February 7, 2027 – February 9, 2027 Approximate dates
Binche Carnival 2027
The carnival of the Gilles in Binche, Belgium, recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
What happens
Binche Carnival lasts for the three days before Ash Wednesday. Its main characters, the Gilles, are men in colourful costumes, wearing wax masks in the morning and tall ostrich-feather hats in the afternoon. They dance through the town to the beat of drums and throw oranges into the crowd. Since 2003, the carnival has been listed among UNESCO’s masterpieces of intangible heritage.
Binche is near Mons and an hour from Brussels. You can combine the carnival with a food tour of Belgium: beer, chocolate, Bruges and Ghent.
Where
Binche, Wallonia, Belgium: the Grand-Place and the streets of the old town.
Open map ↗Schedule
| from Sunday 7 to Tuesday 9 February 2027. | The main day is Mardi Gras, 9 February: masked Gilles gather on the Grand-Place from dawn, then parade in ostrich-feather hats and throw oranges into the crowd in the afternoon. Fireworks follow at around 21:30. The 2027 programme has not yet been published. |
Getting there
- from Paris, take a train to Brussels, about 1 hour 25 minutes, then a train to Binche, about 1 hour.
- Brussels and Charleroi airports, about 30 minutes from Binche.
Tickets and admission
free.
Tips
- arrive on Tuesday morning.
- The Gilles throw oranges into the crowd as part of the celebrations. Do not try to catch them near windows or shopfronts.
- The carnival is listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.