WORLD RADIO NORMANDY CAEN
All of Normandy, in English
14000 Caen, France
The 27th edition of Caen's Student Carnival remains as strong as ever: 32,000 attendees according to the prefecture
by
Friday, 27 March 2026
It certainly was a bright and lovely afternoon, walking towards the parade's starting point with two Loraxes wearing tutus. What luck it was that the sun decided to shine as people gathered on this Thursday, 26th March. While fewer people attended this year (2025 still holds the record of 36,000 people), the carnival's spirit did not wane.
Decorated float displaying the theme of this year's carnival | © Camille Renard // World Radio Normandy Caen
No matter the year, it is still as lively as it has ever been. The more you approached Caen University, the bigger the waves of colours, impressive wigs and sparkly costumes became. This year's chosen theme, the 2000s, inspired many to dress as their favourite pop culture characters, while others were much simpler in their outfit choices, but still ready to party.
The parade started at 3 pm, as the first of five decorated floats drove down Rue du Gaillon, each representing a different student association. With DJs on each float to hype up the carnival-goers, a sea of cheers and confetti erupted from the crowd as everyone slowly made their way to the concert at Parc des Expositions.
LISTEN ONLINE
Currently playing: