Dunkirk carnival 2027

A bande, a ball, a chapelle: the vocabulary

None of it makes sense without these five words. They come up everywhere, and nobody explains them on the day.

• The bande The procession itself. Thousands of revellers march behind a band of musicians led by the tambour-major. It's tightly packed, you get pushed, and that's the whole point: the front rows form a compact mass that sways from one side of the street to the other.
• The clet'che The costume. Colourful, eccentric, often handed down and patched up year after year. There's no theme and no competition: the clet'che isn't fancy dress, it's a working outfit.
• The ball The evening that follows, indoors. It's paid, often sold out well in advance, and it's where the full song repertoire is sung.
• The chapelle A flat or house opened up for the season, where people drop in to drink and sing. You don't just walk in: you have to be invited.
• The rigodon The finale. The bande kneels down in the street, then rises together as one, roaring. It's the last moment, and the one not to miss.

The herring-throwing

The high point of the Dunkirk bande. The bande stops in front of the town hall, the mayor and his guests appear on the balcony, and hundreds of wrapped herrings are thrown into the crowd.

The tradition dates back to 1962. Catching a herring in mid-air is the reward of the day — and a good reason to look up rather than watch your feet.

The rules nobody will tell you

• You dress up. Turning up in plain clothes in the middle of a bande marks you out as a spectator at a party that has none.
• You don't let go of the people next to you. The crowd moves forward and back as one block; holding on is what keeps you on your feet.
• You don't photograph people without speaking to them first. Carnival is a moment of licence, not a backdrop.
• You don't touch anyone. Carnival's tolerance stops exactly where everyday tolerance begins.
• You let emergency services through and follow the instructions of the armband-wearing stewards.

When exactly does carnival take place?

The season runs from January to April, town by town. But everyone thinks first of the Trois Joyeuses: the three days leading up to and including Shrove Tuesday, in Dunkirk itself.

As Shrove Tuesday is set by Easter, the date shifts every year. The full calendar of bandes and balls is published by the town of Dunkirk at the start of the season — it's the only source to trust.

Getting there, parking, staying over

Dunkirk sits at the northern tip of the Opal Coast, an hour from Lille via the A25 and an hour and a half from Boulogne-sur-Mer via the A16. Dunkirk station is a few minutes' walk from the centre, and by far the simplest way in on bande days: the town centre is closed to traffic and the surrounding streets are gridlocked well before the off.

For somewhere to stay, book early: the Trois Joyeuses fill up the Dunkirk area and spill over into Bray-Dunes, Zuydcoote and Malo-les-Bains.