Carnaval de Tamines
Grote stoet en verbranding van de Gille op zaterdag, traditionele raclot op zondag.
Promote local heritage tourism and traditional Belgian carnival experiences to drive hospitality bookings and food & beverage sales during the festival weekend.
- Experience authentic Tamines Carnival: witness the iconic Gille burning ceremony and traditional raclot feast
- Plan your Belgian carnival escape—book accommodations and reserve raclot dinners for this centuries-old celebration
- Behind the mask: discover the history and traditions of Carnaval de Tamines through local storytelling
- Taste tradition: feature the regional raclot dish as a signature carnival dining experience
Le Carnaval de Tamines is a major popular folk celebration held each March in Tamines (Sambreville), Belgium. The 2026 edition runs March 7–8 and features iconic parade traditions with multiple folk societies including the celebrated Macrâles des Bachères (witches), Gilles, and other local groups. Free entry, with hundreds of costumed participants parading for thousands of spectators who gather to receive the symbolic oranges tossed by the Gilles—a centennial tradition dating back to 1905.
Saturday, 7 March 2026
16:00 – Cortège procession starts from Avenue Président Roosevelt (Moraux area)
Saturday, 7 March 2026
18:30 – Final parade of folk groups
Saturday, 7 March 2026
19:30 – Circle of gilles (Rondeau des gilles) and fireworks at Place Saint-Martin
Saturday, 7 March 2026
21:15 – Ascent of Gilles du Petit B, Les Inséparables, and Mam'Zelles
Saturday, 7 March 2026
22:00 – Burning of the gille effigy (Brûlage du gille) and illumination of historic Town Hall
Sunday, 8 March 2026
From 15:30 – Raclot (traditional post-carnival gathering and local folk celebration)
- Legendary mass distribution of oranges by Gilles (counted in tonnes) symbolising prosperity and luck
- Iconic folk societies perform: Macrâles des Bachères (witches with interactive dances), Gilles du Petit B, Les Inséparables, and Mam'Zelles
- Grand cortège through Tamines streets followed by final parade, circle of gilles, fireworks, burning of the gille effigy, and illumination of historic Town Hall
- Raclot event on Sunday (a smaller-scale carnival continuation with regional folk groups)
- Attracts thousands of spectators from across the region
- free event
- Rich local tradition and cultural heritage preserved by Nouveau Comité Officiel des Fêtes de Tamines since 1905
- true