: Judgement and execution of His Majesty Bordelus 1st - Place Guépratte and port
  6.00pm: Large and small confetti battle - Place Guépratte

 

The intrigues

 

The ‘intrigues’ are a special feature of the Granville carnival. They always take place on Tuesday evening, at the end of the carnival, between Granvillais. Alone or in groups, the intriguers, fully disguised so as not to be recognised, go into bars, restaurants or people's homes to meet certain people, in order to distil jokes and rumours about them, whether true or not, and ‘intrigue’ their acquaintances. The aim is initially to avoid being recognised, while showing the person being intrigued that you know them by telling anecdotes and giving clues. The ‘intrigued’ can ask the ‘intriguer’ questions to try and guess who is hiding behind the mask. To answer, the ‘intriguer’ also disguises his voice.
 

 

How do I get to the carnival?

Due to the works currently underway in Granville (Cours Jonville, Place Général de Gaulle), there will be a number of changes this year.

Shuttles (SUNDAYS ONLY):

2 shuttle bus routes will be set up on Sundays (10am-8pm): the starting point is the Maison Brûlée roundabout (at the ‘Monsieur Bricolage’ shop).
2 possible stops: at the Dior stadium (place du 11 novembre) or at the Amiraux roundabout.
Free shuttle service.

Street closures:

Saturday: closed from the Calvaire, depending on the progress of the cavalcade, from 2.15pm to 5pm, towards rue Lecampion.

On Sunday from 10am to 9pm, the town centre will be completely closed.

To the north (Donville): roundabout linking Donville to Granville station - no further.
In the ‘centre’: maison brûlée roundabout (shuttle bus departure point) - impossible to go any further.
South (Saint Pair): Boulevard des Amériques and Rue de la Crête crossroads (except for PMR vehicles lycée car parks) impossible to go any further.

Closure of the city centre: 

From 6.45pm on Friday 28 February 2025 until approximately
07h00
Saturday 1 March 2025 from 13:00 (EXCEPT Rue Couraye from 12:30) to Sunday 02 March
2025 until approximately 07:00
From Sunday 02 March 2025 from 10:00 to Monday 03 March 2025 until approximately 07:00.
From 19:00 on Monday 03 March 2025 until approximately 07:00 on Tuesday 04 March 2025.
From 12.00 on Tuesday 04 March 2025 to approximately 07.00 on Wednesday 05 March 2025.
Funfair :

2 funfairs are planned during Carnival from 1 to 9 March: in the Fontaine Bedeau car park and on Place Sémard for children (at Granville station).

Further information: https://www.tourisme-granville-terre-mer.com/immerger/pendant-les-temps-forts/carnaval-granville/les-infos-pratiques-du-carnaval-de-granville/

Book your accommodation!

To book your accommodation and make sure you don't miss this great Carnival event, your guest house Les Bruyères du Mont welcomes you. Call 06 59 16 11 24 or book directly on the website: https://www.chambredhotes-mont-saint-michel.fr/