Carnival is already queer to its core. After all, if there’s anything the LGBTQ+ community knows best, it's how to come together for a good party—one that culminates in a fabulously ostentatious parade… or five. Creativity runs in our veins, and you’ll always find us at the heart of any Carnival celebration, glitter guns and streamer cannons armed and ready. Nice’s Lou Queernaval, however, is the first officially gay carnival in France, which takes the dial and turns it up to a hundred.

Queernaval is a celebration within a celebration—an inclusive, joyous explosion of creativity at Nice’s Carnival, created by the LGBTQ+ community for the community. It’s also a damn good excuse to plan a gaycation to Nice—as if you’d need one to visit the most gorgeous city on the French Riviera. But if you do need a reason, here are six good ones to add Queernaval in February/March to your yearly calendar.

The Parade is EPIC

The Queernaval parade works under the winning philosophy that more is always more. It’s the culmination of months of work spearheaded by the local LGBTQIA+ center of Nice, and all that hard work shows, as it rivals any parade we’ve ever seen, Pride, Carnival, or otherwise.

The entire spectacle takes place in the center of Place Masséna where you can expect sexy dancers and drag queens atop dazzlingly decorated floats, local queer bands quite literally dancing to the beat of their own drums, glitter, bubble machines, streamers, and yes—plenty of costumed eye candy. Queernaval’s queer energy is palpable, and the music is a best hits from any gay record collection.

Every year brings a new theme to keep things fresh. In 2025, it was The Big Blue Sea, featuring floats inspired by The Little Mermaid, drag queen mermaids, fluorescent jellyfish puppets, line-dancing seahorses, hula dancers swinging their hips to Beyoncé, buff Vikings, sailor go-go dancers, and hot mermen wielding both tridents and six-packs. There’s always a strong moral message thrown into the mix, and this time, it was our human obligation to preserve our precious oceans.

Once the parade comes to a close, the crowds descend from the stands to dance and mingle in the square. It’s a beautiful moment that represents the community of Nice—and its visitors—coming together. After all, nothing unites people like a good party!

Queernaval is for Everyone

The LGBTQIA+ community of Nice believes Carnival should be for everyone. Unlike other Carnival parties in Nice (or pretty much anywhere else for that matter), entrance is completely free. You’ll find all letters of the LGBTQ+ community represented at Queernaval, with local LGBTQ+ groups taking their rightful place in an environment that is thoroughly inclusive. Costumes are optional, only fun is mandatory.

There’s no false advertising in the city’s name either—Nice people are, indeed, very nice! Among the crowd you’ll always find someone to talk to, even if your French leaves something to be desired.

Nice Goes All Night

The festivities don’t end there. Although there’s no afterparty on the streets themselves (you can’t drink outside in Nice), the costumed crowd keeps the spirit of Queernaval going—often with the help of a few actual spirits—at Nice’s many gay bars and clubs.

One of the best bars in the area is Le Six, which has DJs playing a mix of pop and house music to a full dance floor. What infuses it with that playful Nice spirit, though, is its eccentric touches like a climbable ladder leading up to the second floor and antique phones that were allegedly once used to call guys who caught your eye on the other side of the bar. Blitz Bar is another popular post-parade choice, a more intimate bar playing techno music with raunchy queer art splashed across its walls.

For clubs, the two big choices are L’Omega Club and Le Glam. The former hosts big-name WE Party-style DJs and is run by the lovely gay entrepreneur couple who also own Nice Sunset, a seafront cabaret bar and restaurant. Le Glam, on the other hand, has a more commercial pop music vibe, complete with some go-go dancers thrown into the mix. Nightlife in Nice truly goes all night, with La Klubber serving as the afterparty spot—starting at 4 AM and running until 11 AM, and offering the always winning combination of techno and topless men.

Should you feel the call, Nice is home to a handful (so to speak) of cruising bars like Le Code and Morgan Club, which often host themed nights during Carnival, as well as an award-winning sauna, Les Bains Douche.

Fire and Flowers: Carnival’s Closing Celebrations are Epic Too

Nice Carnival is a two-week affair boasting six parades, with the closing celebrations on the Saturday after Queernaval—well worth venturing out with a hangover to see. The Bataille de Fleurs (Flower Battle) is an elegant parade of floats that throw flowers down on the crowds—just don’t catch one of the bouquets unless getting married in the near future appeals to you!

Nice Carnival ends with a bang when the crowds gather—rather tribalistically—on the beach for the burning of the “Carnival King” on the seafront (thankfully, an effigy, not a real person) and an impressive fireworks display. What’s more, next year Nice’s Carnival is doing its part to break the glass ceiling by switching things up with their first Carnival Queen.

Nice Serves French Riviera Perfection

Then there’s Nice itself. The city is the French Riviera at its finest—a quintessentially French coastal town with a hint of Italian influence. It boasts azure waters fronting pebblestone beaches, a gorgeous promenade, and an old town filled with charming cobblestone streets lined with quaint French-style cafés, restaurants, galleries, and museums.

Between Carnival celebrations, take a moment to go sightseeing or just take a stroll along the Promenade des Anglais and live out your French getaway fantasies. To get a taste of truly authentic Nice, you should visit the market in Cours Saleya. Among the array of stalls, you can buy gorgeously colorful flowers, delicious local produce, and street food favorites like the famous Pan Bagnat sandwiches and Pissaladière (an open-faced onion tart). A hike—or elevator ride—up the nearby Castle Hill will reward you with panoramic views over the French Riviera, even if the actual castle no longer exists.

Beyond its beauty, Nice has cultural substance, too. Queers of culture will find a wealth of galleries and museums worth their attention. Many artists have called Nice home over the years, most notably Marc Chagall, whose vivid, dreamlike paintings filled with color—which literally paint biblical scenes in a new light—can be viewed at the National Marc Chagall Museum, just outside the city center.

Also, be sure you pop into the Vigna Bookshop, which is the only LGBTQIA+ culture-focused bookshop outside of Paris and has a sizable selection of spicy homoerotic art for any connoisseur of the male form.

Nice Places to Eat and Stay

In Nice it’s easy to eat like the French aristocracy. The city’s cuisine is a winning mix of French and Mediterranean flavors, with top restaurants dotted all around the Old Town. Family-run restaurants rarely disappoint, and the most iconic institution in Nice is Acchiardo, having been owned by the same family for four generations. It’s especially popular with the LGBTQ+ community, serving up the best Niçoise cuisine in the city—the ravioli is to die for, as is the friendly gay waiter. For a queer cabaret show with your dinner, head down to Nice Sunset along the seafront—they always have a show on during Carnival, and in our case it included a Michael Jackson impersonator.

Nice’s spirit of creativity and acceptance extends to its hotels, too. A favorite among LGBTQ+ visitors is the Hotel Windsor Jungle Art Hotel, known for its artsy quirks—each room is designed and decorated by a different artist—and calming tropical garden with a pool, the perfect respite from the Carnival festivities.

So, there you have it. Nice during Queernaval is the ultimate gaycation—because Queernaval isn’t just a celebration or a parade; it’s a love letter from Nice to the global LGBTQ+ community. And it says: You’re welcome. You’re wanted. You’re beautiful. So come party with us.