“It’s good to find people”

It is an event that attracts hundreds of thousands of people: the first carnival in France, in Nice, begins on Friday February 11 and will last until the 27th. Shortened two years ago and canceled in 2021, this event will be able to hold, but will only accommodate a maximum of 12,000 people per day, compared to 20,000 before the pandemic.

With a mask and a vaccination pass, it is one of the only carnivals in the world to be held this year, its counterparts in Rio de Janeiro and Dunkirk being respectively postponed and canceled.

The people of Nice know their luck and, even before the start of the festivities, have taken over the carnival village, which has been open since Wednesday. “The Covid meant that we had to stay at home, I think it’s good to find people“, rejoices Gabrielle. It’s pretty, it’s festi… festiv…” Since the time she had not uttered this word, she needs several tries to finally exclaim: “Festive !”

Alongside Gabrielle, her granddaughter Mia only has eyes for costumes. “All those people in disguise…” She lists: “An animal, a wolf…” And for good reason: the theme this year is “The King of Animals”. So there are strange beasts walking around town. “Me? I’m a deer, finally!”exclaims a young woman, who seems to have really entered into her animal persona: “We are very, very happy that it’s starting again this year. It allows us to meet humans, otherwise, how do we see them?” It will also be, this year, the opportunity to discover the “big heads” of the Nice carnival who give pride of place to the candidates for the presidential election.

From Friday, 5,000 people will be able to attend the opening ceremony, which is free and reserved for residents of Nice. Until the last moment, nothing was guaranteed. “We offered ourselves all the possibilities, depending on the state of the pandemic”explains the mayor of the city, Christian Estrosi. For the past few days, we have seen that it is falling dizzily.”

“The conditions are met, we did not know, a month and a half ago, if they would all be. And what’s more with a weather forecast that is announced to us as extremely favorable.”

Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice

at franceinfo

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From Saturday 9,000 people can be welcomed, and from Wednesday 16 February, 12,000 spectators will be admitted, since it will be possible to attend performances standing up. “These are the government measures in force, we apply them”explains Caroline Constantin, the director of the carnival. “The site is so well done, since it’s a round, it’s a round, we managed to disseminate people so that they are safe.” It must be said that the stakes are high: the economic benefits of the carnival are estimated at 30 million euros.

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